Ohio Wesleyan University | Battling Bishop Athletics

2007-08 Season Preview

In her 21 seasons as Ohio Wesleyan head coach, Nan Carney-DeBord has relied on senior leadership as a key element of her many successful teams.

The 2007-08 Battling Bishops will have a healthy dose of senior leadership, with 6 seniors set to play crucial contributing roles on the squad, as Ohio Wesleyan seeks to improve on back-to-back 14-12 seasons.

[ Steffi Graf ] Senior wing Steffi Graf (Poland/Seminary), an honorable mention All-North Coast Athletic Conference pick, is the Bishops’ top returning scorer. Graf averaged 9.8 points per game last year, ranking among the top 20 scorers in the NCAC, and led the conference in free throw percentage (.813).

Classmate Lindsey Macklin (Columbus/Bexley), a reliable defensive stopper who contributed 4.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last year, flanks Graf at the other wing position.

Junior Stacey Aaron (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove), a point guard the last 2 seasons, moves to a wing spot to provide outside shooting ability, and junior McKenzie Robinson (Takoma Park, Md./Montrose Christian) is another returning letterwinner.

Newcomers include sophomore Rachel Seibel (Johnstown), an all-state selection in high school who did not play basketball last year; and sophomore Olivia Bull (Columbus/Grandview Heights), an all-league pick in high school who did not play last year.

Also looking to contribute will be freshman Tyler Cordell (Columbus/St. Francis de Sales), an all-league pick in high school; freshman Kaylie Titus (East Hampton, N.Y.), a 3-time all-league selection in high school; freshman Justina Alvis (Nome, Alaska/Fisher Catholic); and freshman Chelsie Spiegel (Upper Sandusky/Riverdale), a first-team all-conference choice in high school.

[ Kathleen Cooper ] "We have a lot more versatility at the wing positions (than last year), Carney-DeBord said. "It will be a lot tougher to anticipate what we'll do."

Senior point guard Kathleen Cooper (Columbus/Upper Arlington) returns from a year off to direct the Bishop offense. Cooper ranked third in the NCAC in assists during the 2005-06 season.

Sophomore Lauren Gentene (Mason), a transfer from Cedarville, and freshman Pam Quigney (Mentor) will see playing time both at point guard and at wing positions. Freshman Chardae Spencer (Willowick/Eastlake North), an all-conference pick in high school, also is in the mix.

"We have much better depth at the point guard spot this year," Carney-DeBord said.

Seniors Kelli Lester (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) and Malley Adamsky (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) are back at the post positions. Lester led the Bishops and ranked 12th in the NCAC in rebounding last season with an average of 6.0 boards per game. Adamsky started 5 games last year and contributed 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest.

[ Kelli Lester ] Juniors Laurel Lawson (Navarre/Fairless) and Katie Hamilton (Hilliard/Darby) and senior Summer Quesenberry (St. Paris/Urbana) also return. Lawson ranked second on the team with an average of 5.0 rebounds per game and led the Bishops in blocked shots last year. Hamilton started 3 games and averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, and Quesenberry saw action in 11 games.

Freshman Kayla Gordon (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville), an all-metro selection in high school, will look to make an impact; and junior Addie Frentsos (Delaware/Hayes) is in her first season of collegiate basketball.

"We have a lot of individuals who gained a lot of experience last year," Carney-DeBord said. "I think we will have the opportunity to use all of our post players."

Ohio Wesleyan opens the season at the Wilmington Tip-Off Tournament, featuring a field that also includes Dubuque and Thomas More. The Bishops host their own Bishop Classic "Hoops for Hope" tournament over Thanksgiving weekend, with perennial power Capital, Carnegie Mellon and Frostburg (Md.) State coming to Delaware, before taking on Thomas More and Case Reserve in non-conference action. The NCAC schedule opens up in early December against Earlham, and a game with Ohio Northern and an appearance in the South Padre Island Shootout in late December conclude the non-conference slate. The rest of the conference schedule will be competitive with defending champion Denison, perennial powers Wittenberg, Kenyon and Allegheny, and always-tough Wooster highlighting NCAC competition.

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