The coaching staff of the women’s basketball team is excited to see the players work together this season while riding off of last year’s success.

The players who’ve been on the team the longest are a bright spot that Kellie Kennedy, Loyola women’s basketball head coach, has been focusing on, but also getting the seven newest players on the team up to “basketball shape.”

The ladies face off against four Division I opponents this season and are optimistic about their success and what they can accomplish.

“We have juniors and seniors with a lot more experience on the court and are mentally and physically driven. They’ve had glimpses of brilliance in the past, but now I’m putting them in the position of a leader. I’m really excited to see how they perform this season,” Kennedy said.

The ladies have been practicing for four weeks and haven’t been doing anything new or drastic to their regimen in hopes of recreating last season’s success.

The coaching staff brought in seven new players, six of which are freshman. The new members of the team are hitting the weight room, and said that they are still adjusting to the speed and physicality of basketball at this level.

Megan Worry, psychology freshman, is one player who’s contributing to the Pack as early as her first semester.

“Running more and lifting weights everyday makes us better. In high school, you weren’t really required to do that as much. Getting even more in shape is a process that coaches here stress to us. I feel like we freshman can improve more, and can definitely contribute to the squad,” Worry said.

The development of conditioning is seen by many coaches and players not just as “getting into shape,” but as a team building exercise. Getting through the drills and pressure brings the team together.

Every year, the ladies have had players they’ve looked up to. Seniors like Jazmine Brewer, Janeicia Neely, and Meghan Whittaker stepped into those roles last year.

They were also players Shayne Charles, psychology senior, looked up to personally. She has now become one of the vocal leaders on the team and looks to help the young basketball team through another strong season — only she will be doing it from the sidelines.

Charles is currently in rehab from a knee injury she suffered before the ladies started practice. It’s a small setback for her, but she’s not finished with basketball. She will be a redshirt athlete this season, meaning that she will spend a year on the sidelines and will look to come back stronger next season.

“This is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to deal with. I don’t have time to worry about me not playing. That’s why, as a senior, I’m focusing on being mentally and physically tougher through rehabbing and on being that voice my teammates can rely on even though I’m not on the court with them,” Charles said.