When players who are determined to win and know how are coming off a tough season, the only way to go is up. Although last year's team had success in earning a spot in its 13th consecutive Big Sky Conference Tournament, they fell well short of their goals and look to rebound with a winning season in 2008-09.

Two of NAU's three seniors were part of the first-ever NCAA Tournament team for the program when they were freshmen, and have spent the last few years working hard to get back there.

As for what the team looks like heading into the season, sixth-year head coach Laurie Kelly is hesitant to make any strong statements. “It's so early right now that you don't want to draw conclusions yet,” said Kelly. “I don't think that what we hope for has changed, ever. Every year we go into the season wanting to win the Big Sky Championship. We have veteran players like Katie Schafer, Sade Cunningham and Janelle Matthews who are coming off a down season last year and really want to have something special happen their senior year.”

While the team has some experience to look to, there will be new faces both on the court and on the sideline. “We have five new players so there's obviously a different dynamic to the program,” says Kelly. “Going into the season I think you just try to get better every single day. With a new coaching staff it has brought a lot of new excitement and new ideas, and I think we'll have a different look than maybe we've had in the past.”

All three of Kelly's assistant coaches joined the program over the summer. The first assistant, Monique LeBlanc, returned to the program three years after being a graduate assistant coach. Chad Eickhoff and Brezya Rhodes are brand new to the sidelines for NAU.

In talking about the makeup of the team and how they seem to be meshing together, Kelly says she “hasn't been this excited for a season in a long time. The team itself is tremendous. I think that our program is in a really good place right now and we're moving in the right direction. The players are really enjoying themselves this year and enjoying each other, and that's really important. These players have really taken on a strong team morale and really push each other.”

While hard work can overcome a lot of obstacles, other factors do come into play. “We look good in the preseason,” said Kelly, “and we're in better shape than we have been previously. I told them it's going to take more than just wanting it. It's going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of discipline and sacrifice. It'll also take some luck. With seven major injuries last year, we were really injury-plagued and we have to stay healthy this year. We're not deep enough and experienced enough to be able to lose some key people and still reach the goals we've set.”

Kelly believes in everyone taking on their own roles as far as leadership of the team, and will look to a number of her players in that aspect. “I think each person leads really differently,” she said. “While I'll look to the veterans, I'll be honest, I think our sophomore class is great. Melissa Spaich is very encouraging and well-liked on the team, and somebody that tries to stay really positive. Jenna Galloway, although only a sophomore, has a lot of experience and is a very disciplined player.”

“When it comes to work ethic and leading by example, you look to people like Jenna and Janelle Matthews,” said Kelly. “Then you have more vocal players on the team- I think Sade Cunningham has really stepped up to be a more vocal leader, as well as Katie Schafer. Lauren Hoisington is only a sophomore but in her third year of college basketball and is also somebody that you'll hear voice her opinion.

“I think the freshmen that we have are eager to learn and eager to be led, and that's one of the reasons why our team morale has been so good. There hasn't been a lot of conflict over who the leaders are. I struggle with having a captain and having someone responsible to lead everybody. I think everybody takes a piece of that leadership. You want the mentality of being in this together.”

Seniors

Already the all-time career assist leader at NAU, Sade Cunningham returns for her final year on the court for the Lumberjacks. She was an All-Big Sky second team selection as a junior, and is the leading returning scorer for NAU. “I really hope she has a special season,” says Kelly. “I think she's the best point guard in the league, and she has really emerged as a vocal leader. Everything about her is getting back to the NCAA Tournament, and she's the kind of player that will do anything she has to do to get us back there. For us, she's the backbone of our program.”

Janelle Matthews stepped in to take on a major role in her junior year after two years of limited action. She was a walk-on who averaged just 3.7 minutes per game as a freshman, and then suffered an ACL tear in December of her sophomore year, ending her season. But in 2007-08, Matthews ranked fourth on the team in scoring with 8.5 points per game, and shot an impressive .416 from three-point range to rank second all-time at NAU in a single season.

"Janelle finally broke out last year and had a really great season,” said Kelly. “She has emerged into a great two guard and is our most consistent shooter off the dribble as well as from three-point range. She's a success story you talk about, how she didn't get the scholarship she wanted initially but her hard work and determination overcame that. She became a go-to player for us last year and I see her continuing to be a top player for us this year.”

Katie Schafer returns to the court after spending last season recovering from a meniscus tear in her knee. As a junior two years ago, Schafer averaged 5.2 points per game and shot 31 percent from three-point range. She showed flashes of even stronger shooting, and was named to the All-Tournament Team at NAU's Thanksgiving Tournament after scoring 18 points in the championship game.

“She is a tough kid,” says Kelly about Schafer. “I'm excited to have her back on the floor not only because of how smart she is but because of her mentality and willingness to do whatever she needs to do to help us. It's her senior year, she sat a whole year, and she's hungry to get back on the court. We'll look to her a lot this year.”

Juniors

The true junior class is made up of just one- Liana Boer. She was one of just three players to see action in all 30 games last year, and started in 11 of those contests. While Boer has not put up big numbers thus far, Kelly thinks her strengths may have yet to play a role. “I think the first couple years Liana struggled to find her identity in the post,” says Kelly. “We've really worked over this last year to identify her strengths. She's one of the smartest players on the floor when it comes to knowing where to be and doing what she needs to do, and defensively in the paint I think she's our best post defender. She came here in good shape this season and we look for her to step up and be a leader as a junior in the post position.”

Also in the junior class, but sitting out for the season after transferring from Lamar University, is Vickie Toney. “Vickie brings college experience after starting at Lamar as a freshman two years ago,” said Kelly. “Obviously she has to sit this year. For her it's about the adjustments of playing at 7,000 feet, learning our system, developing her ball-handling skills and becoming a more consistent shooter. Transferring is really hard, but it can be such an advantage in some ways. She will help our program by being on the practice team, being on the scout team and by pushing our other guards.”

Sophomores

The four-member sophomore class makes up a large part of the experience and depth on the NAU roster. Two sophomores have had a significant amount of collegiate playing experience already, as Jenna Galloway was a starter for NAU last year and Lauren Hoisington played in all 28 games for San Diego State two years ago before transferring.

Tiffany Amos played in 29 games with three starts as a freshman, and made herself noticed by bringing energy to the court each and every time she stepped on it. “Tiffany brings the most animation and excitement to our program,” said Kelly. “She's a fist-pumper, she's emotional and she's a player you love on your team. When it comes to size and strength, she's hard to move and hard to get around. She's shown a lot of mental toughness overcoming (a meniscus tear) and has a lot of hunger to get back on the floor. She helped us in a lot of big games last year and we definitely need that depth in the paint.”

Galloway ranked fifth on the team in her rookie season last year with 7.6 points per game, and started in 17 contests. An injury sidelined her for six games in December, but she returned and continued to have a major impact down the stretch. Kelly can't say enough about how the talented guard has improved in the offseason.

“Jenna looks great,” she said. “She came here in phenomenal shape and is bigger, stronger and faster than she was a year ago. Jenna is determined to succeed in everything she does, whether it's in the classroom or on the floor. She went through the growing pains of being a freshman last year and went through the ups and downs, particularly with shooting the ball, and I look for her to completely bust out this year. I'm really excited about having her for three more years.”

After practicing for a season without being able to play due to NCAA transfer rules, Hoisington is ready to step in and help the Lumberjacks in the post. “I've been waiting a year to get Lauren on the floor,” said Kelly. “With the loss of Ashley Ingle to a transfer, we're really going to look to Lauren, who right now has established herself as the go-to player on the inside. She's the strongest post player on our team by far. If we can get the ball to Lauren one-on-one in the paint, we're going to throw it to her every time. I think she's got newcomer of the year potential.”

Melissa Spaich played in 21 games as a freshman last year, but will look to put up bigger numbers after having a year of experience under her belt. “Melissa shows signs of brilliance for us,” said Kelly. “She's 6-2, has a great basketball body, can shoot the ball from the perimeter and is big enough and strong enough to post up inside. She struggled last year getting mono as a freshman and is now sidelined with a foot injury. The question is how fast can we get her back where she needs to be to catch up with the team. But if we can keep her healthy I think she'll be a huge asset for us.”

Freshmen

Four true freshmen join the team this year, making up nearly a third of NAU's roster. Aly Bonham, a 5-9 guard out of Fort Collins, Colo., helped lead her team to a state championship and 27-1 record as a senior, and Kelly is impressed with her readiness for the demands of collegiate basketball.

“Aly came in by far in the best-conditioned shape of any new player,” said Kelly. “She is determined to be a good Division I player, and she has earned the respect of her teammates by being at the front of every sprint and making all her times. She can run the floor and is probably our strongest perimeter shooter, particularly in her depth. She has range well beyond the three-point line.”

Simone Holmes, a 5-8 guard out of South Mountain High School in Phoenix, was a second team all-state selection who averaged 16.1 points per game as a senior. “I think of all the incoming players, Simone is the farthest away from where her potential is,” says Kelly. “She's extremely raw, in such a positive way. I don't think she has any idea how good she could be. In the preseason she's proven to be one of the most consistent three-point shooters on the team. Like most freshmen, she's going through the struggles of trying to understand what it takes at Division I, but I think she has the potential to be a tremendous Big Sky player over the course of her career.”

A 5-9 guard out of Bakersfield, Calif., Caty Huntington averaged 16 points per game at Liberty High School, but will be looked to particularly for defense coming into NAU. “We brought Caty in for her defensive abilities most of all,” said Kelly. “She brings you a long body and long build like what we had with Laura Dinkins, and she's athletic. Like Simone, Caty is going through the adjustments of being a freshman, but she has the ability to really help us if we can continue to get her to improve each day.”

The freshman most likely to make an immediate impact is Katie Pratt, who Kelly says is a top-seven player for the Lumberjacks right now. Pratt, a 6-2 guard from Salina, Kan., was a two-time all-state selection at Sacred Heart High School. “I think Katie has huge potential to be able to get in the starting lineup,” said Kelly. “There's no question she'll see the most time on the floor of any of our freshmen. She has the ability to play the three spot or the four spot which is incredible. We're excited about the things she's shown in the preseason.”

Schedule

The season begins on November 14 for NAU with a string of three road games at Memphis, Arkansas State and Utah State. The non-conference schedule features a mix of brand-new opponents as well as a few familiar ones, and Kelly is excited about the opportunities it features. “It's a good balance of home and away games and some challenging games,” she said. “Our highlights will be our trip to Tampa, Fla., to take on a Big East opponent in South Florida, and obviously the Arizona State Tournament with ASU being a top-15 program.”

After home games against Pepperdine and Santa Clara in the middle of November, the Lumberjacks will host their annual tournament on Thanksgiving weekend, this year being the Fairfield Inn/Holiday Inn Thanksgiving Classic with teams coming in from Bradley, North Dakota and UC Riverside. “We have a great home tournament this year with some good Midwest teams in Bradley and North Dakota,” said Kelly. “North Dakota is just starting out in Division I but is one of the top powerhouses in the history of Division II women's basketball. Then we have UC Riverside coming back into town with former NAU assistant coach John Margaritis, and they're coming off going to the NCAA Tournament two of the last three years.”

NAU will play in Tempe against Hawaii on December 6, and will possibly face Arizona State the following day. After a road game at Southern Utah on Dec. 13 and a home contest vs. UMKC on Dec. 16, the Lumberjacks will face Big East South Florida on the road. The non-conference schedule concludes with a home game against Denver on Dec. 28.

“We have an opportunity to play some new teams like UMKC and Pepperdine,” said Kelly. “We've never played Bradley. I'm excited about playing some teams we've never seen before. It's also great being able to play some local schools like Southern Utah and Utah State. The schedule is challenging with a lot of good mid-majors and will help us see some things that we'll see in the Big Sky, and will really help us prepare.”

“The Big Sky has changed so much,” said Kelly. “You continue to look at Montana as a team that's returning everybody, with most of their top players being seniors. They're definitely the team to try to knock off. Portland State is also going to be a strong opponent, and they really came on last year. I think there's a lot more equity in our league, and really, every single game affects the outcome of your season. For us, our goal is to be that top team. I'm excited about Big Sky play but it's a long way away and we have a lot to do between now and January to get ready for that.”