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Hello Cavalier fans, this is Monica Wright checking in with VirginiaSports.com to give you an update on the women’s basketball team during the preseason as we prepare for the first day of practice on Oct. 17.
Over the summer, a typical day started by lifting weights early before class. Then some players would run directly after weights or, if you had class, you would run later at 4:30 p.m. I would go to class until about noon and then at 4:30 p.m. I would come back and do conditioning with our strength and conditioning coach, Ed Nordenschild. My conditioning would be with athletes from some other sports, not just basketball, which was cool.
I would sometimes run with softball, or the baseball team and sometimes lacrosse. After conditioning, we would try and play pick-up sometime during the evening. The rest of the time I would find time to study or just relax.
This summer was different for me than last year, because last summer I was playing with the USA Under-19 World Championships team in Slovakia. After getting back, I was in a frenetic frame of mind and I wasn’t really relaxed. Once school started, I feel like I wasn’t as poised as I was this year when classes started. This year, I got right back into the swing of things. I feel like I had a better pace this year heading into the fall semester.
So it’s t-minus nine days until the first day of practice, which starts Oct. 17. We have three drills that we always do in the beginning of practice, called side-center-side, Dena Smith and perfection lay-ups. They are drills that Coach Ryan has done since she has been here. When I was a first-year I would always mess up those drills, because it is the type of thing that you have to get used to over time. Not many people can do those drills correctly on their first try.
Speaking of first-years, I have been very impressed with our four newcomers this season. Ariana Moorer, Chelsea Shine, Whitny Edwards and Britny Edwards all came in with a great mentality and they all came in ready to listen. They work really hard and if they make mistakes, they listen to corrections and get it right the next time. They have given a lot to this program already.
Being an upperclassman this year it has had a little bit of a different feel than my first two years. I feel as though I have tried to fill the shoes of the incomparable Sharne Zoll, who graduated, who was never quiet and always encouraged her teammates and could put a smile on your face. I’ve had to step up and I see myself doing more than I’ve ever done from a leadership standpoint, whether it’s on or off the court.
I like to go about every year as a new year, so although we haven’t forgotten how our season ended last year (an overtime loss at Old Dominion in the second round of the NCAA Tournament), you have to try and move on and learn from your mistakes. That was a game that we thought we could have won, but we played our hardest.
Looking ahead to 2008-09, a lot of people are looking forward to our rematch with ODU (Nov. 21 in Norfolk, Va.), but the game I have circled on my calendar is Nov. 17 at Tennessee. But as always, we are preparing for every game and ready to get started!
Thanks for reading. I look forward to seeing you this season at JPJA and Go Hoos!
Moni