The EvCC Women’s Basketball is gearing up for the 2019-2020 season with the mindset that this season is a rebuild of the program and redemption from last year’s small roster.

“Last year, you have your Shorelines that went 0-14 and you have your bad teams and they look at us, they think we’re a joke,” says Trojan’s Sophomore Guard Morgan Marshall. “They think, oh they had six girls they can’t recruit, they don’t have the talent. It’s a big redemption year.”

Serafina Balderas was the only sophomore on the team last season; this year Maciee Delaney, Hannah Hezekiah, Morgan Marshall and Kelsey Mellick return as sophomores likely making up the starting lineup and seeing plenty of playing time.

“I definitely think that it’s super important,” Marshall says on the increased numbers of sophomores on the roster. “Last year having only one sophomore you definitely saw the  lack of leadership and what to do in pinch-game situations. Having four sophomores we’ve all been there we’ve all done it, we’ve all played good minutes last year and coming in us four sophomores can really be a guide to our freshmen.”

Chet Hovde remains Head Coach but this team is a lot different from top to bottom from the active roster to the coaching staff. Out of the thirteen players on the roster, there are four returning sophomores and nine incoming freshmen.

There has been recruitment of freshmen talent locally and abroad. Forwards Alexa Martin played at Jackson High School and Rachael Hendrickson played at Mariner High School providing the Trojans with local talent from WESCO. There has also been players acquired from out of state.

Trinidee Kahunahana, Sydney Rawlins, Raven Rosa-Lasco, Meleana Turner and Chaunalisa Valez all come from playing high school basketball in the Hawaiian Islands. Larsa Guzman comes from Nevada and Chanelle Martinez from Alaska.

“I think it’s going to be a fight,” Trojans Guard Macie Delaney says regarding playing time. “I think we have really good talent, some mediocre talent that could be really good talent. This year with having so many bodies and having so many skilled bodies we’re going to have to push it. I think it’s going to fluctuate throughout the season, some people are going to have off months and off weeks and other people are going to have to step it up.”

The coaching staff has changed too. Rob Balderas, the former assistant coach, has been replaced with two new assistant coaches.

Deidra Miller, one of the new assistant coaches, played basketball at Monroe High School. After graduating from Monroe, Miller played her freshman and sophomore year at Skagit Valley Community College from 2015 to 2017 before transferring to Evergreen State College for her junior and senior year.

Cherly Sorenson, the other new assistant coach, joined the Trojans’ coaching staff after being the head coach of the University of Portland’s Women’s Basketball Team for five seasons. These additions to the coaching staff prove valuable to the players.

“With the new coaches it is so helpful and beneficial for us,” Delaney says. “Cheryl has the experience and the knowledge and Deidra she’s only a couple years older than us. It’s really nice to have the range of ages.”

With the new addition of the players and the assistant coaches the Trojans look to be back atop of the NWAC North Division and earn a postseason birth to the NWAC Championships.

“We’re hoping for that number one spot and I think we are very qualified,” Delaney says. “I think it’s very attainable.”