By John Miller
There’s a big hole to fill for the Greenwood Lady Blue Jays this year, and the team certainly knows it.
Amy Abdalla, the team’s leading scorer for each of the last two seasons and leading rebounder for the past four, has graduated. Replacing her won’t be easy.
Last year, Abdalla averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
“Losing your top scorer and rebounder from last year certainly presents a few question marks that need to be addressed,” said Greenwood coach Kent Hedgpeth, now in his 13th year leading the program.
Fortunately, the Lady Blue Jays return three starters and six players from last year’s team that finished 12-9 and fell in the opening round of the Class 2 district tournament to Morrisville.
Of the six returners, three are seniors, and they will be counted on heavily this winter to lead the squad. Seniors Meredith Sharp, Katherine Ulmer, and Yeaseo Kim all will be relied on this season for the Lady Blue Jays.
“Meredith has the ability to play inside and out and has improved her ball handling from last year,” Hedgpeth said. “Katherine will be expected to wear many hats. She can handle the ball, is an offensive threat inside the paint, and a good defender. Yeaseo is an excellent defender that should give us some valuable minutes.”
Other returners include junior Meredith Montgomery and sophomores Fallon Yarnell and Averi Kessler. Like Ulmer, Montgomery will be a versatile asset for Greenwood this year thanks to her ability to play multiple positions. Yarnell has emerged as a good perimeter defender, and Hedgpeth and the team hope she can hone her offensive skills. Kessler is a good shooter and should only improve as the season wears on.
“Team balance should be a positive in relation to handling pressure, rebounding, or playing defense,” Hedgpeth said. “A big key for this group will be how well we perform offensively on a consistent basis. As always, I like this group and look forward to working with them as the season unfolds.”
Hedgpeth will also look for production out of a group of freshmen that includes Taylor Brooks, Anna McNay, Sage Vahldick, Reanna Anderson, and Jessica Parrish.
“We have a solid bunch of players that played together last year and several freshmen that should give us depth,” Sharp said. “We need to focus on working together and be competitive every night.”
