When the Valparaiso University women’s basketball team tips off the 2017-18 season on Thursday night against IU Kokomo, fans will notice a rare blend of youth and experience on the court.

The Crusaders bring back five of their top six scorers, four of their five starters and 10 of 13 letter winners from a year ago, while at the same time welcoming five true freshmen to go along with two redshirt freshmen and three sophomores.

It’s a roster filled with players poised to make an impact as the Crusaders embark on their first season as members of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Seniors

It all starts with the senior class as this season marks the final go-around for a pair of players who have already cemented a Valpo legacy that will continue to grow as the 2017-18 season unfolds.  

Dani Franklin (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / George Washington) and Georgi Donchetz (Savage, Minn. / Burnsville) share an extreme dedication and passion for the program. They are simultaneously alike and different, forming the perfect senior leadership combination for Valpo’s program.

“Those two together are phenomenal leaders,” head coach Tracey Dorow said. “I give them credit for any success we have this year. Those two have helped change the mentality of the entire program. I can’t credit either one of them enough.”

Franklin has led by example, scoring 559 points last season to enter her senior year with 1,236, which already ranks sixth in program history. She earned all-league honors after finishing second in the Horizon League in scoring and eighth in rebounding. She enters this season with the highest 2016-17 scoring average of any player in the Missouri Valley Conference (18.0 points per game).

“She serves her teammates and does everything she can to make them better,” Dorow said. “She goes out of her way to show up to their workouts and help them reach the ability they have. That speaks volumes for her leadership.”

Donchetz is the more vocal of the two leaders and has won the team’s Fountain Award, given to the player who most raises the team’s energy level, each of the last two years.

“Georgi is the heart and soul of our Valpo women’s basketball program,” Dorow said. “She cares so deeply about her teammates and what they can accomplish. Our younger players feed off her enthusiasm.”

After being hindered by injuries her first two seasons, Donchetz enjoyed a breakout junior campaign, playing in 28 games and making five starts for the Crusaders. She and Franklin shared the team’s Most Improved Player award.

“Georgi is always willing to step into whatever role necessary,” Dorow said. “She knows all of the positions because her basketball IQ is super high. She knows why we’re doing what we’re doing. She bleeds Brown and Gold. She’s all about Valpo; she’s social with a purpose. Every time she faces an obstacle, she rises to the top.”

Juniors

The topic of point guard Hannah Schaub (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Park Center) is one that quickly brings a bright smile to Dorow’s face.

Coming into this season, Schaub had to fight to keep her prominent role on the team and her spot in the starting lineup. She’s done just that.

“Hannah is dominating right now,” Dorow said. “I love life with Hannah. She’s playing exactly how we wanted her to play the first two years. She’s competing like crazy and refusing to lose. Hannah is a better player than what she showed the last two years, and she’s proving that.”

Meredith Hamlet (McBain, Mich. / McBain) is back after finishing second on the team with 9.0 points per game last season. She’s enjoyed some of the best single-game performances of any Crusader over the last two seasons, including a 29-point, 10-rebound output against Youngstown State last season that marked her first career double-double.

“She is one of the best pure shooters that I’ve ever seen,” Dorow said. “She knows it, yet there are times where she passes up shots. She’s trying to be unselfish and blend in, but there are times where we need her to stand out. This year, we need to do a better job of creating shots for her.”

Allison Schofield (McCordsville, Ind. / Heritage Christian) is back after closing her sophomore season on a high note by scoring a career-high 15 points in a league tournament quarterfinal.

“She’s a good teammate and a good kid,” Dorow said. “Allison has always wanted to be at Valpo; she’s one of those kids who is willing to do whatever it takes to make the program better. She’s a capable shooter, there’s no question. Her biggest strength is her 3-point shot. She’s a smart player and a good passer.”

Sophomores

All three members of the sophomore class have made considerable strides since the conclusion of their freshman campaigns. Caitlin Morrison (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South) is expected to be in the starting lineup for the second straight season, Grace Hales (Cromwell, Ind. / Westview) has earned a spot in the starting lineup and Maya Meredith (Indianapolis / Cathedral) is one of three point guards expected to make key contributions.

“Maya may be the most talented player on our roster as far as what she can do,” Dorow said. “She’s had to battle through shin splints and has done everything she can to alleviate the pain. She still practices every day with a smile on her face. We’ve got some smilers on our team, but she’s the only one who will literally play defense with a smile on her face. As a person, she’s extremely pleasant to be around. On the court, she brings a different dynamic to our point guard position.”

Morrison was named the team’s Rookie of the Year after averaging 5.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 2016-17.

“She’s transformed from being a skinny freshman to being an athlete with a strong build, muscles and definition,” Dorow said. “She’s capable of being the best player on the floor if she slows herself down enough to knock down shots. You can already see she’s going to be more confident knocking down shots because she was in the gym all summer.”

Hales posted a double-double in Valpo’s 49-40 exhibition win over St. Francis (Ill.) last week. She has turned heads not only in the exhibition game, but also in practices leading up to the season.

“I’ve been watching her run sprints, and she’s right there behind Hannah,” Dorow said. “Last year, she was struggling to make sprints, and this year she’s making everything. That’s a testament to her work ethic in the offseason. Grace and Caitlin were in the gym every day, and it shows. They’re both going to be major impact players for us this season.”

Redshirt Freshmen

Marlee Profitt (Medina, Ohio / Highland) and Addison Stoller (Cissna Park, Ill. / Cissna Park) were both sidelined by injuries last season.

Profitt received a medical redshirt after appearing in just two games and is back after missing two straight seasons as last year’s injury came on the heels of a similar setback her senior year of high school.

“She’s fired up about getting back on the court to compete,” Dorow said. “She’s one of the feistiest kids we have on our roster. She wants it badly and she will do everything within her power to make a difference. She’s good with rebounding, running the floor and posting up – she’s willing to do the dirty work.”

Stoller appeared in five games before her season came to an end due to an injury last year. She finds herself injured again, but is expected to return to the floor in early December and be close to full strength in time for conference play.

“She wants to be out on the floor, and she knows she can make an impact,” Dorow said. “She’s very involved in FCA and in her teammates’ lives. This is setting her up to be a quiet leader like Dani Franklin down the line – she’s so encouraging of her teammates and she’s always right there quietly doing the right things. That’s been pretty cool to watch, and I’m glad we have her the next four years.”

Freshmen

The Crusaders welcome five true freshmen to the program this season.

The tallest player in the group is 6-foot-5 Nicole Johanson (Herscher, Ill. / Herscher), who comes to the program after scoring over 1,000 points in high school and helping her team finish 25-2 her senior season.

“You can’t teach height,” Dorow said. “She’s really working hard to make progress every day. It’s definitely an eye-opening experience for her, and she knew it was going to be. We’ve talked a little bit about the redshirt scenario, but we’re not leaning that way at this point. Coach (Justin) Rees is working diligently with her to challenge her and have her step up her game.”

The brother of Detroit Pistons forward Henry Ellenson, Ella Ellenson (Rice Lake, Wis. / Rice Lake) averaged 15.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a senior in high school.  

“She’s a long, athletic, mobile and exciting player to watch,” Dorow said. “She doesn’t know her limits yet; we’re trying to get her to test those limits. She’s going to grow and develop this year – I can’t wait to see her out there.”

A standout among Valpo freshmen in preseason practices, Bryce Blood (Toledo, Ohio / Whitmer) brings a winning mentality with her to Valpo after winning over 20 regional and national titles in a five-year span while playing for the SMAC Ballers AAU program. She finished as her high school’s all-time leading scorer.

“She’s been right there vying for a starting spot the whole preseason,” Dorow said. “Her job is to run, rebound and defend the ball. If she gets some points in there, that’s great, but if not, she’s OK with that. Her level of consistency is what is setting her apart from the other freshmen right now.”

A 2016-17 Indiana All-Star, Nicole Konieczny (Granger, Ind. / South Bend Saint Joseph) is a familiar face to local fans. She started her prep career at LaPorte, before transferring to South Bend St. Joseph, where she led the Indians to a Class 3A state title.

“Everybody around here knows she’s a competitor and a winner,” Dorow said. “She’s going to make a major impact on the floor. She is potentially one of the biggest x-factors we have.”

Konieczny missed much of the summer with an injury, and is likely to start the season as one of the first players off the bench for the Crusaders. She is expected to vie for a starting spot throughout the season. 

“I think she’s going to have a really big year,” Dorow said. “She’s going to take pressure off Hannah – all three of our point guards are going to take pressure off each other. We have three very different point guards capable of doing very different things, and I couldn’t be happier right now. That’s something we have not had in a long time.”

Taylor Richards (Doylestown, Ohio / Chippewa) averaged 14 points and 4.5 assists as a senior at Chippewa, earning her the 2017 Wayne County Athletic League MVP award.

“She’s going to be really good,” Dorow said. “The more she gets comfortable and confident in what we’re doing, the better she’ll get. She’s extremely athletic and is a very capable scorer, especially in transition and knocking down 3s. We’re thrilled to see what she’s able to accomplish this season.”

Fans will have their first chance to see the 2017-18 version of the Crusaders on Thursday night as Valpo welcomes IU Kokomo to the Athletics-Recreation Center at 7 p.m. For those who cannot attend, the game will air on The Valley on ESPN3.