Women's Basketball Preview - Part 9: UW-Green Bay
Oct. 26, 2005
The UW-Green Bay women's basketball team, fresh off its 27-4 season which culminated in an appearance in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, will surely have a new look this season. Gone are four senior starters from one of the most successful teams in program history, including Academic All-American Tiffany Mor.
Head coach Kevin Borseth will bank on the experience of three seasoned veterans, all of whom have been key players in UW-Green Bay's success over the past two seasons. Of those three, two finished last season ranked third and fourth on the team in scoring.
Added to the mix is an eager group of newcomers, including five freshmen with all-state credentials. Once again, Borseth's squad will have a local feel, as 10 of the team's 13 players hail from Wisconsin, including nine from the Fox Valley and five from the Green Bay metro area.
THE BACKCOURT
After two seasons as a reserve at the point guard spot, junior Natalie Berglin will take over the starting role in 2005-06. A reserve guard as a sophomore, Berglin showed her all-around capabilities in 31 games last year. She led the Horizon League with an impressive 2.07 assist/turnover ratio, was second on the team with 3.1 assists an outing and ranked fourth on the squad with 8.5 points a game. A Green Bay native, Berglin and her dynamic play will be key factors in UW-Green Bay's success this year.
The second starting spot at the guard position is up for grabs by a bounty of capable players. Second- year guard Kayla Groh is coming off a solid rookie campaign, where she was named to the Horizon League's all-newcomer squad after averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 29 games for the Phoenix.
Ready for a breakout season is junior guard Amanda Popp. Popp has shown precision shooting in years past, as she has just one missed free throw in her career as well as a nearly 58 percent shooting clip from three-point distance. A solid guard with good basketball sense, Popp will vie for time in the rotation this season.
Back from a season-ending knee injury is junior guard Alex Webster. Eager to show her wares, Webster spent almost two seasons on the Phoenix sidelines after the injury and restrictions from transferring from Southern Mississippi. Webster has shown she can handle the ball for the Phoenix while serving as a leader both on and off the court.
A pair of true freshmen from the Green Bay area will have an impact this season for the Phoenix. Ashwaubenon's Kati Harty was a first team all-state selection as a senior after averaging 14.1 points and 5.0 assists a game. Harty can play both guard spots, but will likely spell Berglin as the point guard.
Trisha Legois, of nearby Casco, Wis., was a four-year starter at perennial power Luxemburg-Casco. Legois showed her shooting prowess with the Spartans, averaging 22.6 points per contest as a senior.
THE FRONTCOURT
The frontcourt is one of the deepest in recent history for the Phoenix, led by junior forward Nicole Soulis. A starter as a freshman and the team's top reserve in the post last season, Soulis has the drive to score both in the paint and on the perimeter thanks to precision shooting. Last year, Soulis was third on the team in scoring with 12.4 ppg, helping place her fifth all-time in Phoenix history for career scoring average.
Senior forward and lone returning starter Amy Fieck is back for her third season in the starting five. One of the team's most athletic players, Fieck has established herself as one of the top rebounders in the Horizon League. The Appleton, Wis., native finished fourth for the Phoenix in rebounding last season and will be a leader on the floor for the young squad.
After sitting out the 2004-05 campaign as a redshirt, junior Kari Witkowski retains two years of eligibility heading into this season. The tallest player in the history of Phoenix women's basketball, Witkowski showed flashes of talent during UW-Green Bay's 23-8 season two years ago, averaging 4.9 points in 11.8 minutes per contest.
Senior center Marcy Dixon has made strides during the off-season and will bring depth to the Phoenix post in her final campaign at UW-Green Bay. With good hands and strong leadership skills, Dixon could have an impact on the floor in 2005-06.
A trio of newcomers hope to make an impression on this year's squad, including a pair of redshirt freshmen in Rachel Porath and Erin Templin. Although listed as a forward, Porath has the ability to play multiple positions for UW-Green Bay and could add to the team's depth at the guard slots.
Templin, a 6-1 forward, had a strong showing for the Phoenix during the team's trip through Europe last spring. An all-state standout as a prep, Templin can play with her back to the basket as well as provide a threat from the outside on offense.
True freshman Lavesa Glover becomes the first Phoenix player to hail from Florida in the team's 32-year history. Glover was named the Miami Herald 3A Female Athlete of the Year after excelling in both basketball and track and field as a senior at Dade Christian.
2005-06 SCHEDULE
The 2005-06 non-conference schedule brings a challenge UW-Green Bay hasn't seen for quite a while, as the Phoenix will play eight non-conference contests on the road, the most for the team since the 1998-99 season. Included on the non-league slate are such notables as the Big Ten's Iowa (Nov. 30), the BIG EAST's DePaul (Dec. 10) and the Pac-10's Arizona (Jan. 3).
The Phoenix is slated for 11 home games in 2005-06. This season marks the return of the Oneida Casino Holiday Tournament, which UW-Green Bay will host at the Resch Center Nov. 25-26.
Horizon League play for the Phoenix begins Dec. 29 against Loyola to start the double round robin format. The 2006 league championship will begin Tuesday, Feb. 28 and wrap up Monday, March 6. Youngstown State will retain the rights to host the final two days of the event if it advances to the semifinals; otherwise, the highest remaining seed will host the semifinals and final.
HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
Despite losing four starters from last season's 27-4 squad, UW-Green Bay was once again predicted to finish first in the Horizon League, according to a preseason poll of league coaches, sports information directors and media members. The Phoenix took home 23 of a possible 25 first-place votes, giving the Phoenix the nod as the league's top team heading into the season for the fourth straight year. Junior Nicole Soulis was the top vote getter on the preseason ballots, earning Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year accolades.
TURNOVERS
An attribute of Phoenix women's basketball that has been a main factor to the team's success of late has been the team's few turnovers. In 2004-05, UW-Green Bay finished second in the nation with 12.4 turnovers per contest. The team also tallied a season-low seven miscues in its win at home over Cleveland State Feb. 17.
Leading the way this fall is junior Natalie Berglin, who was tops in the Horizon League last year with a 2.07 assist/turnover ratio. UW-Green Bay's returnees combined for a 1.28 assist/turnover ratio last season.
PHOENIX HOME RECORD
Although the Phoenix has just 11 home games this year, UW-Green Bay aims to continue its reputation as one of the nation's toughest places to play this year. UW-Green Bay enters the 2005-06 season with an all-time record of 312-78 in Titletown, which ranks Green Bay, Wis., as the 15th toughest place to play in the NCAA according to a recent poll by Louisiana Tech.
Since joining the Horizon League in 1994-95, the Phoenix is 77-7 in league competition in Green Bay, including seven unbeaten seasons at home and wins in 52 of its last 53 league games at home.
As for the Phoenix Sports Center, UW-Green Bay's home court has been the site for a 278-62 record in favor of the Phoenix, good for an .818 winning percentage and 17th on the list of toughest active arenas.
SOULIS SHOOTS FOR THE STARS
As in the past two seasons, junior Nicole Soulis' shooting precision will be a key point in the 6-foot-2 forward's success this season. Soulis enters the 2005-06 season ranked fourth all-time in Phoenix history in career free throw percentage with an 81.1 percent clip, while also standing ninth in team records in field goal percentage at .503.
Over the past two seasons, Soulis has assisted the Phoenix in posting a 33-3 record when she shoots 50 percent or better from the field and a 31-3 mark when she hits 80 percent or higher from the free throw line.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Phoenix head coach Kevin Borseth owns a career record of 389-148 record (.724 winning percentage) heading into the 2005-06 campaign. Since arriving in Titletown, Borseth has guided UW-Green Bay to a 164-51 record for a .763 winning percentage.
Since joining the Horizon League in 1994-95, UW-Green Bay has amassed 141 victories, a total that ranks third all-time in league history. The Phoenix has averaged nearly 13 wins a season against Horizon League challengers.
Story provided by UW-Green Bay Office of Sports Information
