By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The 2020-21 season proved to be a challenge for Rolla, with both Covid-19 protocols and injuries providing constant roadblocks.
The Lady Bulldogs finished with a 17-8 record prior to getting upset in the district tournament by Marshfield.
Head coach Charley Parker believes the experience has his program battle-tested for the upcoming campaign, as Rolla returns its entire roster.
“I think we had the pieces to have been really good last year but with all the setbacks it was tough for us to overcome,” Parker said. “We were quarantined a total of four times and lost a big piece to what we due to an ACL injury at the end of the year. I just give credit to my kids for keeping their heads up and fighting through the long season.”
The Lady Bulldogs will be led by a senior inside-out combo of Carli Libhart and Savannah Campbell, both of whom could reach the 1,000-point career plateau this season.
Libhart, a 5-foot-6 point guard, averaged 11.8 points, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals last season. She received all-conference and all-district honors.
“Carli does a great job facilitating and getting us to where we need to be offensively,” Parker said. “She shoots the ball well from beyond the arc but does a really good job getting to the rim off of the dribble as well.”
Campbell, a 6-foot-2 forward, averaged 13.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 blocks last season. The all-conference, all-district and all-state honoree has committed to Pittsburg State University.
“Savannah has improved a ton from last season, and I think she will be a load for some teams to handle,” Parker said. “She does a good job playing with her back to the basket and has the ability to step out around the arc and take her defender off the dribble or knock down the outside shot.”
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The pair will be joined by classmates Madison Mace and Taniya Corley.
The 5-foot-3 Mace averaged 5.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.7 steals in 2020, while garnering all-defensive honors for the Ozarks Conference.
“Madison is probably one of the better one ball defenders in the area,” Parker said. “She takes pride in playing defense and her intensity and fire gets our defense going.”
Corley, a 5-foot-5 guard, averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.7 steals prior to a season-ending ACL injury.
“Taniya had a start to a great season and is a huge part of what we do.” Parker said. “She can shoot it well from the outside and has the ability to get to the rim. She is an above average defender and has a big IQ for the game itself.”
5-foot-8 sophomore guard Willow Gideon (7.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg) and 5-foot-10 junior forward Jessica Pritchett (4.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg) also return and give the Lady Bulldog roster additional size and athleticism.
“Willow shoots it from a high percentage from the outside but is a threat at attacking the rim as well,” Parker said. “Jessica is a true competitor that helps us out on the defensive end of the floor and has worked a ton offensively to become a threat on that end of the court.”
Parker also expects freshman and multi-sport athlete Resa Martin to step in and make an impact at the varsity level.
“Resa’s defensive presence along with athleticism will really add some depth to our team,” Parker said. “She can shoot it well from outside and is really good at attacking the basket creating for herself and her teammates.”
With a returning roster full of depth and experience, Parker expects Rolla’s chemistry to pay big dividends this season, as the Lady Bulldogs look to make a strong postseason run.
“I think that our biggest strengths are the depth and veteran presence of our roster,” Parker said. “My seniors have all played together since they were little kids. I have six or seven kids that can really put points on the board and my whole team really takes it to heart on the defensive end of the floor playing with high intensity.”
On offense, Rolla will look to exploit matchups for its 6-foot-2 all-state selection in Campbell, while rolling out one of the area’s strongest guard rotations.
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“We have so many weapons offensively that any night we could be led by a different kid in scoring,” Parker said. “I think with our guard play and with Campbell’s size in the middle we could be a tough opponent to match up to.”
On defense, the Lady Bulldogs will look to utilize size, length and athleticism to create chaos at both ends of the court.
“Defensively, we are going to look to get up and pressure at both ends of the floor,” Parker said. “Our kids take pride in playing defense and I look for this year to be the same. I think if we can stay healthy and humble that we could have some really good success this season.”
If Rolla is to mount a successful postseason run, its challenging schedule will certainly assist in that endeavor. Challenging opponents both in and out of the Ozark Conference should have the Lady Bulldogs battle-tested once the postseason rolls around.
“I think that we play in one of the toughest conferences in Missouri,” Parker said. “Our conference alone will help us prepare for post season play but for individual teams I think Kickapoo, West Plains, Helias Catholic, Incarnate Word Academy and Lebanon are all teams that I think will help us prepare for the postseason. All of those programs are going to be really competitive.”
Following a home jamboree Nov. 12 with Licking, Fatima and Owensville, Rolla opens its season with the BSN Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 19.
