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Lady Spartans bring back youth, experience
But with one senior on the roster, they're still young. North coach Mike Del Valle has one senior, five juniors, two sophomores, three freshmen and one eighth-grader comprising the 2007-08 roster. Eight of the 12 players were on the 2006-07 team. Del Valle said he has already seen much improvement from last year. "Once we get everyone in, we're going to be tough to beat," he said. "We're going to be fun to watch." North's best player last year, and should be the best this year, is 5-foot-7 freshman point guard Corrin Genovese. As an eighth-grader, she led the team in points, assists, steals and was one of the team's top rebounders. She is a returning ECIC Division I Second Team all-star. "She's a great shooter, ball handler, is quick and has a big heart," said Del Valle. Del Valle said Genovese is rehabbing a stress fracture and stretched ligament in her right ankle that she suffered in warm-ups in the girls volleyball team's Section VI Class AA quarterfinal. Last year, she missed time early in the basketball season with a broken finger. Del Valle hopes to have Genovese back in two to three weeks. "We're definitely not going to rush her," said Del Valle. "When the doctors say she's 100 percent, she's 100 percent." Without Genovese running the point, Del Valle said the position will be run by a number of players, including freshmen Jenny Piaggione or Allie Ahern and junior Maddi Genovese, Corrin's older sister. As of press time, Del Valle said Corrin Genovese is the only set starter. He said the rest of the starters could be different depending on the opponent and how well they do in practice. Some returning players who could see time in the starting lineup include 5-foot-11 forwards Megan Klansky and Katie Kubala, who started at forward and center as sophomores, and 5-foot-8 senior guard Leslie Ahern. Leslie Ahern, along with Allie Ahern and 5-foot-9 sophomore guard/forward Emily Helwig, helped the North field hockey team win its first New York State Class A championship. Leslie Ahern started on the basketball team last year before going down with an injury. Del Valle said Klansky and Kubala bring size inside and have each improved from last year. Del Valle calls Klansky "one of the most improved players on the team." Ahern is the team captain with Kubala, Klansky and Maddi Genovese serving as assistant captains. New to the team are juniors Katherine Klein (5-foot-10 forward) and Chioma Kalu-Nwiwu (5-foot-8 guard/forward), sophomore Gabe Ormond (6-foot-3 forward) and eighth-grader Nikki Attea (6-0 forward). Klein, Kalu-Nwiwu is from JV; Attea comes from modified. In scrimmages, Del Valle has liked his team's heart. "They play hard, which I love," said Del Valle. "We had one scrimmage where two kids were hurt and another three were at field hockey so we went with six players. They played five quarters, each 10 minutes long, and they never gave up. They were running just as hard in the fifth quarter as in the first quarter." Del Valle thinks if his team plays good defense and do not get out of position, they can stay in games. On offense, Del Valle said his team will run an up-tempo style that will involve a lot of players. The Lady Spartans open against Holy Angels, the last team Del Valle coached prior to joining North a few years ago, in the first round of the Kenmore East tournament on Friday. "We'll be competitive," said Del Valle. "Whoever beats us will have to play well."
North finished 5-16 last year but lost several close games, including a 54-49 loss to Clarence in the Section VI Class AA prequarterfinals. |
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