With the home opener just days away, the team is working to sharpen every part of their game, from offensive sets to defensive communication, all while building chemistry on the court.
“Our focus of our training right now is refining everything that we want to do. Man offense, man defense, our zone offense, our out of balance plays, getting everything ready so that when we start playing live, that we’re ready to go, and that we can execute what we want to execute,” said Robin Hester, COC Head Women’s Basketball Coach.
Compared to last year, the coaching staff says this group is showing more confidence, allowing practices to move beyond the basics. The sophomores have also stepped up to guide the incoming freshmen through drills and tougher competition.
“We had a great group of girls last year, but this year, I think that our skill level has improved, and so we’re focusing more on some of the basketball things instead of some of the fundamentals that we worked a lot with last year,” said Hester.
“And so as we move forward and we build the program, hopefully we can keep that going and have a good year this year with it”.
For the new players, it’s not just about adjusting to the speed of the college game; it’s also about learning how to support each other.
“To be, like, more uplifting towards each other and then, like, winning, just setting goals for ourselves,” said Liliana Martinez, COC student athlete.
As the team continues to prepare, both returners and newcomers are focused on trust, energy, and execution, hoping to turn that hard work into a strong start on November 15th.
