GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College women's basketball team returns nearly all of its key contributors from last season as the Owls look to grow in head coach Mary Corbett's third year at the helm. Despite the graduation of the team's top player, the 2024-25 Owls will look to put last year's injuries behind them and lean on a roster led by nine upperclassmen. With the injection of a six-player first-year class, this year's Kenyon team is primed with players ready to help step into bigger roles and build together as a whole.
2023-24 Review:
- 3-23 overall record, including a 2-9 mark at home and a 1-10 record on the road.
- 1-13 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), which landed the team in seventh place in the eight-team standings.
- Fell in the first round of the NCAC Tournament.
NCAC Preseason Poll:
The annual polling of the conference coaches saw the Owls tally 17 points, good for a projected seventh-place finish in the league standings. Ohio Wesleyan University and DePauw University, last season's NCAC Tournament winner, are the preseason favorites, with the Battling Bishops receiving six first-place votes and 62 total points and the Tigers tallying the other two first-place votes and 51 points. OWU, DePauw, and Wittenberg University finished in a three-way tie for the regular-season NCAC Championship last season, and Wittenberg ranks third in the coaches' poll with 48 points, just ahead of Denison University (46) in fourth. Oberlin College (33) and Hiram College (21) slotted in above Kenyon, while The College of Wooster (10) tallied the fewest points in the poll.
Key Returners:
- Alyssa Gest - A junior guard who led the team with 29 three-pointers and 101 attempts in 18 games (17 starts). Her 8.4 points and 1.4 assists per game each ranked second on the team, and she leads returners with a .750 free-throw percentage.
- Anissa Hardy - The center played all 26 games (17 starts) as a sophomore and led the team with 36 blocks. Her 7.3 rebounds per game, .388 field goal percentage, and free throws (53-for-83) each ranked second, and she added top-four marks in scoring (6.2 points per game) and steals (13).
- Megan Lieb - A senior who played 25 games with nine starts, Lieb ranked fourth on the team with 3.5 rebounds per game and tied for third with 13 steals.
- Grace Murphy - Appeared in all 26 games (12 starts) as a sophomore and played the third-most minutes (609). Her 28 assists and .306 three-point percentage ranked second and her 11 triples ranked fourth.
- Alexis Newman - Led the Owls with 32.5 minutes per game across eight starts before a season-ending injury. The junior guard averaged 5.8 points and 1.75 assists per game, and her 10 threes ranked fifth on the season.
- Melana Pomerants - Played 23 games off the bench as a first-year. The forward ranked third with 13 blocks and fifth in both steals (12) and rebounds (62).
- Mikayla Rudolph - Started all 23 games she played and led the Owls with 740 minutes as a sophomore. The forward paced the team with 46 assists and 21 steals while ranking second with 20 triples. Her 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game each ranked third.
Key Departures:
- Claudia Cooke - Earned All-NCAC Second Team honors after being one of the league's most dominant players during her senior season. The center paced Kenyon in points (15.4) and rebounds (8.0) per game, both top-five marks in the NCAC. Cooke also led the Owls in shooting percentage (.486) and at the charity stripe (113-for-152) while ranking second in total minutes (727), blocks (35), and steals (15).
- Bela Krslovic - A senior shooter who started all 14 games she played, ranking third on the team with 12 trifectas.
Schedule Overview:
- Season/Home Opener: Saturday, November 9 vs. Earlham College (2:00 p.m.)
- NCAC Opener: Thursday, December 5 at Wittenberg University (7:00 pm)
How to Follow:
Fans can follow Kenyon women's basketball throughout the season via the following links:
