BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College women's basketball team jumps right into its 2014-15 schedule on Saturday, November 15 with a short trip to rival Muhlenberg College with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m. in Allentown.
Head Coach Mary Beth Spirk begins her 28th season in Bethlehem with an overall record of 507-238, and she looks to reload with 11 players from last year's 20-8 squad that reached the NCAA Division III Tournament as an at-large selection last March.
Senior forward Alexis Wright is ready to get back on the court after missing the final 20 games last year with an injury. Wright, who is a co-captain this winter, started the first eight games a year ago and was leading the team with averages of 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest to go with 24 blocked shots, 11 steals and six assists. Wright, the 2011-12 Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year and an Honorable Mention All-American in 2012-13, enters the season needing just 79 points to reach 1,000 in her career, and she is 11th in the Moravian record books with 621 rebounds and fourth with 139 blocked shots.
Junior forward Alesha Marcks is serving as a co-captain with Wright this season, and Marcks will be stepping into the starting line-up after playing in all 28 games a year ago. She averaged 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest last winter, and Marcks added 53 assists against just 45 turnovers to go with 23 steals and 22 blocked shots as the squad led the nation in blocked shots in 2013-14. Marcks, who was the Landmark Co-Rookie of the Year in 2012-13, connected on 50 percent (89-of-178) of her field goal attempts last season, and she has led the squad in shooting in each of her first two campaigns.
Junior guard Emily MacDonnell will also be moving into the starting line-up in 2014-15 after playing in 27 games a year ago that included a pair of starts. MacDonnell had 79 points, 24 rebounds, 15 three-pointers, eight steals and 50 assists with just 37 turnovers while averaging 17.4 minutes per game.
Sophomore guards Morgan Calabrese and Nellie Tanguay will likely round out the starting line-up this winter. Tanguay saw action in 27 games last year with 90 points, 27 rebounds and 14 assists while Calabrese added 69 points, 26 rebounds, 14 assists and 15 steals in 23 contests. Tanguay is the Hounds' top returning deep threat with 22 three-pointers in 2013-14 while Calabrese connected on 17 treys in her debut season.
The Greyhounds return six other players that will add depth off of the bench this winter. Junior guard Marie Rossignoli saw action in 21 games with 46 points, 33 rebounds, seven steals and six assists while junior forward Karlee Corvasce played in 15 games with 30 boards, 19 points, six assists and six blocked shots. Sophomore forward Natalie Vanderlaan-Meyering adds to the front court and looks to be a factor in the lane after 39 points, 26 rebounds and 16 blocked shots in 14 games a year ago.
Sophomore guards Tristen Hamilton and Cori Weiss and sophomore guard/forward Courtney Kruscavage all saw action off the bench last season and will add to the Greyhounds' experience this winter.
Coach Spirk has added four freshman to the roster including forward Trista Cunningham, guard Taylor Freeman, forward Jen Cella and guard Victoria McCaslin. The quartet looks to make an impact in their debut seasons.
After the season opener, the Hounds will play six more non-conference games including a trip to the Hartwick College Tournament on November 22 and 23 before opening the 2014-15 Landmark Conference season on Wednesday, December 3 when the Greyhounds are slated to host Goucher College in Johnston Hall at 7:00 p.m.
