Mitchell Christian girls basketball head coach Jackie Van Laecken knows her team will learn through adversity.
What she didn't expect was that she would lose one of her returning starters to a season-ending injury before the season. While the Golden Eagles return two starters in junior center Emily Reynen and senior forward Ashley Schmit, Mitchell Christian will be without sophomore guard Abbie Reynen, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will miss the entire season.
Regardless of who will fill her starting spots, Van Laecken said her team will be ready for its opener, which is against Wolsey-Wessington at 6:30 p.m. today at Mitchell Christian School.
"Every girl steps up because they need to," Van Laecken said. "We'll work hard game by game and these girls are a great team, and I'm very blessed by them."
Van Laecken said both Schmit and Emily Reynen will play key roles for the team and help develop younger players throughout the season.
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The Golden Eagles finished with a 17-5 record last season, losing to Ethan in the District 8B semifinals. Mitchell Christian lost valuable players Alexa Van Laecken and Cassidy Graham to graduation.
Entering this season, Van Laecken said her team needs to work on taking care of the basketball and cut down on turnovers.
"Team unity will play a big role and our team supports each other well," Van Laecken said. "We also need to establish and inside-outside game."
Joining Schmit and Emily Reynen will be senior forward Lindsay Thompson, who was Mitchell Christian's first player off the bench last year, and junior guard Kelsey Thompson.
With eight players on the roster, the Golden Eagles will need every player to contribute. Van Laecken said once the games start, she'll know more about her team's strengths and weaknesses.
"We need to get to know each other on the court," Van Laecken said. "We work hard in practice, and the games will tell us what we need to work on."
