Expectations remain high at Geneva

When the Geneva girls basketball team tips off its season Saturday in its annual Thanksgiving tournament, Marquette-bound senior Ashley Santos will be back for her third season starting for the Vikings.

And after that there's going to be a whole lot of fresh faces for a program that has emerged as the premier one in the area for the better part of a decade.

Those new faces start on the bench where assistant Sarah Meadows has stepped into the head coaching role for Gina Nolan. After going 173-38 in her seven years, Nolan stepped down after last year to focus all her energy on her cancer recovery.

Geneva also has to replace point guard Kat Yelle, now at Ohio University after the Vikings went 88-10 the past three years with Yelle as the team's starting point guard while she set school records in assists and steals.

That leaves a lot of pressure on Santos, an athletic and versatile player who could lead Geneva this year in everything from rebounding to assists, blocked shots to steals. She averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 steals, 1.1 blocks last season while hitting 47 percent from the field and 77 percent at the line for Geneva, who went 25-7 and won their third straight sectional championship.

"She will be the leader," Meadows said.

Unfortunately for Santos and the Vikings, for the second straight year she won't be able to play with her sister Sidney, a sophomore center. In 2010 Sidney tore her ACL on the first day of practice and this summer she re-tore her ACL and just had surgery three weeks ago.

"Sidney will play a major role on this team even though she will not physically be on the court," Meadows said. "Her heart is huge and she is leader. Her role is huge for us."

Geneva does return three other players from last year's team, starting with senior guard Rachel Hinchman who could be the second scoring option behind Santos. Hinchman has "made huge strides and is ready for a great senior year," Meadows said.

Sami Pawlak saw time on the court as a sophomore last season and will be a key player inside. Meadows said senior Stevie Fanale "had a great summer and fall."

As has been the case several years running, the Geneva sophomore team coached by Meadows last year had another big season. Some of those new players who will find themselves in roles for the varsity are juniors Kelly Gordon and Kelly Sharpe and sophomores Michaela Loebel and Morgan Seberger. Senior Allison Wright did not play last year but has joined the team again and Meadows expects her to help.

Meadows is looking forward to her first year and the challenges that begin with the likes of Montini at their Thanksgiving tournament. Look for the same uptempo style Geneva has become known for.

"We will be tested early in our Thanksgiving Tournament," Meadows said. "There are good teams in it. This group of kids will play fast and play together. They all get along with each so well. Gina has set a tradition with the girls basketball program, so I have big shoes to fill."

With all the losses it would seem keeping their sectional streak alive would be a tough goal, but Meadows said expectations haven't changed.

"Winning conference is always a goal but playing in March is the bigger goal," Meadows said. "This group has huge potential. We have to work hard every day and improve every day. We want to play fast and work hard on the defensive end of the court. These kids are young but they play so hard and they are not scared."