Ivy League Sports

By Jamie Weir, Harvard University

One might expect head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith to lament the loss of four-time first team All-Ivy selections (Hana Peljto and Reka Cserny) in consecutive years from her roster. The mentor, now with more than 350 victories and beginning her 24th season of collegiate coaching, instead has a contagious enthusiasm about the season ahead.

“I could not be more excited about the coming season,” notes Delaney-Smith, who returns 10 letterwinners from the 2004-05 campaign that boasted a 20-8 overall record and share of the Ivy League title. “It’s always tough to lose good players, but people will see a different Harvard team than they are used to – the players we have added to our roster complement our upperclassmen, and also allow us to do some things we haven’t necessarily done in the last few years. ”

The coach has several underclassmen who are ready to step into the vacated roles of graduated Ivy Player of the Year Reka Cserny and versatile guard Katie Murphy; in addition, Kate Mannering ’06’s year abroad leaves another starter’s role up for grabs in an ultra-competitive preseason camp. Delaney-Smith has placed a premium on team defense for the upcoming season, and points to athletic guards, height and power in the paint, and low-post potential which she thinks will spell success for her Crimson in the upcoming season.

Delaney-Smith is delighted at the hard work put in and the progress made over the summer by her backcourt players. Seniors Laura Robinson (Fremont, Calif.) and Jessica Holsey (Potomac, Md.) are making strong bids for starting roles – Holsey, a co-captain, will play at shooting guard – her natural position – for the first time in her career, while Robinson’s hard work this summer has her bidding for a starting role at the point.

Holsey, who started all 28 games a year ago, fought through injury in her sophomore season before bouncing back for a fruitful junior campaign in which she was the team’s second leading scorer (11th in the Ivies) and led the squad (and the Ivy League) in assists with 132 (4.7 apg), earning second team All-Ivy honors at year’s end.

Robinson stayed in Cambridge this summer with a drive to improve, and one impressive result is an increase in her defensive prowess both on and off the ball. She is a true coach on the floor and is able to quarterback the Crimson offense; her great knowledge of the game and ability to be that leader on the court makes her an asset at the point.

With defensive play among the points of emphasis for the Crimson, the talents of sophomore Jessica Knox (West Linn, Ore.) and junior Kyle Dalton (Tucson, Ariz.) could become even more pronounced.

While the guard positions bring back a wealth of experience in seniors Holsey and Robinson and junior Dalton, the frontcourt lost two starters, including Ivy Player of the Year Cserny. While there is certainly talent and experience returning, four newcomers into the mix will give Delaney-Smith some new options and looks for opponents.

Senior Shana Franklin (Wilmette, Ill.) is the lone returning starter in the frontcourt, and the coaching staff expects big things from the small forward. Franklin’s offensive numbers a year ago (7.4 ppg) should increase with Harvard’s more dynamic offensive schemes, particularly since she is the team’s top returning shooter (72-161, 44.7%).

Co-captain Maureen McCaffery (Hillsborough, Calif.) is also bidding for a starting role. The vocal leader is one of the hardest working players on the roster, and has exceptional shooting skills, particularly from the perimeter.

First-year Niki Finelli (Ambler, Pa.) will certainly see her share of time on the floor. She has made the transition to college ball almost seamlessly, picking up the offense very quickly – an uncharacteristically fast acclimation to a higher level of basketball for a freshman.

Like classmate Kyle Dalton, junior power forward Christiana Lackner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) falls under the category of self-made player - her work ethic is off the charts, and she has grown immensely in terms of her poise on the court. A strong shooter, she was a 44% shooter from the floor a year ago (27-61).

Also looking for increased court time at the position will be sophomore Lauren Fried (Gwynned, Penn.)

Six-foot-seven center Emma Moretzsohn (Downingtown, Pa.) will certainly draw attention. Ahead of schedule in terms of adjusting to the collegiate game, Moretzsohn is extremely coachable and has proven to be a fast learner, making great strides on her footwork and lateral defense.

It will undeniably be a bit of a transition year for the Crimson, but the outlook is far from bleak. The veterans have worked hard to not only maintain, but improve the returning assets, and the newcomers may provide the coaching staff an opportunity to enhance the offense – and defense – with a few wrinkles unseen in Cambridge in recent seasons.

“I’m very excited. I’m getting a wonderful energy with this team,” notes the head coach, who chooses to see the advantages of moving from a cast consisting of a superstar and outstanding supporting players to a more balanced attack. “The team is very determined. We ended 2005 with a disappointment in winning the Ivy League, but not advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The returning players are using that as a learning experience, and as fuel to get us where we would like to be at the end of this season.”

Delaney-Smith sees a competitive Ivy season ahead, with many teams improving from a year ago.

“We, like everyone else in the league, certainly are going to be working hard. You see a team like Dartmouth, with a great core returning, and that may be the ideal. But there is also a very athletic team in Brown that will also have a shot, and a team like Princeton which returns considerable talent which is all a year older and will be looking for the better results. Ivy basketball will be as competitive as ever, and we intend on being one of those teams fighting for it until the end.”