The 2021-22 Grace College women’s basketball team. Photo courtesy the Grace College Sports Information Department

By Josh Neuhart
Grace College Sports Information

WINONA LAKE – Grace’s women’s basketball team is ready for the challenge of the 2021-22 season, armed with a deep, athletic squad.

Under head coach Dan Davis, now in his fourth season, the Lady Lancers are bigger, faster and stronger than they’ve been in the past three years.

Davis asserted that Grace’s bigger lineup across all five positions would reap benefits offensively and create havoc for opposing defenses.

“I’m very excited about the potential of this team. We have a high ceiling with this group,” Davis said. “We are bigger, stronger and faster as a result of the team’s work in the offseason and preseason, and it’s showing in our physicality during practices and scrimmages.”

An immediate physical presence that Grace added this offseason was Karlee Feldman. The former Bremen High School star transferred to Grace from Maryville University (NCAA Div. II), giving Grace a bonafide 6-foot-2 post scorer.

“Karlee has a chance to be a game changer in our league. She can be an impact player on both sides of the ball. She’s come in, been humble and worked hard. Her size and mobility will allow us to build around her,” Davis said.

Feldman will join with a number of key returners, giving Grace a young but experienced lineup. Maddie Ryman is the leading returning scorer. She enjoyed a breakout season during her first season in the starting lineup.

Ryman finished with 12.7 points and 1.5 steals per game, draining 36 percent of her 3-pointers. She will transition into the starting point guard position to begin the season, a leadership role she has flourished in during the preseason in Davis’s estimation.

Kiersten Poor (7.6 points per game), Kaylee Patton (6.5 ppg) and Kenzie McMahon (4.8 ppg, 5.2 rebounds per game) each started at least 10 games last year as freshmen. The sophomore trio gained a year of valuable experience and are slated to join Ryman and Feldman in the starting lineup.

Kate Rulli and Carissa Wiegman return to give depth to the post positions. Olivia Pearson, Kiara Gill and Kate Schlatter bolster Grace’s guard rotation as returners.

Davis was most excited for how the team was meshing and leading itself up to this point of the preseason. He stated that this year’s crew was the most player-led team that he’s had in recent years.

“There is a closeness and chemistry with this team that’s very exciting. They’ve embraced taking ownership and holding each other accountable,” Davis said. “It spreads to the floor as they share the ball well and coach each other on the court. We haven’t wasted any practices yet, and that’s a credit to them taking ownership.”

The internal leadership will be key for a young team, he continued, helping guide Grace through the highs and lows of the always-daunting Crossroads League. The conference sent three teams to the NAIA National Championships last year with all three reaching the final 16.

Davis has brought in six newcomers to the squad this year, including Feldman. All but one are 5-9 or taller, giving the Lady Lancers a more commanding presence than the recent past.

Karissa Lukasiewicz is a 5-11 guard/forward from Valor Christian (Colo.), bringing a physical presence to the wings. She has the ability to make a quick impact and will likely be one of the first players off the bench.

Freshmen Taylor Cooney (5-9, Greensburg HS), Peyton Murphy (5-9, Evansville Memorial HS) and Sally Mortensen (5-10, Perry Meridian HS) provide a number of options for Davis at the guard rotation, providing shooting, defending and playmaking.

Kensie Ryman joins her older sister Maddie in a Lady Lancer uniform this winter. Kensie is a gritty point guard from Warsaw, bringing court leadership and outside shooting to the backcourt.

With a deeper, larger team this year, Davis plans to change the team’s style of play. Offensively, he is aiming for more balance in scoring between the posts and wings.

Defensively, the team will still play aggressively, but Davis is transitioning the focus into a halfcourt man-to-man pressure compared to the fullcourt pressing of last year. Davis is hoping that “in the long run, it will save our legs and allow us to be more efficient on both sides of the ball.”

Between the day-to-day routine of practices, scouting opponents, recruiting and preparing for games, Davis sensed a feeling of thankfulness this year between the coaching staff and players. After having two straight years greatly affected by COVID-19, Davis was glad to have a return to normalcy so far.

“Our athletes are more relaxed, having more fun and are more excited for the season. The normalcy makes a big difference, and in some ways you feel like you can have fun again,” Davis said. “This is a tough, talented group of ladies who will be a ton of fun to watch. We can’t wait to get started.”

The Lady Lancers will begin the season on Tuesday at Cornerstone. Next week on Saturday, Grace will host Madonna for the home opener at 3 p.m. at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.