2 Wins for the Rock

This past weekend the Rock women had a double header crossover in conference play. The Rock was able to come home with a 2-0 record on the weekend and improve to 7-3 on the year.

On Friday the Rock took on West Chester University, a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference powerhouse who was picked to finish first on the East side of the conference. Coming away with 70-63 win over West Chester was a big win for the women's team. The Rock women shot an impressive 47.6% from the three point line making a total of 10 threes in the game and there defense was able to hold West Chester to 12% shooting from the three only making three in the game. The Rock's leading scorer in the first game was Audrey Stapleton who had 16 points on the night.

In the second game of the weekend the Rock was able to pull out another win with a 71-66 win over Cheyney. For the game the Rock was lead by Junior guard Ciara Patterson with 16 points followed by Stapleton with 14 points.

The Rock take a short break during finials week before heading to Pittsburgh for their second exhibition game of the year against Duquesne University on December 15th.

Rock look to continue win streak

In the past two weeks the Rock women have gone 3-3 in game play. Three of the games played were games within conference play for the Rock and three of the games played were non conference games.

In conference play the Rock is 2-1. After losing their first game against Edinboro University of Pennsylvania the Rock was able to bounce back and get back to back wins against Mansfield University and Lock Haven University. Against Edinboro Lexi Carpenter lead the Rock with 22 points followed by Ciara Patterson with 16 points. In the win against Mansfield Carpenter was one assist away from recording a double double with 17 points and 9 assists. The game against Lock Haven, Carpenter was again the leading scorer with 15 points followed by Audrey Stapleton with 13 points.

In non conference play the Rock lost in a heart breaker against West Liberty. With three seconds left in the game West Liberty point guard hit a jumper and the Rock couldn't respond with a basket of their own losing 79-77. For the game Patterson was the leading scorer with 18 points followed by Carpenter with 17 points. In the next game the Rock lost another close game 89-81 to Central State University. The Rock was lead by Carpenter with 23 points and in her first collegiate start Freshman Morgan Henderson pulled down an impressive 13 rebounds in the loss. Last game the Rock pulled of a 19 point win against Ohio Valley University. For the game Stapleton scored a game high 15 points. All 14 players for the Rock received playing time with 12 of those players scoring at least one point in the contest.

The Rock look to continue their win streak this weekend with a PSAC crossover against West Chester University and Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

#10 Shannon Jack

#10 Shannon Jack, Sophomore

Akron, Ohio 

Shannon or Lebron as Coach McGraw calls her is a Sophomore guard from Akron, Ohio and is a returner from last years team. 

As a Freshman Shannon appeared in all 27 games last season and made one start halfway through the season. Shannon averaged 5 points a game and was ranked second on the team in made three pointers at 20 for the season. 

To elaborate on her nick name Bron or Lebron, Shannon attended St. Vincent St. Mary the same high school Lebron James played at. I know most of you were thinking, wow she's Lebron's daughter but no that is not the case. That would be pretty neat if she was though. 

Shannon off the court. Where do I even begin?  If you ever walk by Shannon and think something really smells, well its a 99% chance it's Shannon Jack because she doesn't shower. If we are lucky enough she will shower once a week but sometimes that's even asking to much of her. However all jokes aside Shannon is a great teammate and the Rock is fortunate to have her. 

One last note: Coach McGraw better keep an eye on her because sometimes she thinks she can join the soccer team here at the Rock and be the next soccer star. Just kidding (Sorta)! Shannon is a baller. 

Ballers Unite, right Shan!?

Season Openers

This past weekend the Rock women took the floor for the official start of the 2015-2016 season. On Friday night the Rock was able to open the season with a 68-59 win over defending CIAA champion Virginia State University. On Saturday afternoon the Rock added another opponent to the win column as they defeated Chowan in a close game 64-62.

This past weekend proved that this years Rock team can compete with anyone on their schedule. Friday’s game was back and forth all night long as the Rock trailed by one after the first quarter. Going in to half time Virginia State University and The Rock were tied at 26. Virginia State picked up momentum coming out of halftime taking a six-point lead into the finial quarter. However the Rock found a way to hold Virginia State to 15 points in the finial quarter and put up an impressive 30 points themselves. Junior guard Lexi Carpenter lead all scores with 22 points. On the night she went eight for nine from the free throw line and grabbed a total or five rebounds.

On Saturday the Rock kept their win streak alive beating Chowan in a nail bitter. At halftime the Rock lead 33-25.  Chowan chipped into the Rock’s lead and made it 50-46 heading into the finial quarter. Chowan and the Rock went back and fourth all of the fourth quarter but the Rock was able to win by two points. Erica Aiello and Carpenter lead the way for the Rock with 14 points apiece.

The Rock have a short time to celebrate these two wins as they get ready to start PSAC conference play at Edinboro on Wednesday November, 18^th at 5:30 pm.

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Assembly Hall

On Sunday November 8th, the Rock women's basketball team got to live an unbelievable dream as they took on the division one Indiana Hoosiers. Obviously playing any division one team will be hard but it is the experience these girls will remember for a life time. 

Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana is a basketball court that many basketball players are aware of today. The big reason being the movie "Hoosiers" was filmed in Assembly Hall. Hoosiers was a movie based on the real story of the 1954 Indiana state champions, Milan High school. 

To be able to play in Assembly Hall at least once in your lifetime is a dream come true. Although the Rock came out of the game with a loss, the 16 girls on this years Rock team can say they have played and battled in Assembly Hall with some of the best. I am sure all these girls will be talking about the experience for some time.  

Lexi Carpenter

#15 Lexi Carpenter, Junior

Woodbridge, Virginia 

Lexi is a senior guard from Woodbridge, Virginia. 

Before coming to the Rock Lexi played basketball at the University of Dayton where she appeared in four games as a freshman.

On the court Lexi see the court better than anyone on this year’s team. She knows when her defender is up close and can blow right by her opponent or if they are playing back she will shoot the jump shot. Lexi will be a big threat to opponents this year and should have a big year in a Rock Uniform.

Off the court Lexi is (let me see if I can put this nicely…) weird? She’s just a strange individual all-around but one of the nicest girls I have got to know on this team this year. She can make any animal noise you ask her to and you will think there is a dolphin in the room. She sometimes can get to carried away and act like a monkey while making a monkey noise but hey that’s just her to a T! All joking aside, Lexi is a great teammate and friend and I am glad to be on the same team as her this year. 

Sorriyah Ranger

#44 Sorriyah Ranger, Senior
Skokie, Illinois

Sorriyah Ranger is a Senior center from Skokie, Illinois. 

Sorriyah came to the Rock as a transfer from Southwestern Illinois and played her first season in a Rock uniform last year where she appeared in 24 games.  Last year she ranked third on the team in blocks at 18 and has proved she can be one of the top rebounders on this years team.  

Sorriyah is a tower, and i'm not even slightly joking. Shes 6'3 but that doesn't stop her from being a point guard. Last season at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Sorriyah came up with a huge block for the team and instead of finding a guard to pass it to she took the ball up the court herself. 

Sorriyah will play a huge role on this years team and looks to lead the team in blocks.

First Scrimmage

This past Sunday (11/1) marked the first scrimmage and first time this years Rock squad took the floor as a team.
Being the first scrimmage for the team, it proved to be a learning experience for them. It showed that many they have things to worked on but they are all things that can easily be fixed.

This past week they have been working on their mistakes as they prepare to travel to Indiana this upcoming Sunday to take on the Indiana Hoosiers a division one powerhouse in the BIG10. 

As this game is an exhibition game for the Rock it marks the first official game of the season. 

Stay tuned as the Rock is about to begin their season! 

Becca Olkosky

#32 Rebecca Olkosky, Senior
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Becca or "young Bec" as most of her team calls her is another one of the three who have been here at the Rock for all four years.

If there is anything you need to know about Morrow Field House or what event is going on in there just ask Becca. She knows just about anything and everything about that place. I would be surprised if she didn't know what year it was built or what the maximum occupancy is!

With all jokes aside Becca is a senior guard that has appeared in 51 games for the Rock. Becca is the team's biggest fan but also one of the leaders of the squad this year. She will be the first one to cheer and clap for you and never misses a beat being the first off the bench when someone hits a big shot or makes a big play.

Becca is a true team player and is expected to make a big impact in her last year in a Rock uniform.

One Team One Goal One Heart

"A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That's how I want you to play". - Duke Men's Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski 

After reading this quote my first thought was the Rock women's basketball team. Being around this group of girls makes me realize they all have the same goal in mind and that is to win a PSAC title. Before they even are able to do that they have to come together as one. Five fingers make a fist not four or three fingers but five. The team has to all be on the same page and work together to accomplish their goal. If only four people were working toward there goal they would fail. The girls share the same passion and love for this sport but to act as one they all have to come together and want it just as bad as one another. 

The work this team has been putting together the past couple of weeks has significantly improved but needs to continue to improve to reach their goals. As they continue to compete against one another to make each other better and to fight for playing time they need to realize come Sunday when they take the floor for the first scrimmage of the year that they are all wearing the same color and playing together. The competing will be against an opponent and not their teammates any more. They need to compete just as hard with their opponents as they do with one another. 

If they continue to work together as a team and stay focused on their goals, this Rock women's basketball team will surprise many people this year! 

Work Hard. Stay Humble 

Taylor Siggers

#1 Taylor Siggers, Senior
Mardela, Maryland

Taylor is a returning started from last year's squad and one of five seniors on this year's veteran team.

Taylor came to the Rock after playing one year at Indian River in Florida. When she came here she made an impact on the team right away and started in all 26 games. She was the Rock's second highest scorer and ranked among the best in the PSAC in scoring.

Taylor or Tay as most of her teammates call her is the teammate that will tell you exactly how it is. If you are playing bad she will be the first one to tell you straight up, "You can't play today" or "Get your head out of your ass", but coming from Taylor you know she only means well and wants you to go out there and fix your mistakes (or attitude)! Taylor is a great teammate and leader and the Rock is very grateful to have her apart of their team.

War Ready

As the start of season is finally here the women's basketball team at the Rock is more than ready. In less then two weeks the team will take a trip to West Virginia to play Fairmont State in a scrimmage. In just a week after that the team will travel to Indiana University (Not IUP for you Pennsylvanians reading this!). The real Indiana University! Then in 24 days the team will take the court at Morrow Field House to defend their home court for the first official game of the 2015-2016 season against Virginia State the defending Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association champions. As the team prepares for the first game of the season they are excited and anxious. For five of the sixteen girls this is the last season to play in there college career.
The team is ready to work hard each and every practice, help one another improve on their basketball skills, believe in each other and go to war for any of their teammates. These girls know their is no "I" in team and that it will take each and every single one of them to accomplish the goals they have put forth for this upcoming season. I guarantee you their is no other team out their works harder and that wants a PSAC championship as much as this 2015-2016 Rock women's basketball team!
Stay tuned, this season is about to heat up.

BELIEVE OR LEAVE

Last Day of Pre Season

As yesterday October 12th 2015 marked the last day of pre season for the Rock Women's Basketball team, they now continue to prepare for the season that lies ahead. Today October 15th, 2015 marks the first official practice for the 2015-2016 team.
For the last day of pre season the team went on a scavenger hunt around campus. The girls were split up into 4 teams and were given a list of things to do around the campus. Items on the list included the team members taking a picture while holding a sign reading #whynotus with a student on campus, a selfie of the team members in the ARC with the goldfish that sits at the front desk, and a video of the team members dancing. While most of the activities done by the team may seem fun and made many people laugh and interact with different faces they may have never talked to, it was also a workout. As the goal was to get the activities done as fast as you could team members would run from one location to the next (morrow field house-the football stadium). The list also included activities such as burpees, pull ups, a lap around the track and planks. When the scavenger hunt was over three of the four teams all ended at the same time and the coaches were forced to tally everything up to see who the winners were. Team three including two seniors and two sophomores were announced the winners at the end of the day on Tuesday.
Although it was all fun and games on Tuesday, the Rock Women's basketball team knows that the real work begins in just a few hours. The team is ready and very excited knowing they take the court in less then three weeks for the first scrimmage of the year. It was good for the team to end pre season on a good note and have a little fun before the real work starts.

Now its time to get serious!

Rock Women United State Marine Style

25 days down and only 6 to go. Preseason has come and flown by for the Rock Women's Basketball team. They have been pushed, tested mentally and physically but they have succeeded with whatever has been put in front of them.

In only the second week of pre-season the team had the honor to participate in a two day boot camp held by the United States Marine Corps. Lets take a quick second to process that. Women's basketball and the Marine Corps? What are they going to teach them? How does that help basketball wise? Well if you ask any of the girls it helped more than you would think. Leading up to the two day camp the girls were not necessary scared but more nervous as they did not know exactly what to expect. Were they going to yell at them? Were they actually going to have to do things the Marines did? All these questions ran through the girls head as they tried to prepare themselves for what they thought would be the two longest days of there lives.

What the girls and coaching staff (yes the coaches actually participated with them!) went through those two days not only pushed them to their physical limits with the many intense activities they did but they were also pushed mentally.

Day one was more individual based. The girls did a number of exercises and were pushed to see what they could do. Day two was more of a teamwork day. The girls were divided into two groups and competed with the coaching staff and a group of Marines. The girls had to learn to work together to complete events and try to do better then there competition. At the end of the two day boot camp the team and coaching staff all stuck together and were just as close as they were before. They fought through adversity and were pushed to their limits but in the end this only made the team stronger. Rock women's basketball can now say they survived boot camp with the United States Marine Corps!

After the girls finished boot camp they were given a t-shirt that said 'I survived' on the back. When one of the girls turned over the shirt to read it, it stated 'I survived', but quickly without missing a beat one of the girls said no 'WE survived'. So if you ask any one of the girls if they survived boot camp they will correct you and say no "we survived as a team". That's team work right there. It's pretty clear to me they all have the same goal on their minds as there season quickly approaches.

The Rock Women began their official season on October 15th and will have less than a month to prepare for the first official game of the season on November 13th!

Erica Aiello

#5 Erica Aiello, Senior
Columbus, Ohio

With the many new faces the Rock has seen in the past two years, Erica is one of three who have been here all four years.

Erica is a gym rat. I mean that 100%. If you are ever looking for her I would suggest you go look in the weight room first. She is known for her big muscles, being able to eat five servings in one sitting, always matching her clothes (no matter what she's wearing), but most importantly she is known for leading the team for the past three years.

When Erica came to Slippery Rock she made an impact on the team right away. Towards the end of her freshman year she took over the roll as starting point guard and she has not looked back. In the past two seasons she has started all 52 games and her stats continue to get better each year. Last year Erica had her best year in a Rock uniform as she set many career-highs and most importantly as a point guard committed a career-low in turnovers at 79. Going in to her senior year Erica is ranked 11th in school history in assists, 11th in minutes payed and 12th in three-pointers made. Now, as a senior Erica is going to continue to make an impact on the team just like she has been.

One last note- Don't let her height fool you, she will go "hard in the paint" any day!

Season Outlook

The Slippery Rock Women's Basketball team looks to build off an 11 and 16 record they had just one year ago. With a veteran squad and some fresh new faces, the Rock is looking to give their PSAC opponents a run for their money this year. 

Last Season, the Rock began a new era of basketball under first year head coach Bobby McGraw. As head coach he led the team to a berth into the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament, which was the first tournament berth for the women's basketball team in 10 years. The team improved on its record and doubled the amount of conference wins from the year before.

Slippery Rock picked up 7 conference wins last year with the first coming early in the season on December 3rd against Edinboro University, the 2014 PSAC women's basketball champions. However, the Rock lost some close games to Millersville, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mercyhurst, Seton Hill, California University of Pennsylvania, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Those seven games were all within reaching distance for the Rock before time slipped away from them.

Although the Rock did not have a winning record last year, they took a step in the right direction for the new era and have high hopes for the season right in front of them.