It seems like just a few weeks ago that everyone reported to preseason camp. The season flew by this year, probably because this team was so enjoyable and the challenges we faced on and off the field demanded a lot of time. Regardless, it was a great fall. We finished the season 9-8-1, another above .500 record playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. We faced 5 nationally-ranked teams, 7 teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament, and 3 teams that made it to the Elite Eight of the national tournament (and one in the Final Four). It was by far the most challenging schedule in recent years and our results were impressive, though not exactly what we had envisioned. The bright side...this group ended the season more motivated and energized to build on the season and find even greater success next fall. In their minds, the 2011 season has already begun. That's great news for a coach!
Before the team went home for Winter Break, we took a break from Finals to have our annual end of season Holiday Party. This year was great! As usual, we had a gift exchange (with some coveted gifts and some laughable ones). The big hits this year were a few scarves and some other great Black Friday finds. Some of the more comical ones included the Bootie Bump and few others. We also changed the them and wore ugly holiday sweaters. There were some classics, especially Steph's!
The freshmen were great entertainment this year with their clever rendition of "The 12 Days of Preseason." Their performance certainly puts them in the running for best Holiday Party entertainment.
We also viewed our highlight film which featured some great play from the year, a collection of photos stolen from Vaci's mom's website, and a mini-tribute to this year's senior class (Annie Altenau, Amy Baumann, Steph Chinchen, Cicy Fusco, Frannie Hogan, and Megan Link).
We also announced this year's Spartan Award winner, Anna Kennedy. The Spartan Award is the only team award we give out and it's voted on by every player on the team. It's given to the most dedicated team member and Anna is incredibly deserving.
We also gave another congrats to this year's All-UAA honorees: Kristina Vaci, Kendra Simmons, and Deena Levey (Second Team); Leah Levey and Anna Kennedy (Honorable Mention).
And, finally, the team AGAIN earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award for our outstanding team GPA.
2010 was a great year. Collectively, we learned a ton about what's important and what we all need to give to get where we want to go. There's a ton to be excited about in 2011!!
