WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Michelle Ferenz, coach of the Whitman College women’s basketball team, is happy with the talent and leadership that seniors Kelsey Krumdieck, Kristina Francis and Emily Shubin bring to the floor.
That’s good, since apart from that trio of seniors, the remaining athletes on her 16-player roster are in their first or second years at Whitman.
"Not having a junior class is tough," Ferenz says. "That’s our primary challenge as a team. With all of our young players, there’s a lot of teaching going on. We’re caught in the dilemma of trying to get ready for games while making sure we’re teaching enough, but that we’re not teaching too much too quickly."
Ready or not, season No. 7 with Ferenz at the Whitman helm gets underway later this week as the Missionaries begin a three-game NCAA Div. III swing through southern California. Games are set for 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday at La Verne and Pomona-Pitzer, followed by a 5 p.m. game next Monday against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
"We start with three teams that probably return 95 percent of their rosters from a year ago," Ferenz says. "We come back and play our home opener against Eastern Oregon, a team that played in the NCAA Div. II national tournament last season, and then we go to Idaho to play another Division II team in Northwest Nazarene. The first five games are brutal, but if we play well, we can get a few wins.
"Win or lose, we’ll learn a lot about our new players," she adds. "We’ll see who’s ready to go and who isn’t, and what we need to do to get them ready. All that really matters at this point is trying to get our team ready for our Northwest Conference schedule in January and February. We need to use these early games to make ourselves better. Still, we hate to lose and are doing our best to be ready for the early season."
George Fox, with a pair of All-NWC post players returning, is the early favorite for this winter’s conference crown. Puget Sound, Whitworth and Lewis & Clark are other contenders, Ferenz says.
"How we fit into the mix depends on how quickly our young players develop and learn what it takes to compete in this conference," she says. "We have a chance, but we’re going to have to beat some teams that are more experienced than we are."
In Krumdieck and Shubin, the Missionaries have two pillars in the paint to build around.
Krumdieck, a 6-footer, shot 51.3 percent from the floor last winter while averaging a team-high 12.2 points per game. She also averaged 5.3 rebounds, was twice named Northwest Conference Player of the Week, and earned All-NWC Honorable Mention recognition at season’s end.
Playing mostly off the bench, Shubin used her 5-foot-10 frame to lead the Missionaries on the boards, averaging 6.2 rebounds to go with 5.5 points. She averaged 10 rebounds over the final three games of the season.
"There wasn’t a lot of time last season when Kelsey and Emily were on the floor together," Ferenz says. "So, they’re learning to play the high-low game -- to find each other with interior passes, and to look for those opportunities within our offense when not everything is scripted. It’s a challenge, but they’re handling it well."
As the starting two-guard, Francis got off to a hot start last November, scoring a career-high 26 points in an overtime victory over Corban. "For Kristina, the challenge this year is to play with first-year point guards. Kristina knows what we want to do, but she’s not the point guard, so she’s trying to help the younger players along."
All three of our seniors are very solid players," Ferenz says. "They need to have good seasons for us to do well, and we’re confident they will."
The coach also has high expectations for Michelle Krall, a 5-foot-10 sophomore who started all but one game last winter in her first season. She averaged 7.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and led the squad in steals and blocked shots.
"Out of necessity, Michelle played most of last season at the 4 spot," Ferenz says. "This season we’ll play her more at small forward. She’s very athletic, strong and versatile, and she shoots the ball well. She’s one of those players who can pull a defensive rebound out of the crowd, take the ball up the court and make the right decision, whether she passes or finishes herself. She’s very comfortable with the ball in her hands."
Ferenz also intends to hand Krall tough defensive assignments. "Michelle has the athletic ability to battle the best players on the other teams," she says. "She plays with a lot of maturity for a sophomore, and she still has a lot of growth and improvement ahead of her."
Ellen Vertatschitsch and Hilary White, a pair of 5-foot-9 sophomores, are also back after averaging double-digit minutes off the bench last season.
"The nice thing about having some size in our first-year class is that Ellen gets to move back to the perimeter where she belongs," Ferenz says. "She backed up the four-spot last year, and she doesn’t mind playing physical. Ellen always brings her defense, which is one of her strong points. It will be good to have her length out on the perimeter. She can handle the ball and her shooting has been consistent."
White will see most of her time this season at small forward. "Hilary had a typical first season," Ferenz says. "She had some great moments, and then she had some games where she struggled. She’s strong, deceptively quick with the ball, and very capable of scoring points. Her court vision is good. If she can be more consistent, she’s going to really help us this season."
Two other sophomores, 5-foot-5 guard Dawna Mello and 5-foot-11 post Heather Welch, saw less playing time a year ago, but both have worked hard on raising their level of play, Ferenz says.
"Dawna is battling a nagging foot injury right now, but she has definitely improved her game," Ferenz says. "She’s shooting the ball much better, and she can handle the ball. She sees the passes she needs to make, and she creates space for herself. She will see back-up time at both guard spots."
"Heather is a very good athlete, and she’s worked very hard on her skills," Ferenz says. "She has days where you see immense improvement in her game. She makes us better as a team by how hard she works in practice. She’s also a very good rebounder. She’s quick for her size, and if you don’t block her out, she sucks up the rebounds."
Of the eight first-year players on the roster, point guards Jenele Peterson and Kristin Innes will see the most playing time early in the season.
The 5-foot-7 Peterson played her prep ball at South High School in Torrance, Calif., the sixth-largest city in Los Angeles County. She picked up a slew of individual honors in her final two seasons, including the league MVP award as a senior, as her team won 50 of 65 games. She averaged 14 points, 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals as a senior.
"Jenele’s basketball resume is very strong," Ferenz says. "She’s played at a high level with both her high school and club teams. She will start for us at the point in California. She’s so comfortable with the ball in her hands, and she has a great feel for the game. She can shoot when she needs to shoot."
Peterson, whose older brother Mike played for Whitman men’s team (graduating in 2005), is focused for now on absorbing the Missionary system. "We run a lot of stuff, and we’re pretty exacting on how we want it run. She’s off to a good start, but she’s stepping into a difficult role. It’s a tough assignment in our conference -- to be a first-year point guard, but I think Jenele will handle it just fine."
Kristen Innes, a 5-foot-5 guard, earned all-league first-team honors last season at Kentridge High School in Kent, Wash. "She also played for the Puget Sound Flight, one of the stronger club teams in the Seattle area," Ferenz says. "She’s battle tested and very capable at the point. She’s a tough defender, she’s a gamer and she’s very coachable."
Innes, also an all-state soccer player in high school, gives Ferenz the option of playing Peterson at the two-guard spot at times. "We’re definitely quicker out front than we have been for a couple of years," Ferenz says.
At 5-foot-3, Jenna Dumpit gives Whitman more quickness as a third first-year point guard. "Jenna is quick, tough and making good strides," Ferenz says. "She was a starter at Seattle’s Holy Names Academy, which is part of a very tough Metro League."
"Counting Dawna Mello, we have four good players who can handle the ball and run a team," Ferenz says. "After having little depth at point guard the past few years, it’s a joy to have all these kids who can play the position. It gives us a chance to a play more up-tempo, to pressure a little more. We can go to our bench and know that we have people who can step in. We worked really hard on that position in our recruiting, and it’s paying off."
The first-year class also features Rebecca Sexton, a 6-foot-3 center who set career records for scoring and blocked shots at Gig Harbor (Wash.) High School. She averaged 11.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.0 blocks as a senior, earning first-team all-league honors and leading her team to the Washington state championship finals for a second consecutive season.
"Rebecca comes to us with a very nice set of skills," Ferenz says. "She has good hands and nice moves around the basket. She has a nice shooting touch, and she doesn’t miss often. Her challenge is to learn to play at this level. It’s quicker and more physical. She’s off to a good start, and she gives us another dimension that we haven’t had. Other teams have to pay attention to a 6-foot-3 player."
Ferenz expects Sexton to see more playing time as the season unfolds. "I’m pleased with how she’s come along so far, and I’m obviously thrilled that she’ll be back for three more seasons after this."
Jessica Brice, a 5-foot-10 forward from Burley, Idaho, also brings impressive high school credentials to Whitman’s first-year class. She averaged 11 points and three assists and was named Idaho’s 4A Player of the Year in leading her team to a state championship.
"Jessica is another player with a great set of skills because she played everywhere from point to post in high school," Ferenz says. "She’s very versatile. I’m not sure we’ve yet figured out how to best use Jessica. She’s playing a two-three spot for us right now, but she can post up and finish around the hoop. She could play at the four spot for us.
"What’s been most impressive about Jessica is that she’s a very composed competitor," Ferenz continues. "She steps onto the court with a lot of confidence, which is half the battle for first-year players. She rebounds, and she knows what we want to do defensively. She’s going to have a nice impact this year, but she’ll make a greater impact in the seasons ahead. She’s already a steadying influence."
Anna Forge, 5-foot-10 first-year forward from Walla Walla, gives Whitman a third stellar athlete to develop near the hoop. "Anna will play at the power forward spot," Ferenz say. "She’s already demonstrated her ability to rebound, and she’s got some nice back-to-the-basket moves. Her skills are improving, but her greatest strength is her athleticism."
Rounding out the first-year class are Meredith Denko, a 5-foot-9 guard from Hood River (Ore.) High School, and Kathryn Barich, a 5-foot-10 forward from Palo Alto, Calif.
Denko averaged 14.3 points per game as a senior, earning second-team all-league honors. "Meredith played in the Mt. Hood Conference, which is one of the stronger leagues in the Portland area," Ferenz says. "She’s a good athlete with a lot of potential. She scores and she runs the floor well, and she’s working hard at getting stronger."
Barich was a three-year starter at Palo Alto High School, where she earned team MVP honors and Honorable Mention all-league honors. "Kathryn gives us more depth in the post," Ferenz says. "She’s working hard and has shown steady improvement."