Season Preview

The Lady Cavaliers Basketball Team begins its season on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. hosting Spoon River College at home.

Fourth-season Head Coach Casey Meister is extremely excited for the new season. Meister said her excitement and high expectations come from having a team which could bring back the rich history of Cavaliers basketball with 20-plus wins per season.

The 2023-24 team had 14 wins, short of its goal. For this year, the Lady Cavaliers will continue taking on a challenging schedule—including nationally ranked teams—in pursuit of becoming the best team possible for the postseason. This year's roster features 13 freshmen.

“The freshmen are going to have to make an impact for us right away,” Meister said. Among them are six players from the Peoria area: Adriana Barber, Tania Cox, Ava Simpson, Alana Ross, Alyssa Ross and Janessa Wallace. Three athletes hail from Indiana: Malaysha Flanagan, Kayla Lacombe and Johnetta Whitmire. The recruiting class is rounded out by Khiara Cerdeira, from Florida; Mariya Babilius, from Wisconsin; and two locals, Lynlee Jubin and Lexi Salazar.

Meister believes the freshmen players' familiarity with each other will quickly foster team unity and camaraderie, and she recognizes those crucial components of success.

The Lady Cavs have two returning sophomores. Jaida Taylor will be a medical redshirt, and she won't play, due to a torn ACL. Taylor will remain involved, and will be a team captain. Harmony Reynolds will play a pivotal role for the team as a leader. Reynolds will share with her teammates what it takes to grind through a full college season.

“This year is going to be challenging; we have a tough schedule and a whole new squad,” Meister said. “The quicker the players learn, the more successful our season will be. It's going to take some time to figure out how to be a college athlete. Once they figure that out, I think we'll be okay. I'm confident because this group competes and already has an edge about them.”

The expectations for this season are high for the Lady Cavaliers. Meister expects this team to be fast and put a lot of points on the board, and she hopes that leads to wins.

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