WBB: GSAC

[scottiedoug]

Any word on Page Sevier?  Coach Wright suggested on the radio last week that she may be back.

[GottaHaveHeart]

Lost another player last week for whatever reasons. That left only 9 active players. Looks like we added 2 players who are current or former soccer players.

Beat Agnes Scott by 18 tonight!

Should run the table.....don't sleep on LaGrange or Spelman. Should make tourney.......I doubt we get to host even if we win it all because of lack of strength of schedule and number of noticeable wins.....Probably play someone like Mississippi College 1st round on their home floor.

If Paige comes back, does that open the door for everyone else to return?

[scottiedoug]

I think the two newbies are volleyball players.  One of them (#54) seemed last night to have some skills...lots of huffing and puffing but that can be fixed.
They both are tall!

I thought the hometeam Scots looked ok esp. in the first half, but there does not seem to be any team in the GSAC that is any good this year.  Agnes Scott beat Piedmont and have a ways to go to be anywhere as good as they were last year.  Piedmont is 2-7. 

Which player left the team last week?  Sometimes after first semester when people leave it has to do with academics....

Page was not there so maybe it was wishful thinking on Coach's part.

[scottiedoug]

Scots are nationally ranked in several statistics:

http://www.maryvillecollege.edu/athletics/news-detail.asp?sportNameID=10&id=3325

Hard to know what to make of it since the competition is not very challenging.

[GottaHaveHeart]

Scottiedoug:

Thanks for the correction on the volleyball players.

I mentioned LaGrange because I think they got 4 of their 5 starters back from last year. They played us pretty close (13 pts) on their floor last year.

I mentioned Spelman just because they will probably pressure us most of the game and sometimes we have turnover issues.

Ashley Holder - Post Player - Played pretty well when on the floor

Paige might be coming back. She is the only player still listed on the roster not with the team.

[scottiedoug]

Paige played and scored some points, although she did not start.  I am glad whatever was up with her is resolved (assuming....) since someday we may play somebody.  I guess LaGrange may be the best other team in the GSAC this year.

[egghead]

I am from North Carolina, and I was curious about what the other fans thought about the addition of Salem to the conference. I saw where they got hammered by Maryville 105-47. Is this going to be a good addition for the conference in the long run? Also, I read that one of their requirements to join the conference was they had to field a softball team beginning in 2011. However, it appears they have yet to hire a coach. Did they get that requirement deferred? I do know that their program was terminated right in the middle of the 2007 season, so it is going to be tough to get it started again. With Salem being the only school from North Carolina, travel expenses have to be out the roof for them.   

[scottiedoug]

egghead:  It seemed like an odd choice to me but Salem must have figured it was in their interest to do it.  If they have to have softball in 2011, they really do not have to have a coach now, unless they want to have a good team.  As you may know, having a good women's basketball team is not a criterion for membership in the GSAC.

[Ralph Turner]

I really see this as part of a bigger picture for D-III in the southeast.

Salem gets into a conference which helps with scheduling.  The non-conference games will be the same teams (USA South) as they have had.  The GSAC moves to an 8-team (women's) conference.  This solidifies the AQ's for the women...8 is better than 7.  The addition of softball just made sense.  Salem's Volleyball and Tennis give the GSAC an AQ bid in 2011-12.

This also strikes a balance for women's programs in the southeast, 4 all-women's schools in the GSAC and now 3 in the USAC.  (The conference alignment makes that 8 GSAC women's teams and 10 USAC of 9 if Shenandoah leaves.)

I still believe that Shenandoah is out of the USA South by fall 2012.  The USA South men need an affiliation with the GSAC men to maintain the AQ.

I also look for the GSAC to add Covenant if they decide to come D3 after their provisional exploratory year, 2008-09.  We should hear on Berry GA and Covenant in the next 6 weeks. (Berry probably goes to the SCAC after 1-2 years as an independent.)

EDIT:  exploratory

egghead, thanks for the update.

We had this discussion last summer about Salem.  They are providing an AQ for Volleyball and Tennis in 2011-12, if they field a team in each sport.  That ought to be worth something!

[egghead]

It seems logical they would have joined the USA South Conference due to proximity of most of the other schools. However, the conference has admitted 3 women colleges over the last several years and probably were not interested in adding a 4th.

[Coach C]

Good Luck to Lady Lions of Piedmont College and John Dzik today as he returns to the sidelines as a head coach.  The legendary former Cabrini men's coach and current Piedmont AD will take over the team  as they take on Spellman College on Atlanta, GA.  Dzik steps up to the head spot as the Lady Lions coach Jamie Purdy has to step aside for the remainder of the season with pregnancy-related issues.

[mailsy]

Congrats to Piedmont interim Coach John Dzik.  1st win in 5 years.  Great job coach! 

Mailsy

[Wolfpac]

Congrats to Piedmont interim Coach John Dzik.  1st win in 5 years.  Great job coach! 

Mailsy

Congratulations COACH Dzik and the Lady Lions.   Hope this is the start of something good. 

[bballlover]

Lady Lions won over a good Lady Scotts team this afternoon.This could be a race after all.

[Wolfpac]

Lady Lions won over a good Lady Scotts team this afternoon.This could be a race after all.

Congratulations Lady Lions and Coach Dzik.      Coach Dzik can make wonderful things happen when he gets people to believe. Hope the regular coach is OK as well.    Go Lady Lions it can be done if you believe in yourselves with Coach Dzik at the helm.