After a disappointing finish to the 2012-13 season, the Capital University women's basketball team looks to start off fresh in 2013-14 under the tutelage of the Ohio Athletic Conference's longest tenured coach.
The Crusaders started last season with a 13-5 mark before falling in seven of their last eight contests, including a 60-58 defeat against Muskingum in the first round of the OAC Tournament. Capital finished 14-12 for the season, including a 9-9 record in conference play.
Head coach Dixie Jeffers enters her 28th season at the helm of the program. Jeffers' teams have posted 10 OAC regular season championships, nine conference tournament titles and 14 appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Crusaders won back-to-back national titles in 1994 and 1995, and Jeffers was named Division III coach of the year following each of those seasons. Overall, the team reached the NCAA semifinals four times in five years from 1993-97.
Until last season, Capital hadn't been .500 or below in conference play since the 2002-03 campaign. The team is picked to finish third in the league standings by the OAC coaches in this year's preseason poll.
"Our goal is to get better, a lot better than we were last year," Jeffers said. "We started out really well early in the year, then suffered some unbelievable injuries, and we suffered from a lack of attention to details and so forth.
"We ended the year on a very sour note last season. It wasn't a year that's typical of women's basketball at Capital, and we certainly don't want to repeat that one again."
Despite the loss of a pair of starters due to graduation, the Crusaders return several capable veterans and a strong core of young, talented student-athletes.
Guard Cookie Geroski (Fostoria, Ohio) and forward Jamie Caton (Hilliard, Ohio) form the team's senior class in 2013-14. Geroski is a three-year starter and two-time All-OAC honoree. She garnered second team all-league accolades last season after averaging 11.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and raking in the top 10 in the conference in scoring, 3-point percentage (33.6 percent) and minutes per game (34.8). Caton, a steady three-year contributor, averaged 10.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per affair and led the team and ranked fourth in the OAC with 22 blocked shots (0.96 per game) in 2012-13.
"Our two seniors are the backbone of this program," Jeffers said. "I can't say enough good things about these two seniors and their offseason leadership, and how they've taken it and continued to show that leadership. They're showing the poise that seniors should in leading this young squad."
Sophomore guard Simonne Gage also returns as a starter from last season. The Dayton, Ohio, native became the first player in program history to be named OAC Freshman of the Year after averaging 7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team in assists (59) and steals (43).
Other returning contributors include junior guard Shelby Sheets (Fayetteville, Ohio), junior forward Monica Heckman (Pitsburg, Ohio), sophomore forward Kristen Thompson (Cincinnati, Ohio), sophomore guards Nina Napolitano (Akron, Ohio) and Shelby Sigman (Bellbrook, Ohio). Sheets averaged 4.2 points and appeared in all 26 games, while Heckman started eight of her 23 contests and shot 50.8 percent from the field. Thompson (3.8 ppg), Napolitano (20 steals) and Sigman (19 assists) all provided key contributions off the bench throughout the season. Sophomore forward Steph Irwin (Carmel, Ind.) appeared in 10 contests last season.
"I think we're heading in the right direction," Jeffers said. "I love the hard work ethic our team had this past summer, and have had, for the most part, so far this preseason. I just really like coaching these kids and I love the team chemistry."
Capital will also be bolstered by the arrival of eight newcomers, including sophomore transfers Kirstyn Baker (Richmond Heights, Ohio) andJenna Erwin (Springfield, Ohio) at guard.
The team's six freshmen – guards Courtney Merritt (Cincinnati, Ohio), Jordan Davis (Wellston, Ohio), Brittany Gross (Cygnet, Ohio) and Lauren Stefancin (Mentor, Ohio), and forwards Colleen Fondessy (Fostoria, Ohio) and Katie Klingman (Painesville, Ohio) – also look to compete for playing time.
Capital opens the season this Saturday at St. Vincent (Pa.) before starting its home schedule four days later on Nov. 20 against Wittenberg. The team's non-conference slate also features a home showdown on Nov. 23 against No. 8 Thomas More (Ky.) and two games in a tournament at perennial national contender and preseason No. 9 Hope (Mich.).
The Crusaders begin OAC play on Dec. 4 at Heidelberg. Capital visits preseason No. 16 and defending OAC champion Ohio Northern to cap a five-game road stretch on Jan. 18, then hosts the Polar Bears on Feb. 22, the final day of the regular season.
Click on the podcast link above to listen to an interview with Jeffers. The podcast will run biweekly throughout the season.