Evan Sale, Campus Carrier Sports Editor
Coming off a record of 11-15 last year, Berry women’s basketball is looking to have a better season this winter. They hope to accomplish that by following a standard and staying committed to the goals of the team.
“The plan is to win the conference,” senior Christine Cerezola said. “And we also want to be the toughest and most physical team competing on the floor.”
The coaches this year are pushing the players to be the best that they can be, and they really look towards the seniors to drill the system into the underclassman heads.
The Vikings are also looking to surprise some teams in the conference this season with a new mindset and new coaching. Coach Thomas Johnson was the former men’s assistant coach, so he is not new to Berry hoops. But with this as his first year at head coach, he has his work cut out for him. Coach Johnson is trying to hold the girls to a higher standard than seasons past.
“I think our coaches have done a good job holding us to a standard that takes hard work, drive and commitment,” Senior Christine Cerezola said. “They expect us to come in every day and give 100 percent.”
The diversity and depth of the team is something that will also give the players an edge this season. The team has a group of 15 girls to fill a lot of specialty spots who can play a variety of positions in the lineup. With these players working together every day the gears will start turning.
“There’s a lot of potential for this team,” Cerezola said. “Everyone brings something to the table. I think as time goes on we’ll get better at learning how to play with our new system and with each other. Once that happens, I think we could be something special.”
The girls are striving for what every team at Berry ultimately competes for: a SAA championship. With that as a goal and the new standard that the team is held to the team hopes to go all the way.
The girl’s season is already underway, and with a record of 2-3 they are optimistic for the rest of the season. The three losses of the season are a small bump in the road for the team, but they look to bounce back from the losses as conference games are slowly approaching on the schedule. With a conference record of 5-9 last year in the conference the Vikings hope to be the toughest and most physical team to improve their record this season.