By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
Following a terrific 14-6 campaign the Ell-Saline girl's basketball team will look to retool and take another step in 2022-23.
The Lady Cardinals will be under the direction of first-year head coach Brandi Schneider, who will take the reins from Bill Gies this year.
Ell-Saline graduated just three seniors over the offseason and will return a great deal of their young core culminating in a starting lineup that should look something like this come tip-off.
PG- Bayleigh Schneider (Jr)
G- Avery Richards (Jr)
G- Ally Richards (Jr)
F- Keala Wilson (Sr)
F- Brin Hecker (Jr)
The Lady Cards will also look to Reygan Shrock (Jr), Isabelle Porter (So), Gabey Norris (Jr), Taelor Hardesty (So), and Kalei Powell (Jr) for big minutes off the bench throughout the campaign.
Ahead of the 2022-23 season, we had a chance to catch up with the new Ell-Saline skipper to get her thoughts on her new squad.
Q: What were your overall thoughts on the 2021-22 campaign?
A: We want to continue to build upon the foundation that has been established over the last several years and the recent success that our program and all of our girl's sports teams have had. Developing a team that celebrates each other, that lifts each other up when faced with challenges, and is able to maintain composure when faced with adversity. The Volleyball team this year had a motto of "Expect More" and I think that plays through all of the girl's sports here; believe in yourself, believe in your team, and do not settle for less than your best effort.
Q: How excited is everyone to get back on the floor and back to playing real games after a long offseason?
A: This group had a quality summer session where they really came together and played with tenacious defense and an unbiased offense. The excitement from the summer has held true so far since starting practices, and I think they are looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish to keep building upon that success.
Q: Coming into the year what would you say is the biggest strength of this team?
A: This team is fast, they’re aggressive and they don't give up.
Q: What are the biggest question marks about this team as we head into the first few weeks?
A: We have a young bench that hasn’t seen many varsity minutes, so developing the depth of our bench and finding the rotations that work for the tempo we play without sacrificing the intensity we bring will be key.
Q: What are the goals and expectations of this team for this 2022-23 campaign?
A: It goes back again to continuing success on the foundation that has been built with records improving each year. I know several of the girls are eager to match up against our league teams to make a run after finishing 2nd in the league last year. They have voiced their goal to make it beyond the first round of sub-state. I believe last year we surprised a lot of teams, and the expectation this year is nothing less, in fact, it is to expect more.
Ell-Saline will open their 2022-23 season on Friday, December 2nd when the Lady Cardinals host Herington in Brookville.
For continuing coverage of Lady Cardinal basketball stay tuned to the Salina Post.