Wake Forest Athletics
Women's Basketball Team Looking Forward to Upcoming Campaign
10/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 19, 2001
Head Coach Charlene Curtis
"This is an exciting time of the year for us. This time a year comes around so quickly every year. We are really looking forward to the season and have great expectations for what can happen."
On Experience of Players
"We lost a lot of experience but we also are bringing back a lot of experience. It was a point last year to play a lot of our young players knowing that we would be graduating some key people. We feel like we have valuable experience from people like Bianca Brown, Tonia Brown and Tiffani Listenbee."
On Improving On Last Year's 3-13 ACC Record
"We were very disappointed in our conference record last year. There is no doubt in our mind that we can definitely improve on that this year. Our players have worked tremendously hard in the off-season doing spring workouts. We saw improvement in our game in fall workouts. The players are so committed to be successful this year. They call this kind of an awakening for them, that they are coming out this year and being a different basketball team than Wake Forest has seen in a long time.
On Team's Motto
"This team's motto is W-I-N. It's an acronym, we won't talk about what it's for. WIN means something in itself but it's all about us giving it all that we have so that we can have a successful season."
On New Faces
"We brought in three new players to our program, all three are freshman. Meredith Bell is a guard out of Maryland that we believe will be able to help us in the scoring column but she is also a very good ball handler."
"Jennifer Johnson is 6-1 utility type player. She can play a little four and possibly three. She is a very good three-point shooter and smart player. We think when she is on the court she will make the plays around her better."
"The third one is Erin Ferrell. Erin is also from the state of Maryland. She is a coach's daughter. She is the kind of player who does all the little things. She is also the type of player you want on your team not playing against you."
On Leadership
"We are counting on Eafton Hill, where she was last year being on the All-Rookie Team in the conference. Definitely LaChina Robinson, who had somewhat of a down year after having good freshman and sophomore years for us. We are really looking for her to step up and provide us some kind of an anchor in the post."
On Outlook for Team
"We are a lot more athletic and a lot more skilled team this year than we ever have been. This is a team that I think will be able to play more pressure defense. You are going to see us play a little more up tempo and push the ball more. We have players that are very capable of scoring in transition and that's something that will be very different for Wake Forest."
Eafton Hill
Sophomore, Forward
On Starting New Season
"We are really looking forward to getting started this Saturday. I think we have been looking forward to this season ever since the Duke game of the ACC Tournament. We just have a hunger and are ready to get back on the hardwood.
On Talent
"We were kind of skeptical at first, losing Brenda Mock, Olivia Dardy, Kristen Shaffer, Janae Whiteside. This year we have three great freshmen coming in, Meredith Bell, Jennifer Johnson and Erin Ferrell that are really going to help us out a lot. We are all ready to get started."
On Up Tempo Pace
"I think this year we have four guards and not as many posts so it's going to be a little bit of a different game. She is going to play me some at the four position and as well as the three."
On Improving on 3-13 ACC Record
"We just have a positive outlook. We know in the past we haven't been as good as we can be. This is a new year. Everyone starts out 0-0 so we are going to give it all we got."
On Team Motto, W-I-N
"We wanted something that means something to us as a team. Something that every time we look at it, it motivates us to work harder and give all we got."
On Goals
"Our goals are to stay positive and have more team unity than we have had in the past."
On Filling Leadership Role
"I'm willing to take that role. Last year around midseason I was realizing that that was a role I was going to have to take on the team. But this year after talking to the coaches, they said for me to step up and be ready to be a leader. I've got my other fellow sophomores to help me out so I am not alone."
LaChina Robinson
Senior, Center
On Starting New Season
"We have been working really hard. Postseason started last spring for us, working out individually with weights. Time has gone by fast but we have put in a lot of hard work so we are excited about the start."
On Improving on 3-13 ACC Record
"We have a lot of older younger players. The fact that they have a year of maturity now really helps us out a lot. Eafton Hill is now a sophomore. Then the senior year of myself, Val and Adell should all come together and we should be more experienced group."
On Loss of Seniors
"They (seniors) taught us a lot last year. I think we are going to build on that and see what they left for us."
On Up Tempo Pace
"As a post player I think I am going to have to run the floor more and also be more cautious with my defense in getting fouls. When you play a more high tempo game, you tend to play quickly and not think about the little things like fouling so I am going to have to be more careful and not rush my game too much."
On ACC
"We don't have a night off. We come in every night and are playing top 20 teams. Are in conference is really tough."
