JANE LEE
Sports Assistant
The Pepperdine women’s basketball team will rely on young talent and a new “running game” approach to look for continued improvement in Head Coach Julie Rousseau’s second season.
“Since our new team is extremely athletic, we are focusing on utilizing this athletic ability to our advantage,” junior guard Lauren Wenski said. “We pride ourselves in being a defensive team that rebounds and then is rewarded with running on the opponent.”
The Waves’ season tips off Nov. 18 in Pullman, Wash., against Washington State, while West Coast Conference play is scheduled to open Jan. 6 at the University of San Francisco.
Pepperdine’s schedule includes 13 home contests including the Pepperdine Tournament the weekend after Thanksgiving when Hofstra, Indiana State and Kentucky come to town.
The Waves will also travel to Michigan to face the reigning national runner-up Spartans, as well as to UC Santa Barbara, with whom the Waves are starting a “Battle of the Beach.”
“Our schedule this year is definitely a challenge, but it is one that we are all accepting and working to defeat,” Wenski said. “We will be playing some great teams, but we are working hard so we are ready to compete with them.”
Last season, Rousseau guided the Waves to a 12-17 overall record and a 7-7 third-place finish.
Pepperdine went as far as the semifinals of the WCC tournament, where Gonzaga eliminated the Waves after beating them 58-40.
Wenski, however, said she believes her team has a chance to go farther come tournament time this year.
“I think we stack up good to the other teams in the WCC this year,” she said. “I think we are definitely going to surprise a lot of people with our play.”
Pepperdine returns just three underclassmen in senior Kelsey Ball and juniors Jasmane Clarendon and Wenski.
Also back from last year’s squad is All-WCC all-freshman team honoree Daphanie Kennedy, Teiosha George and Shannon Johnson.
The Waves welcome six newcomers to the team this season, five freshmen and one sophomore transfer.
“We did lose some key players from last year, but we have six returning girls who are ready for the challenge as well as six new girls who are more than capable of filling the spots of those players from last year’s team,” Wenski said. “We are definitely a younger team, but the talent is endless.
“I think the fans can expect a lot of excitement from this year’s team.”
Also joining the team are two new assistant coaches, Shelley Sheetz and Carlton Oliver. Sheetz comes to Pepperdine after spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of San Diego, while Oliver joins the Wave coaching staff after spending the previous season as an assistant coach at Hofstra University.
No matter the age of the talent, the Waves will look toward a much-improved season.
“With our new ‘running game’ approach we are going to get playing at a lot faster pace,” Wenski said. “Thus, the games are going to be a lot of fun to watch.”
11-10-2005
