Lady Jackets Set to Begin 2010-2011 Campaign

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The fourth season for any collegiate head coach is a big one, and the same is true for head women's basketball coach, Dic Doumanian, as he enters the 2010-11 campaign. Doumanian finally has a squad comprised entirely of players that have been coached exclusively by himself and his staff to execute his up-tempo style of play for the first time in his tenure at DC. Six seniors, including four fourth-year players, give Coach Doumanian a bevy of leadership and proven performers to work with as the Jackets fight to remain atop the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings despite losing the production of their top-two scorers and rebounders from last season.   

Finding players to carry the scoring load should not be a problem for the Lady Jackets, who have led the HCAC in scoring twice in Doumanian's first three seasons at Defiance, and boast the conference's best scoring average with 72.5 points per game over the last three seasons. Defense and rebounding will be the keys to the Jackets' success in 2010-11, and that means some new faces on the Lady Jackets' roster will be counted on to step in and contribute right away to help the Jackets reach their goal of winning an HCAC Championship.

What to Watch For:
Second-year center, Kim Comden, has the potential to go a long way towards filling the Jackets' need for a reliable rebounder and defender in the paint. Comden showed steady improvement last season, while earning the confidence of her coaching staff and teammates. She ranked third on the team in both rebounds (86) and blocks (10) last season, despite playing just over 12 minutes per game behind DC's all-conference center, Mandie White, and many are excited to see what she can do in an expanded role this season.

Senior shooting guard, Courtney Schmersal, has always had a gift for lighting up the scoreboard, but she has also always had the luxury of playing with some prolific scorers, who have occupied the defenders' attention and allowed her to find some open looks. This season, defenses will likely key on the reigning HCAC three-point shooting champ, and force other players to make shots for the Jackets. Tasha Stucke and Molly Bateman are both coming off career-high seasons with 9.3 and 5.7 points per game respectively, but DC will definitely need some of its younger players to establish themselves as reliable scorers, and it will be interesting to see who will rise to that challenge. Coach Doumanian's three-point heavy offense will require many of the newcomers to expand their offensive range, and their ability to adjust to a new system against some tough competition and play with confidence will be a critical factor in determining the Jackets level of success this season.

HCAC Players to Watch, Tasha Stucke and Courtney Schmersal, are both closing in on some significant career milestones. Stucke has averaged 99 assists per season in her career at Defiance, and needs 95 dimes this season to rank fourth on DC's all-time assists list. Courtney Schmersal is currently fourth on DC's all-time three-point field goals list, and needs to hit 21 more long balls this season to become Defiance's all-time leader. After hitting 2.5 three-pointers per game last season, Schmersal is on pace to become DC's all-time three-point field goal leader before mid-season.