Garnet Women Basketball Preview
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - With the return of four starters – including the reigning Centennial Conference Player of the Year – and several key reserves from last season, the 2009-10 Swarthmore College women’s basketball team looks like it has the potential to be one program’s best in recent memory.
Entering her fifth season as head coach of the Garnet women’s basketball program, Renee DeVarney returns arguably the best collection of talent during her tenure. Combine that with a promising crop of newcomers, the Garnet have reason to believe that a Centennial Conference playoff appearance is within reach.
Stockbower will play for her second straight Conference Player of the Year honor.
One of the major reasons for the optimism buzzing around Tarble Pavilion is the return of the reigning Conference Player of the Year Kathryn Stockbower (Ft. Washington, Pa. / Upper Dublin). Just a junior, Stockbower earned WBCA All-Region and first-team All-Centennial honors as a sophomore and E.C.A.C. Division III South Region Co-Rookie of the Year and first-team All-Centennial as a freshman. Last season, the forward led the Garnet in points (17.7 ppg), rebounds (13.6 rpg), and field goal percentage (51%) while leading the Centennial Conference in rebounds and finishing second in points. For the entire 2008-09 season, Stockbower recorded a double-double in all but two games. Rounding out the returning starters are senior forward Pam Costello (Havertown, Pa. / Haverford), junior shooting guard Ceylan Bodur (Istanbul, Turkey / Robert College), and junior center Summer Miller-Walfish ’11 (San Jose, N.M. / West Las Vegas). Costello – a three-time captain heading into 2009-10, is one of the vocal team leaders and one of the most well-rounded players on the court, leading the team in steals (1.5) and appearing in the near the top of several other statistical categories last season. Bodur, a versatile slashing guard, led the team in three-pointers made (27) and finished second on the team in points (11.9), assists (3.0), rebounds (5.2) and steals (1.4) last season. In just two seasons, Miller-Walfish has re-written the record books at Swarthmore, already owning the all-time mark for blocked shots in a single season (59 in 2009), while her 104 career blocks is fast approaching the all-time program mark of 108 (Karen Berk ’08). Senior Lisa Schumacher, who returns to the lineup this season, will also look to make an impact for the Garnet.
A trio of sophomores guards that saw action in every game in 08-09 - Genny Pezzola (Oakland, Calif. / St. Mary’s College HS), Nicole Rizzo (North Caldwell, N.J. / Gill St. Bernard’s) and Brittany Schmelz (Monmouth, N.J. / Rumson-Fair Haven Regional) highlight the Garnet’s returning letterwinners. Also expected to have an impact are senior forward Sarah Brajtbord (Dallas, Texas / Greenhill), and sophomore guard Christina Duron (Claremont, Calif. / Vivian Webb).