By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
Following last year's transition campaign under new head coach Nate Levine, the Murray State Lady Aggies appear poised to return the top of the Region 2 standings on the hardwood this season.

The Lady Aggies posted a 15-13 record with a wealth of new faces across the board a year ago but will have plenty of experience under their belts and expectations to challenge for the league crown, which they had a stranglehold on for two straight seasons post COVID.

That quest begins with a challenging first week of road tests starting Friday at Hesston College with the only home date in that five-game stretch being a November 8 Homecoming tilt against Mountain View College.

"We have looked really good in the preseason," Levine commented. "We beat a couple of teams most would not have expected us to beat a year ago. We have several newcomers who have really stood out and impacted games. I am very encouraged with how they have fit in with our returning nucleus.

"You can just see the difference in that year of experience together with me and our seven returning players. We are making smarter plays and not turning the ball over as much, which was a major emphasis in the offseason. I still want them to play free though so there is a lot of learning going on every day."

With four players that all saw time in the starting rotation a year ago, Murray State begins the season tabbed second in the conference in preseason voting of league coaches. That cast includes forward Ongolea Afu as well as guards Olivia Quapaw, Arissa Garcia and Mireia Casas.

Afu led the team in scoring several games and was second on the club with 12.8 points an outing along with team-best 10 rebounds a contest and 48 percent shooting from the field.

Quapaw chipped in several terrific scoring efforts, averaging 10.8 points while hitting 32 percent of her three pointers. Garcia pitched in 9.6 points and 5.5 assists from her point guard position with Casas also contributing 6.1 points per outing.

"Ongolea and Arissa have stepped into even bigger leadership roles for us this year," Levine said. "They set the tone for us and have brought that mentality. They have worked extremely hard in the off season and are both getting Division 1 recruiting looks. Olivia is playing well and going to have a huge impact and Mireia is going to play a big role again."

Impact newcomers that the Lady Aggie head coach pointed to include 5-10 freshman Keshanti Gordon and 5-11 freshman Jordyn McNeal, a pair of Texas products that will play key roles on both ends of the floor.

They have also added 5-8 sophomore Mya Cotto, a transfer from Southwestern Christian College in Texas that is originally from Denver and averaged 13 points a night in her first collegiate campaign. Taja Bennett, another 5-10 freshman, has provided a solid perimeter shooting touch as well.

"Gordon has really stood out defensively and has the ability to shoot and create with her size," Levine stated. "McNeal has stepped into the starting center role and is learning very quickly. She is very coachable and understands concepts. Cotto is a great addition with experience and a knock down shooter."

While focusing on limiting turnovers this season, the Lady Aggies have also improved their perimeter shooting prowess. That has been on full display in preseason competition, including exploding for 15 three pointers in one contest. They should be much better in rebounding as well with additional size on the roster.

Expectations and confidence is definitely soaring while returning to their consistent winning ways of 2022 and 2023 when they reached the NJCAA National Tournament. They'll have a couple of trips into Kansas early, including facing the top-ranked team in the nation Hutchinson, as well a trek into Texas in the opening week to test their mettle.

"I think we will be able to shoot it well," added Levine. "We have three or four wings that have been shooting well and showed our explosive ability at times in the preseason. We don't have to be massive inside but needed to have more size and be deeper and more athletic. I think we accomplished those things in recruiting.

"It's not a goal, but the expectation is winning a championship now. We have a tough non-conference slate, but I expect us to be more of a dominant force. We had a couple good wins last year, but I expect more consistency. We want to win like they won before I got here and feel like we now have the players to do that."