RU Women's Hoops

last post of the season

2008-04-02T10:46:00.003-04:00

Now that it's been almost 2 weeks since our season ended, I finally feel like writing about the final games of our season. I've had so many people tell me since our final loss that once the hurt of losing wears off that we will look back on this season and be very proud of what we accomplished. I don't know that any of us will ever be able to erase the memories of losing the championship game from our minds but now I am beginning to realize just what an incredible season our girls put together this year. I have our post season media guide hanging just behind my computer on the wall and the more I look at the list of accolades on it, the more impressed I am by our girls. The accomplishments listed are: Back to Back 20 win seasons / Back to Back Big South Conference Championship Appearances / Preseason WNIT Berth / Four Big South Postseason Award Winners / Two Big South All-Tournament Team Honorees / Second Most Wins in School History / All Time Big South and Radford Individual Shot Block Records / School Record for Blocks in a Season / Preseason Big South Conference Favorite / Two 1000 Point Scorers / Ranked in Top 10 Nationally in Steals and Blocked Shots. The front of the postseason media guide highlights Johnette Walker for making All Big South 2nd team and Big South All Academic Team, Kelli Darden for being named Big South Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All Big South, and Big South All Tournament Team, and Taleia Moton for making the Big South All Rookie Team and also being named to the Big South All Tournament Team. If that list isn't enough for you, I feel like we had a few that were left off of the all conference list but that's an entirely different story. Anyway, my last post was the day before we left to go to Asheville for the conference tournament and we were all very excited about what the week held for us. The atmosphere around the hotel was really fun to be a part of. Every team stays at the Doubletree Hotel in Asheville and the hotel staff wears team jerseys and referee shirts. They really set it up nice for the teams and everybody there was excited about the tournament. Our girls were mostly excited about the free doubletree cookies and the snack room that was open all day everyday. On Thursday night after we had practice, we went to the tournament banquet at the Biltmore Country Club. I have to say that our team was the best dressed and best looking group there. How could they not be when they have the best looking coaching staff in the conference?!! It's always fun to see everyone dressed up and hear the announcement of the all conference teams. It's MORE fun to hear our girls crack jokes for the entire dinner about what other people are wearing, how short Kelli's skirt was, and how tough it was for Johnette to walk in her high heels. Once the banquet was over, the attention shifted to the real reason everyone was there: the games. We had to play UNCA in the first round in a rematch of last year's championship game and we knew they would throw everything they had at us. Asheville is always a tough team to beat in the Justice Center and they always play well in front of a big (and very loud) crowd. It took double overtime to beat them (50 minutes of basketball!) but we came out with a great win and looked forward to a 2nd round matchup with Winthrop. The Winthrop game was in my opinion one of our best defensive showings all season. The girls defended and rebounded like they finally understood what it was going to take to win a championship. I was so proud of them and everyone around us was excited about the championship game. I have to add that we had so much support cheering for us the whole weekend. Along with all of our families, President Kyle, Dr. Dore and her husband, Dr. Pomerantz, and Mr. Lineburg made the trip to Asheville to cheer us on. The dance team and the cheerleaders got them out of their seats and made us feel very loved. I don't think they realize what it meant to the girls to have all of that red in the stands helping us out. When our team walked out of the hotel to board the bus on Sunday morning, they had a tunnel of people led by the cheerleaders and dance team with signs and loud cheers. I thought it was a great moment for our team to experience.
As most of you reading this know, the championship game didn't turn out exactly as we would have liked. Losing any game on a buzzer beater is tough, but losing the way we did in a game that could've put us in the Big Dance was one of the toughest games I've ever been involved in. With just over 5 seconds remaining, we had a one point lead and the ball under Liberty's basket. We called a timeout to set up our press break and knew that Liberty had to foul us to stop the clock. It is my opinion (and the opinion of most everyone else sitting in that gym) that Taleia got tripped, pushed, fouled...whatever you want to call it as she broke to the ball. Kelli passed the ball into Taleia as she was hitting the floor and the official under the basket said that Taleia traveled. Taleia just didn't trip over her own two feet. In a matter on one possession, our entire mood shifted. Our bench was in a state of shock. Did he really just call that? The last play of the game is a blur for me. Frazee's shot fell through the net with 0.2 seconds on the clock and Liberty started to celebrate. I hurt so much for our kids. They wanted that game so bad and I think they deserved to win it. Leaving the gym that day, I had alot of people tell me that we got screwed, that we had a great year, and that we could still make some noise in the WNIT. I really didn't want to hear any of that. I wanted the officials to watch the tape and let the teams come back replay that last possession...put T on the free throw line...and let her ice the game. I wanted to be inside the gym cutting the nets down. I wanted to see Kelli and Vandy's victory dance that was going to make them famous on Sportscenter. I wanted our kids to get a championship more than I've ever wanted anything else. Like I said earlier, we won't ever forget that game, but I hope no one around here forgets this entire season. It was a great one.
JRA

it's tournament time

2008-03-11T21:08:00.003-04:00

I apologize to anyone who reads our blog on a regular basis for not writing for the last week. (even though I think the only people who really keep up with this share my last name!) Hopefully the season our girls are having has gained us a few more fans and hopefully our alumni are proud to read about their alma mater's success. If that's the case, then I really hope you haven't given up on me writing regularly. Since I last wrote, our seniors played and won their last game in the Dedmon Center. It was an emotional night for Kelli, Corrie, Serena, their families, and our players and staff. The senior day game was not only an important day for our seniors, it was an important day in the race for the #2 seed in the Big South Conference Tournament. Our performance last Saturday gave us a 67-54 win and locked up our 2nd place finish in the regular season. It was a great way to send our seniors out and gave us alot of confidence going into our last regular season game at Liberty.
The Liberty game didn't turn out exactly as we'd hoped but we did play a very solid game. We got off to a slow start in Lynchburg but our girls battled back to make it a one possession game and briefly took the lead with under 5 minutes to play. With us fouling late in the game, the final score really didn't show how close the game actually was. I think our team realizes that Liberty is definitely not unbeatable and we are looking forward to a potential championship game rematch. We are not looking past the first 2 rounds of the tournament by any means, but I would personally be excited to see Liberty again with everything on the line.
Tomorrow afternoon, we leave Radford heading to Asheville, NC for the final test of the season. This is our final exam and I think our girls are ready. We have the opportunity to face UNC-Asheville in the first round in a rematch of last year's conference championship game and our preparation this week has been going very well. I promise to write more from our hotel before the game!
JRA

Finish the regular season strong!

2008-02-29T12:36:00.002-05:00

Tuesday night in Asheville was a first for the current group of Lady Highlanders. The 70-58 victory marked the first time we have beaten UNCA on their home floor in 5 seasons. It was great to see our team come together and come away with a hard fought win on the same floor where we will compete for the Big South Championship in just over two weeks. The win in Asheville was also a milestone in Radford Women's Basketball history giving us only the 2nd 20 win regular season in history and the first back to back 20 win seasons ever at RU. I am so proud of our girls for keeping their composure throughout what was a very intense game and playing just the way we practiced last week...very focused on our mission. While the Asheville win was a great one, we have to immediately focus on our next very important game. Tomorrow is our last home game and a game where our seniors need to deliver big. We go into the game against Winthrop tied with them for 2nd place in the conference at 7-3 and they are coming off of a historical win for their program (they beat Liberty on Wed) and playing very well. The winner of tomorrow's game locks up at least the #2 seed in the tournament and if a few crazy things happen...we could potentially be playing for the #1 seed next Friday. Anyway, I hope the entire city of Radford comes out to support our 3 seniors in their last game in the Dedmon Center. This senior class has redefined what it means to play Radford Basketball and we are so proud of them. All 3 of them will be graduating in May and I'm sure they will be just as successful in the future as they have been representing RU on the court. Big game tomorrow...see you there!
JRA

Corrie's thoughts on Senior Day:
It’s that time of year again and I can’t believe it. We only have two games left before we start conference tournament play and I’m super excited yet it is distressing for me. I say this because our next game is senior night and it will be my last time ever playing on my home floor. It seems like yesterday when I was just a freshman and we were celebrating the seniors. I didn’t realize how fast my four years would fly by! I always tell the underclassmen to cherish the time you have left because before you know it, you’re a senior and then its over! Now, this Saturday will be me and my two fellow senior’s time. Its senior night and I hope we get a big win so it sends us into the tournament in a second place finish! It’s going to be very emotional for me though, I love my school and my team and I just hope everyone comes out to cheer us on to victory!
#20

keep practicing like that!

2008-02-22T11:21:00.002-05:00

Coach Porter kicked our team's butt yesterday in practice. And they deserved it. Don't get me wrong...we had a great practice. It's just that we've decided not to let our team TALK about what it takes to win and not practice like they want to win a conference championship. Coach asked the team a queston in the locker room before the Charleston Southern game last Saturday that has become our focus for the rest of the season. She asked them to give her the 3 things that when we do those things well, we win. The team responded with: Defend, Rebound, and Take Care of the Ball. We did those three things as well as we have all season on Saturday vs CSU and again on Monday vs Coastal and we came away with two very decisive victories. Coach said this to the girls in our huddle just before game time: If you had the answers to a test before you walked in the door and you still failed the test, how smart does that make you? She said, you guys just gave me the answers...our keys to winning. Go pass the test! I thought that made so much sense. Our team told us what they have to do to win and they went out and got the job done. That brings me back to practice yesterday. Coach won't let them have the answers and not focus on those things everyday in practice. Every time either team missed a blockout or turned the ball over yesterday in practice, Shavon kept up with it and they ran a sprint for each one when practice was over (which for one team was 8 sprints!). They were intense and worked really hard yesterday and I'm thinking today they bring their focus to the court. Next test is Tuesday at UNC Asheville and I hope we ace it!
JRA

Milestones for our seniors

2008-02-12T10:38:00.000-05:00

I have failed to mention that over the last 2 months, 2 of our seniors have reached some very impressive career milestones. On December 22nd, Corrie Fertitta scored her 1000th career point when she hit the game winning three point shot at American University. A few games later in January, Kelli Darden reached the 1000th point mark on the road at Longwood University. Kelli followed up that achievement by breaking the Big South Career Blocks Record (257) at RU's homecoming game against UNC-Asheville on February 2nd. We are so proud of our seniors and the great tradition that they have helped rebuild in RU Women's Basketball. When Corrie and Kelli made the decision to become Lady Highlanders, the success we are experiencing right now was just a vision that Coach Porter had for our program. Through alot of hard work and the help of 2 great seniors, RU is finally back on the map as one of the top teams in the Big South. Congratulations to Kelli and Corrie (Thunder and Lightning)!

Our next game is the most important game on our schedule.

2008-02-11T14:42:00.000-05:00

1-1 since my last post. We finished up the first half of conference play 4-2 and 17-8 overall and we are having a great season. We dropped a tough one to Liberty at home on Wednesday night but we bounced back to pick up a very valuable conference win on the road against Winthrop on Saturday. Every conference win is a big one, but conference wins on the road are extremely important. The 8 point victory on Saturday put us in sole possession of 2nd place in the Big South with 6 games to go before the tournament. The 17 wins we have right now puts us just one short of the 18 total wins we had last season when we headed to Asheville for the Big South Tournament. We have a chance to win our next 6 and finish the regular season with 23 wins...something that hasn't been done in Radford since the days of conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances in the mid 1990's. We are proud of what we're doing this season but we won't be completely satisfied until we bring home a conference championship. One of our players said in a team meeting last week that "we don't lose again". That is the mindset our team is taking for the rest of the season. Coach Porter has talked about our next game being the most important one on our schedule because that's the only one we can control and the only one we're focused on. Right now, that next important game on our schedule is at High Point University tomorrow night. We don't have to lose again this season. Wish us luck!

Big game tonight!

2008-02-06T17:41:00.001-05:00

In an hour and twenty minutes, the Lady Highs tip off against conference in-state rival Liberty University. So far this season, Liberty has been playing very well and only has losses to North Carolina and Virginia Tech, both ACC teams. The Liberty game, for me at least, always seems to have a little more meaning than any other conference game. Every Big South game is very important and counts in the standings just the same, but I always want to win this one more than most. Before senior night last season, we had not beaten LU at home or in Lynchburg since our coaching staff began at Radford. We usually played well for parts of games but never seemed to put a complete game together. Last March in Sarah Stephens, Meagan Hilligas, Tameisha Carter, and Shavon Earp's last home game as a Highlander, we finally found the magic formula and slayed the giant. We won that game by 24 points! And if we left any doubt in anyone's mind, we beat them again less than a week later in the semi-final game of the Big South Tournament. Kelli Darden hit the game winning shot with 0.2 seconds on the game clock to seal a 2 point victory and a trip to the conference championship game. Those wins were sweet and very meaningful but nothing we did last season will help us win one tonight. Liberty comes into the Dedmon Center tonight 4-0 in the league and we are 3-1. Coach Porter has put together a great game plan and we plan no suprises. Our girls will step on the floor and play the way we've played for our last 24 games...pressure defense, transition, and executing our half court sets to get the ball where we want it. This is Lady Highlander basketball and we're ready to show Liberty the 2008 version of it! Time to head down to the court.
JRA

Corrie Fertitta - all conference post player and intern

2008-01-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

Corrie Fertitta gets it done on the court as well as in the office. She started an internship in our office last week and is doing a great job so far. What else would you expect? Hopefully since she will be around the office more often now, I can convince her to write about her last trip through the Big South Conference and our run for a conference title!

Hello Friends! We have just started conference play and its going pretty well so far. We are 2-1 in conference right now and just beat High Point on Saturday. It was a good win. Kelli had an awesome game with 20 points and 15 rebounds, and I can’t wait to get back on the floor on Saturday and play UNC Asheville. We have all week to prepare which is good so we can really focus on what we need to do to get another “W.”
Today I’m starting my second week in the coaches’ office doing my internship with them. I wanted to do my internship with Coach Porter because I wanted to see what goes on behind the scenes as a coach. You always see how practices and games go, but never what has to happen on the business side of things. This will be a good experience for me because I want to be a coach in the future and it will help show me how to deal with things and if it really is something I would like. As for my job, I just do whatever any of the coaches need or want me to do. Last week I made some flyers for our game on Saturday and went around campus posting them up trying to get more support from our student body. I think my flyers worked, because we had a lot more people at the game then normal on Saturday! Yes! So far, it’s really fun in the office and I truly enjoying getting to spend time with all the coaches!

Corrie #20

LONG road trip

2008-01-20T22:54:00.001-05:00

Yes, we are STILL on the road. We are in our 3rd hotel and 3rd city in the last 5 days and we've still got one more day and one more very important conference game to play before we head back to Radford. Our trip started last Wednesday and is finally ending up tomorrow night with our game vs Charleston Southern. Yesterday, we got a big win over Coastal Carolina and got our conference season started off the right way. Our starters were great (as always!) and our bench came up really big for us. KP, Kymesha, and Denay had great games! Again, our defense was a major factor in the win and I hope that win is the first of many in Big South Conference play. Road trips aren't really all that bad when I think about it. Right now, I am sooooo full because we ate dinner at Kobe Japanese Steakhouse. The food was amazing and I think we all left with to-go boxes. It's awesome to get to eat at a great place like that and get the chance to laugh and joke with our team for the whole night. I think our group had more fun than anybody else in the whole restaurant (especially when the guy with the drums came out). I won't name any names but a few of our players were dancing on their chairs during Coach Porter's birthday song! I caught some of it on my camera and I promise to upload the video as soon as we get home. Our players aren't shy at all! Well, I'm off to bed now in my king size bed (another perk of being on the road!) since we have to wake up early for shoot around in the morning. We're back at home next Saturday vs High Point and we'd love to get a home crowd advantage. These crowds on the road can be so brutal! Wish us luck tomorrow night...Go Lady Highs!
JRA
Kelli scored her 1000th career point Thursday night vs. Longwood and became our 2nd senior to reach that mark this season. She is also currently the leading shot blocker in the Big South and ranked in the top 15 nationally for blocked shots. Congratulations to Kelli D!

Back on the winning track

2008-01-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! It's good to be a part of RU Women's Basketball these days! Our team got it's 13th win of the season on Tuesday night and stretched our record to 13-5 and our winning streak to 3 games in a row. Tuesday night, we played at Presbyterian College and came out of Clinton, SC with a hard fought win. PC will be joining our conference next season along with Gardner Webb University and we found out first hand that their gym is a tough place to win (if you know what I mean). We trailed by 5 at half time after not shooting a great % from the field and not really playing our brand of defense for the first 20 minutes. Kelli and Taleia both got in early foul trouble and didn't see much action in the first half either. The second half was a different story! Whatever magic words Coach Porter said in the locker room at half time, she needs to say that every game because we came out and played our style, shot better, and came away with a great road win. Our girl's are fun to watch when they decide to turn it up a notch on defense and really pressure the other team full court. I was proud of them for keeping their composure and playing from behind in a tough environment. That showed us that our team is growing up and we can battle back and get wins on the road.
I hope the road wins just keep on coming for the next week and a half! We hit the road again next Wednesday to play Longwood University on Thursday then leave from there going to Myrtle Beach to play Coastal Carolina. Then, we leave Coastal going straight to Charleston Southern. It's going to be a LONG road trip. Hopefully, our maturity and leadership will help keep our team focused throughout the weekend and we can open up Big South Conference play with 2 huge wins! You can follow us with live video, audio, and stats through our website at www.ruhighlanders.com.
JRA
p.s. Taleia Moton was named Big South Rookie of the Week last week. That is her 3rd Rookie of the Week honor this season. Congrats to T!

Hoping to start a new streak!

2008-01-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

Since I last wrote, we suffered a tough loss at home to Towson University and snapped our 5 game winning streak. Last Wednesday was a game that I really hope taught us a lesson. Coach Porter has been preaching to our team that we will not win a conference championship unless we focus on being the best rebounding team in our conference. We had been finding ways to win games even though we were being outrebounded and against Towson, it finally caught up with us. Towson kicked our butts on the boards and despite a late rally on our part, they left the Dedmon Center with an 8 point victory. Like I said, I think we learned our lesson. The next night, we outrebounded USC Upstate and won by 42 points. On Saturday afternoon, we outrebounded Virginia Intermont and won by 49 points. Good things happen when we focus on defense and rebounding.
Right now, we're in Clinton, SC getting ready to play Presbyterian College tomorrow night at 6:00. We are pretty familiar with their team since it's only been about a week and a half since we played them at home in our Christmas tournament. We won that game by 21 points, but we fully understand that we have to come in ready to play hard tomorrow on their floor to get a win down here. Another team in our conference beat PC by almost 40 points at home and came here last week and only squeeked by with a 4 point win. I think they will be a much tougher team at home and they will definitely get hyped up to play us again. We are trying to adjust to being back on the road again after getting to spend so much time at home during our 5 game homestand. Tomorrow night is the first of 4 straight road games that will stretch over the next 2 weeks. Only 2 more games to continue to improve before Big South plays begins...and that's when it all starts to really matter! We've won 2 in a row right now and hopefully tomorrow we can get a 3rd and start a whole new winning streak...wish us luck!
JRA

5 in a row!

2007-12-30T21:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays to all of you Lady Highlander fans! It's been a great holiday season for our team and we hope to continue our winning streak into 2008. We've won our last 5 games and just won our RU Christmas Classic Tournament championship game last night. Kelli and Vandy were named to the all tournament team and Corrie was named tournament MVP. We won both games in the tournament by 21 points and our defensive pressure and intensity have become our trademark. If you haven't had the chance to watch our team in person, you are missing some exciting basketball. Since I last wrote, we beat East Tennessee State University at home by 6 then went on the road to American University just before Christmas to win by 8. Corrie Fertitta hit a huge 3 pointer to help us take the lead for good late in the game to score her 1000th career point as a Highlander. That win pushed our record to 8-4 and was a terrific way to go into our 3 days off for Christmas. On our trip to D.C., Rook's family opened up their house to our team and staff and prepared a great dinner for us. We want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Harmon for taking time to prepare a meal for us and letting our team take over their house for a few hours. I also want to say thanks to my little brother for catching a flight to D.C. and driving all night with me so we could get home to Georgia on the morning of the 23rd. Every hour at home counts when we get such a short break and he helped me out alot!
We all returned to Radford the day after Christmas and set our sights on a 5 game homestand. As of today, we have won 20 of our last 22 home games and we look forward to 3 more before we have to hit the road again. Friday night, we opened up our Christmas Classic with a 70-49 win over future Big South member Presbyterian College. Last night, our team gave me an awesome birthday present by knocking out UNC-Wilmington early and going on to a 21 point victory to stretch our winning streak to 5 games. Our starters have consistently played well and last night we had a few kids come off of our bench and play very well. Kendra Porter (KP) and Kymesha Alston both had career nights and I was so proud of them. Our team's goal is to continue to get better each and every game and we hope to be playing our best basketball late in the season. Again, our girls are playing some great basketball (especially at home!) and we hope that you all will get out to the Dedmon Center during the next week to check us out! Next game in Tuesday at 7:00 vs. Towson University. See you there!
JRA

52-44 win over Wake Forest!

2007-12-17T19:27:00.001-05:00

Our girl's got a great win for our team and a great win for Radford University last night at Wake Forest. We went into the game last night coming off an absolutely great week of practice and once we got into the game, we played the same way we'd been practicing. Coach Porter talked in the locker room about playing tough and competing on each and every possession and I think our girls stepped up and met her challenge of playing physical and not getting "roughed". We led for the entire game and we were extremely proud of how our team answered the runs that Wake made in the 2nd half. They cut our lead to 2 at one point and while they were busy celebrating, Johnette answered with a 3, Taleia got a steal, and Vandy drained her first 3 of the season to push our lead back to 8. Our defense looked amazing last night and I think we sent a message to the ACC that we didn't come down there to back down from a challenge. J Dub led us in scoring with 16 but the number that I was most impressed with was that she only had 1 turnover in the 2nd half. Taleia had her first double-double of her college career and I now owe her a dinner at my house because of her effort on the boards. Kelli D just keeps adding to her total in double-double games and I think she is slowly starting to play like she wants to be the best post player in the conference. Lastly, something that doesn't neccessarily show up on the stat sheet, Vandy played incredible defense of Wake's leading scorer and hit a few really big shots. I was really happy for her to play so well! Our new athletic director, Mr. Lineburg, and former RU coach, Charlene Curtis, were at the game and came into the locker room afterwards to congratulate our team. It was a great feeling to have those two just as excited as we were about getting such a big win. Wake Forest was ranked 28th in the country in the AP poll going into our game and was coming off a win over #11 Texas A&M. I was so proud of our team and I hope this win propels us into 2 more before Christmas.
Last week was finals week and the closer we got to Friday, the better mood our team was in. Even practicing at 8am on Thursday, they were very talkative and laughing and joking. It's amazing how finishing another tough semester and getting the weight of classes off their shoulders can help their moods so drastically. Saturday night, we celebrated the semester being over by having dinner as a team at a Japanese steakhouse. Their were a few girls who'd never been to a restaurant like that and I think all of them had a really good time. The noise level at Arigato most definitely rose when our team came through the door! After the way we played yesterday, maybe we'll eat nice dinners like that more often! Next game is Thursday at home vs East Tennessee State. We'd love to see you in the Dedmon on Thursday!
JRA
pictures from dinner are coming as soon as KP emails them to me!

Did anybody else do this on Thanksgiving?

2007-12-04T16:51:00.000-05:00

Did anybody else dance like this at their Thanksgiving dinner? Coach P can dance! (with a little help from Kelli, Serena, and Charron.

Me dominating on Nintendo Wii boxing!

Charron vs. Shavon in Wii tennis with Brian (our sports info guy) calling the play by play...If I remember correctly, Charron won.

Shavon, Julie (Coach P's wife), and Charron checking out the sale ads!

Big win last night!

2007-12-04T14:22:00.000-05:00

Things have been going well over the last few days for the Lady Highlanders! Last Friday, we got a 63-51 win over Navy to continue our winning tradition at home. Our players are beginning to become very proud of the fact that we've only lost 2 home games out of our last 18. Kelli and Corrie both had double-doubles and Taleia chipped in 14 points and 4 steals in a very balanced effort from our team. Kelli also had a career high 16 rebounds! I think the goals that Coach P has been giving her are paying off. Coach P fouls them so hard in practice that they are finally getting used to finishing shots through some contact in games. We hit the road AGAIN on Sunday headed down to Boone, NC to play Appalachian State. I felt like we had a really good practice on Sunday night and that usually translates into a good outcome for us. It was freezing in Boone! When it's that cold outside, I want to see snow! Anyway, we won by 20 last night (65-45) and put 4 people in double figures in scoring. Corrie and Johnette had double-doubles and Taleia had 8 steals. We dominated on the boards and I seriously hope that trend continues for the rest of the season. Games like last night always make the bus trip home alot more enjoyable for everyone. Vandy has been wanting to eat at Bojangle's since sometime last season and she finally got her wish after the game. Our players are so funny when it comes to their food demands!...I would've asked for Outback! I promised her that if we won, I'd tell the bus driver to take her to Bojangle's. On a side note, Kelli and Serena ordered the "tailgate special." If you think that sounds like too much food for 2 people, you're probably right!
We're off from practice today and a few of the girls have stopped by the gym to do a little extra shooting, but most of them are hopefully preparing for their exams that will take place next week. We are in the office starting to prepare for our next big game...VCU this Saturday. They beat us by 3 at home last year and they have a very talented team. This is a big game for us! Wish us luck!
JRA

p.s. Denay chest bumped Coach Porter so hard in the locker room after the game that Coach fell down...and rumor is that Rachel has a picture of it. Coach threatened to fire me if that picture ends up on the blog so chances are no one will ever see it!

our style

2007-11-27T21:35:00.000-05:00

I just had to pry myself away from my new Nintendo Wii. I've been playing against my roommates for the last 3 hours and I am so competitive. I hate to lose at anything...and so do our players. It's so much more fun when we win. Everybody is happy. The bus ride home is awesome...and film session the next day is much more enjoyable. Coach Porter says all of the time when we're watching film that when we win, it doesn't mean we did everything right and when we lose, it doesn't mean we did everything wrong. Last week, we beat Winston-Salem State at their place on Tuesday and we beat a very good Colonial Conference team in William and Mary at home on Friday. (we've made it our goal not to lose at home this season.) Then, we went back on the road over the weekend and lost to Hampton University. If I can be honest, that loss really sucked. However, I think all of us learned something from that game. From our players all the way up to Coach Porter, we all learned that from this point forward, we will play OUR STYLE no matter who we play. We will press teams from the start, play pressure defense in the half court, and run past teams in transition. If you haven't seen us play yet...get ready. We aren't trying to suprise anybody...this is our style and we're ready to impose it on every team left on our schedule.
JRA
p.s. I'll post pictures from Thanksgiving tomorrow!

pictures from TCU

2007-11-13T10:19:00.001-05:00

first game

2007-11-12T18:59:00.000-05:00

Last week was a crazy week for us. We've spent the last 3 months preparing for the season to start and the closer it got, the more stuff I felt like I still needed to do. For those of you who know me, I can tend to get a little stressed out over our travel plans. I have this nightmare that we go on a road trip and something is so wrong with the hotel that our team doesn't sleep well and we lose the game...or that our bus doesn't show up to take us to the airport...or that our pregame meal reservation gets lost and we don't have time to eat before the game. Anyway, the WNIT travel plans have been a huge chore and last week when I was trying to check and recheck everything, our new office furniture showed up. Now don't get me wrong, I am so excited about our new stuff. My office today looks absolutely awesome. It just sucked last week to spend 2 days not getting any work done while they moved furniture and got everything set up.
We left Thursday morning at 5am headed to the airport going to TCU. Our flight leaving Roanoke got delayed because for some reason, they had to add oil to the plane...kinda scary! We were supposed to have a 2 1/2 hour layover in Chicago and most of planned to use that time to eat breakfast. Well, when we finally landed in Chicago, it was 9:30 and our flight to Fort Worth was scheduled to take off at 9:45! Our entire travel party of 23 people ran through the airport and just barely with some begging made it onto the plane. The girls were even talking about the people who were cheering for us as we all sprinted past them trying to make it.
Once we got to Texas, the weather was awesome and the trip turned out pretty good...except fot the outcome of the game. We got outrebounded pretty bad and we need to do a better job taking care of the ball, but there were definitely some positives that we can take away from that game. We've had alot of people congratulate us today for only losing by 11 points...and I hate that. Yes, TCU is a great team. They were ranked 43rd in the nation when we played them. People outside of our team think it's great that we didn't get blown out. BUT, our players and coaches know that we could have won that game. We could've done a few more things a little bit better and come out of Texas with a huge win. We don't want to just be good enough to hang with teams like TCU...we want to be good enough to beat teams like TCU. And we're close...we will get there.
JRA

**Thank you so much to the few loyal fans who made the trip all the way to Texas to watch us play...and thanks to my little brother for giving the officials such a hard time and almost getting kicked out of the game! We really appreciate all of your support.

Kymesha Alston #23 - Sophomore post player...and the life of the party!

2007-10-24T17:15:00.000-04:00

A few words from Kymesha:

I love it here at my new school. Last semester I was just getting the hang of things but now I finally feel like i'm in "the loop". I feel like practices are going well for the most part. So far my favorite thing about practices are the drills that we do when we get to go up and down the floor in game like situations. There really is nothing that I dislike about practices except maybe the running, but that's nothing out of control. I love the energy that all the coaches bring to our practices everyday because we, the players, tend to feed off of it which in the end leads to a good practice. If I could coach practice for one day I would do less breakdown defensive drills, but incorporate them in more real game situations...because it easier to do it right in a drill than in a game. I would make a rule that every missed layup the team will run a down and back and the person who missed would do 10 pushups. If its a missed layup in a drill then it would be a line a layup, like down and back would be 2 instead of 1.

Because I have late classes and my only early class is online now, a typical day for me would be wake up at 10ish, breakfast, class, one life to live, training room, practice/dinner or dinner/practice, then "me" time. Me time could be me getting some work done or just simply relaxing and/or hanging out. This is just some input on how my semester is going so far.

Thanks to Kymesha for taking the time to send this to me so you guys can get to know her a little better. Since Kymesha transferred to RU last winter, she has to sit out this semester. Her first official game as a Lady Highlander will be on December 16th at Wake Forest University. We are all looking forward to the day when she can finally put on an RU uniform!

JRA

are we there yet?

2007-10-24T13:48:00.000-04:00

Hello again RU fans! Not much going on worth writing about in the last few days in our world except that we've been having some great practices. I've been really impressed with our team's ability to bring 100% to the floor just about every day. Now, don't get me wrong. We have had a day or two that I've left the gym wondering what the heck they were doing and where they left their brains that day, but it's seriously only been maybe once or twice since practice began. It's 2 weeks and 2 days until we open up against TCU and the closer it gets, the slower the time is passing. It's almost like a long road trip in the car and I'm that little kid in the back seat asking "are we there yet?" I sat down at my computer earlier today and started on our trip itinerary for that trip and got even more excited than I already was. It just seems like when I start checking over our flight info and hotel stuff and practice times in Texas that the game is getting really close! We passed out all of the travel gear and bags to the team last week so they are ready to hit the road looking good. It feels like an early Christmas present to the girls and my office looks like an Adidas warehouse on days like that! We play a scrimmage game next Saturday at home and hopefully all of the first game jitters and nervous energy will all come out so we are ready to just relax and play on November 9th. Ok, time for me to get back to work. Keep checking back for a few updates from our players. They are supposed to be emailing me some things to post.
JRA

a note from one of our captains

2007-10-17T11:20:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I have written on the blog. I am really looking forward to the upcoming season. I have kind of stepped into a new role this year as captain. This will be a new experience for me at the college level but I am very excited about the opportunity. This week has been the first week of practice and it has been going pretty well. We have five awesome freshmen who have been catching onto things fast and our upperclassmen have been very intense during practice and I think that is contagious because our freshmen have been doing very well. We were picked to win the whole thing this year so we have been practicing very hard to make sure that happens. This year everyone will know who we are and know they have to bring there “A” game to be able to play with us. At the same time, we know everyone will be coming at as strong and we are working that much harder now. We are going to do great things this year. I feel it!!!
Vandy

Lady Highs picked preseason #1

2007-10-15T10:56:00.000-04:00

Last week was a very busy week for me and that is the only reason it has taken me this long to talk about the honor that was given to our team last Tuesday. The Big South coaches and sports information directors vote each Fall to decide the preseason rankings and the preseason all-conference team. You guys will be excited to find out that our team has been picked preseason #1 and Kelli and Corrie were both picked to be a part of the 5 member preseason all-conference team! This is the first time since the 96-97 season that RU has been put at the top of that poll. For any of you who can remember, that pick followed the season when the Lady Highs won the Big South and reached the NCAA tournament for a 3rd straight time. Coach Porter told the team last week before one of our workouts and talked about what an honor it is to have the other coaches in the league think that highly of us and show us that respect. Being picked preseason #1 is something that we are very proud of. It shows the team that everyone else finally realizes what we've known all along...we have an extremely talented team this season filled with veterans and some exciting newcomers and we feel like this is our year to do something special. Coach Porter followed that news with a statement that got our team thinking and ready to work even harder. She reminded the team that last season we got picked preseason #5 and reminded them that we spent all of last season trying to prove that preseason polls don't really mean anything. Yes, it is an honor, but we haven't won anything yet! It's time to go to work.
JRA

preseason is finally over!

2007-10-07T20:10:00.000-04:00

Friday morning was a great day for our seniors. It was officially their last day ever of preseason workouts and the last sprint they will ever have to run (in preseason at least). It was 7 oclock in the morning and we were all really sleepy but it was a great moment to watch when the seniors crossed the line and let out a yell. It made me think alot about how far they have come since preseason workouts their freshman year and how far they have brought this team. The coaches all told them throughout the recruiting process 5 years ago how they could come to Radford and help us build a championship team. We made a commitment to them and asked them to commit to our team and help us get where we finally are this season. We start official practice in 5 days and we are so excited about the way our team looks right now and the special season that we can potentially have this year. Kelli, Corrie, and Serena have put so much effort, sweat, and tears into our program and I hope this season has a storybook ending for them. I love them and they deserve it.

JRA

first victory of the season

2007-10-02T12:34:00.001-04:00

Yes, it's a small victory and no, it doesn't go on our official record...but yesterday our entire team made their mile times. They did it together and that's what makes it such a big accomplishment. Everybody brought their A game on the same day. They all had individual goal times and everybody stepped up to the challenge. If you guys know Kelli D and know that she's 6'3", you know how impressive it is that she ran a 6:48 mile! Also, Kaylyn Crosier consistently ran between 5:30 and 5:40 mile times and was the fastest person on the team (as a freshman!). Our team is going to be so fast this season and our kids know that they are going to be the most well conditioned team on the court every game. I am so proud of them. One week of preseason workouts to go and next Friday we finally get to step on the court for official practice. We all can't wait!
JRA

Congratulations Coach Edwards!

2007-10-01T14:17:00.000-04:00

We got up so darn early because we had a 8:30am game against Mexico. This was for 7th and 8th position and winning the game would be a moral victory for either team. No breakfast was available and the bus driver was 20 minutes late which was quite annoying to me. Not only did I not sleep because of the pain in my knee, I had to be warmed up and ready to compete at 6:30am. This is just crazy for me, being that it takes me a while to warm up my body. I am not young anymore. The locker room was freezing and I was a bit grumpy from not sleeping for four days in a row. I knew I have to compete so I shifted my focus to the game. There is not much to say about the game except that we lost even though we were leading for most of the game. We just went away from the game plan. My teammates played hard and I know they wanted to win the game. I came back to the hotel angry because the loss really affected me. I ate and took a nap they went to see the USA and Cuba championship game. The US was impressive in their win and showed off their young talents and veteran leadership. I cheered for them and in return they cheered for me when I got my award for most points in the tournament. I hugged Ann and congratulated her for the gold and she did the same for me and my award. It was a good to take that final picture with coach Donavan with the trophy and me in my Radford top. It seems like a great end to a lovely career as a player and a new start to an exciting one as a coach. My body is just not the same anymore but it sure went out with a bang. Thanks to Dianna Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tina Thompson, Seimone Agustus, Rebekkah Brunson, and Candice Parker for all the stuff they donated to my no-profit foundation. I am so looking forward to seeing my Radford staff and players for our new journey together.
Coach Edwards

Coach Edwards - Saturday, September 29th

2007-10-01T14:12:00.001-04:00

Our loss to Cuba was a hard loss. We only lost by 14 points (76-62) and that shocked EVERYONE. We forced them to keep their starters in longer than they wanted. I had 18 points and eight rebounds for the game. Today, we go up against Chile. They have the home crowd in their pocket. The gym is always packed when the home team plays and they play off the energy of their fans.
I am still struggling with trying to sleep on the bed here in my two star hotel. I was actually awake at 7:30 this morning just to get out of the bed. Anyone that knows me knows that I don't voluntarily get out of bed at 7:30 any morning. My assistant coach suggested I put my mattress on the floor like he did. To add insult to this pain, each US player has a room to themselves with two queen beds in it.
It was nice to see my former teammate, Sue Bird, again. I hope to have more photos in my next blog. I brought my own computer but it is having a hard time connecting to the internet.
Coach Edwards

Jamaica vs. Canada

2007-09-27T11:21:00.000-04:00

Coach Edwards played her first game in the Fiba Americas Tournament yesterday and had this to say:
Our first game of the tournament was today at 1pm against Canada. Breakfast was at 8am and we were served a ham sandwhich with runny eggs. This was our only meal before the game so I opted for two slices of plain toast. After breakfast, I stopped by the coach's room and was told that we had four players that appeared to be ineligible due to naturalization dates, so we had to choose one to compete with us. We chose the point guard since she was the only point guard that traveled with us. It was a 20 minute bus ride to the arena in town. Right before the game, we found out that all four players were, in fact, elligible. In the first quarter, Canada was up 20-3, and all three of our points were mine on free throws. This showed our lack of chemistry and the fact that we traveled without three of our main guards this trip. In the end, Canada won despite my 25 points. USA vs Cuba was like a championship game. They are considered the two strongest teams in this competition and it was won by only six points. I got a chance to sit and watch the USA game with Donna Orender, a good friend and the president of the WNBA. I got to see my former teammates, Sue Bird and Izzie Castro (Brazil) and my former coach, Anne Donovan (Seattle Storm). Donna is an amazing woman. She was kind enough to offer to take me and my teammates out to dinner. This is not a common occurrence but it is like Donna to be so kind.
On a side note, I got to carry the Jamaican flag during the opening ceremony. After the ceremony, I hung out with all my friends on the US national team. It was nice to see all of them again. After this first day of competition, I am #1 scorer with 25 points, #6 with 7 rebounds and tied for #1 for blocked shots.
Tomorrow we face USA at 1:30. Wish us luck!
Coach Edwards

Rough Trip for Coach Edwards

2007-09-27T11:14:00.000-04:00

Coach Edwards sent me this email on Tuesday about her trip so far playing with the Jamaican National Team. I hope it gets better from here!

We started off around 5:30am at the airport in Kingston (which is the city where we were staying). It took us 25 minutes to get to the airport but, upon arrival, we noticed the rest of our group was running a bit behind. We were then way ahead of schedule so we sat patiently waiting for the other four members of our group to show up. When they arrived we went to the ticket counter to check in as a group. The woman behind the counter told us that our tickets were not paid for. It seems as if Chile, after initially booking the flight from Montego Bay (which is on the north coast and hours away) did not pay for the connecting flight from Kingston. At this point, I was losing it. I had gotten up at 4:45am and was looking forward to the trip. We finally got the ticket issue under control only to run into a four and a half hour layover in Montego Bay. The airport is under construction so the air conditioning was out and we were all sweating from transporting our bags from one side of the airport to the other for a connecting flight. After reaching Atlanta, I found out we had a five hour layover and my cell phone was packed in my luggage which was being sent straight to Chile. I was really not liking the fact that I had to beg a call, especially since all the other players were on their phones. The flight from Atlanta to Santiago, Chile was nine hours and thirty minutes. I had an exit row which made my life so much easier and the ride more pleasant. I slept for most of the flight only waking up to eat and stretch. When we got to Santiago, we had to wait four hours before our next flight and we all went to the assigned gate to sit and wait for our flight. After three hours, the man at the counter came and asked us where we were flying to and we told him. He walked away as if everything was fine so we just continued to sit there. After a while, we saw a line and people were boarding the flight which to us was boarding late only to find out it was not our flight because they changed the gate and we didn't hear the announcement. Our Spanish is not that great and the guy did not even advised us of the change even though he knew we were waiting to get to another city. We had to rush to our gate and the plane was pulling away from the gate. We begged and they brought the plane back and we were allowed to board. After being seated, we noticed the plane was not moving and there was some weird sound coming from it. After 40 minutes, they asked us to leave the plane because of mechanical problems. I think the Jamaican National team may have stopped a disaster. We ended up waiting another four hours for a new plane. It took me over a day to get to my final destination here in Valdivia. We got in and found out that the hotel we were in was not the same one we were sent the information on. We are in a two star hotel and the USA,Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico are in a nice four star. Only us and Cuba are in this crap hole and it is just not acceptable. They fed us two dry boiled potatoes and meat-loaf without sauce for dinner. I am about to lose weight here if they keep this up. I keep dreaming of the food the USA is enjoying at their hotel. It so happens that the US bought out 30 single rooms so the two caribbean teams were kicked to the bad hotel. The gym is freezing and I am so missing my Radford girls right now.
Coach Edwards

awwwww Coach Edwards we miss you too!

Go Jamaica!

2007-09-14T15:32:00.000-04:00

I am leaving in a few days to go to Jamaica for training camp to prepare for the Fiba Americas competition in Chile. This is the first time an English Caribbean team has ever competed in the Fiba Americas tournament. Jamaica's Women's Basketball team has made history and I am very proud to be a part of that.
I retired from the WNBA in 2006 after playing for the Seattle Storm for six years. Ann Donavan is the coach of the Seattle Storm and also the present coach of the USA women's basketball team. Sue Bird is my former teammate from the Seattle Storm and also the starting point gaurd for the USA national team. Iziana Castro is also a former teammate of mine and a member of the Seattle Storm and Brazilian national team. I am very excited about seeing my friends who are all competing for their countries. The only problem is that Jamaica is in the same bracket with the USA, Canada, and Cuba. How could they put little Jamaica with all the power houses? Don't forget the bobsled team. We are a small country but we are very passionate about competing. We compete for the pride of our country. "Out of many we are one."

Coach Edwards

*Coach Edwards will leave RU next Tuesday for the next 2 weeks but she has promised to email updates and pictures from her travels and her games. I will post her stats if I can find them online anywhere once the tournament begins. I hear she's pretty good! Keep checking our journal to follow the Coach Edwards and the Jamaican National Basketball Team!

JRA

Good Looking Team!

2007-09-12T11:34:00.000-04:00

Not only do we have a very talented group of student-athletes, I have to say that we have the best looking basketball team in the Big South! We had our team pictures on Monday afternoon and they all look like a different group of young ladies when they trade in the baggy shorts and tank tops for dress pants and skirts. It is one of the few times during the year when we get to see them this dressed up and all together in one place. We have a few that LOVE the camera and we also have a few that run from it. Kelli and Vandy tend to be the main ones trying to get in every picture and Serena usually makes some kind of crazy face or won't turn her head for the camera. This is a great group of girls and if we get on the court and play as good as we look, this season is going to be a very special for RU Women's Hoops. They also have the best looking coaching staff in America...the girls are just trying to keep up with us!

Top Left: The only 2007-08 Senior Class you need to know about! Top Right: Charron, Kaylyn, Ciara, Denay, Johnette, Kendra, and Vandy. Bottom Left: Coach Porter, Mike, and E.J. Bottom Right: Davida, Vandy, Kymesha, and Rachel.

a new perspective

2007-09-05T14:28:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

It has been a long time since I have written on the blog. Instead of me writing from a player's perspective, I am now writing from the perspective of a Graduate Assistant coach. I'm still here. I have one more year to finish my Master's degree. I have taken on a new role this year and I will say that I am enjoying it. Although the coaches have me running all over the place...lol (I'm just kidding) I am excited. Not just about my role, but I'm excited for basketball season. The team looks really good and I cannot wait to get into basketball season. It hasn't hit me hard yet that I will not be playing, but I am glad to be a part of the program. So, when you look over at the bench and you see a fly girl looking like she's doing something... that will be me. No longer in a uniform, but this year I'll be in dress clothes. Oh my goodness. Now I need to go shopping. Anyway, I just wanted to drop in and say hello to everyone and let you know that I am looking forward to seeing you all at the games. GO HIGHLANDERS!!!

Shavon Earp

Team Cookout

2007-09-04T10:53:00.000-04:00

Man, do I love good food! Especially when it is cooked on the grill and you get to sit down and enjoy it with your family. That was exactly what we did this past weekend, as our team gathered together at Coach Porter's house for our annual team cookout. At the beginning of every season, Coach Porter likes to have everyone over for some good food and bonding time. Everyone brings something to contribute whether it be plates, drinks, chips, or dessert. It was definitely a good time as we ate and watched a movie and then just hung out and talked.

We are also a couple of weeks into our pre-season workouts. I am a little tired myself today as we had a 6 a.m. track workout and then a 7 a.m. group workout. The girls have been working hard and are looking good as we approach the halfway point of pre-season. Of course, everyone is looking forward to October 12th when we can get on the floor and have our first official practice. Expectations around here are high for our team, as we look to improve on our 20 wins and championship game appearance from a year ago.

Be sure to keep up with us this season as we strive for that championship glory! Until next time...

Coach P

Pictures will be posted soon...as soon as Ninnie figures out how to email them to me!
JRA

preseason workouts have finally started

2007-08-28T11:01:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was day one of preseason workouts. This is the time that most people absolutely dread. Even if you have worked hard all summer, there is something about preseason that still makes your entire body sore. When we as coaches talk about it, we say alot of preseason is mental. Every year, we have a few players that individually have to make their mind up that they are actually going to make it one more step and that they won't die before the workout ends. I was proud of our team as a whole yesterday when they ran the timed mile. We had a few freshmen that were pleasant suprises and a few upperclassmen that cut more than a few seconds off their times from last spring. I was really happy with the majority of our team and I can tell that they have been working hard to get better on and off the court this summer. We continued our workouts this morning at 6:00am on the track and I have to say that we have a pretty fast team. We have a few that look like naturals out on the track and our track coach may be trying to steal a few of them next spring! Coach Edwards ran sprints with the post players this morning and I feel like I should mention that she made her times on every sprint. She definitely gives our post players somebody to look up to and try to keep up with.
We talk alot as a team about this being the time that we win conference championships. Teams don't just step on the floor and win a championship during March Madness. All of the preparation and hard work begins now long before we are allowed to start traditional practice in October. Our team is ready to put in the work now and I have no doubt that they will be ready when our chance comes again to play for a championship in Asheville, NC next March.

Tomorrow is our pool workout for this week. Check back for pictures of that...they should be pretty funny!
JRA

Introducing Coach Simone Edwards

2007-08-22T11:48:00.000-04:00

My name is Simone Edwards and I am excited to be apart of the Radford Women's Basketball program. I was born in Jamaica and I attended college in the USA. This is my first season with the Highlanders after playing many years of professional basketball in Europe and the WNBA. I won a championship with the Seattle Storm and then retired in 2006 from the WNBA. I am also co-captain of the Jamaica Women's Basketball Team which will be competing in Chile next month in the Fiba Americas Championship. I am looking forward to being a part Radford's Women's Basketball Team and it's great staff. We look forward to your support throughout the season.

Back To School

2007-08-21T15:42:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. School officially started yesterday here on the campus of Radford University for the 2007-2008 academic year and we are very excited! A few things have changed since I last wrote: Most importantly, we hired a new assistant coach to work with our post players. Her name is Simone Edwards and I will let her write tomorrow to introduce herself. Coach Edwards played professionally overseas and in the WNBA. We are very excited to add her to our staff and I know our post players will learn alot from her. Second, we added a 5th young lady to our 07-08 freshmen class. Taleia Moton is a 5'4" guard from Suitland High School in Fort Washington, MD. We were thrilled that Taleia wanted to join our family and we can't wait to see her on the court in a Radford uniform.
Now, back to my original thought. School started this week and it is great to finally have all of our players back on campus. Sometimes they may not believe it, but we really do miss them when they go home for the summer. Everybody came back healthy for the most part and they all seem to be very excited about what this season holds for Radford Women's Basketball. Tomorrow, we will have our first team meeting of the year, Thursday the players will get their physicals, and next Monday we will get started with preseason workouts. Oops, I said the "p" word. Preseason workouts are not anybody's favorite part of the year...not even mine! I know our girls think sometimes that I like this stuff but it's not really fun for any of us. We all can't wait until October when we can really practice or November when we start playing. Anyway, Monday is Day One of preseason and I really really really hope all of our girls make their mile times. Hopefully that will be a perfect way to start what we all think could be a very special season.

Go Lady Highs!

JRA

WNIT Invitation

2007-06-18T10:40:00.000-04:00

Good Morning Lady Highlander Fans,

Well, I say that like it's still morning. Can you tell that it's a Monday? 11 AM is still considered morning for me on the weekends! Anyway, I wanted to let you all know that we had some great news announced last week. Our team was invited to participate in the 2007 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament. You've most likely heard it called the WNIT. It is an honor for the Lady Highs to be asked to play in such a prestigous tournament and we are very excited to take on this challenge. Only 16 teams are asked to play in this tournament each year and for them to consider RU for the tournament field will let you know just how much respect our players are earning for Radford throughout the country. Our first game will be against Texas Christian University (TCU) on their home court in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU is a very strong team and has been invited to play in the NCAA tournament for the past 7 straight years. You can read the official press release at: http://www.ruhighlanders.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=1600.

On another note, the newest members of the RU Women's Hoops family will arrive on campus next week for Summer Session 2. Kendra, Kaylyn, Ciara, and Denay make up the 2007-08 freshman class and we are very excited to finally get them on campus. I hope they come down to our office after they get here so I can get them to write something to post about their first day of school! It's time for me to help Coach P with envelopes and labels now. I will write again soon!

JRA

Summer Update from RU

2007-06-12T11:58:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Radford,
Hello. Just wanted to check in and give you guys an update on what is going on around Radford and around our office this week. We are spending this week preparing for what will be a crazy 5 or 6 weeks ahead of us. Coach Pulliam is finalizing all of our travel plans for recruiting in July and he and I have been checking and rechecking our flight itineraries and printing out directions for all of the many cities we will stop in throughout the month. Most of you know that July is THE month for recruiting. I can't even begin to estimate the number of games and players that we as a staff will watch over the entire month. It is an exciting time if you love the game of basketball because we get to watch so much talent in so many different parts of the country. We just hope that all of this effort will result in signing some great recruiting classes over the next few seasons.
We are also getting ready for camp this week. Camp begins on Sunday, June 24th and runs through Thursday, June 28th. We are very excited to get camp started to see the young kids learn about the game that we love and to see the very talented high school players showcase their skills. We always say that if we can ever get a recruit to check out our campus and meet our players and staff that they will fall in love with Radford. I hope camp gives a few of them that opportunity to experience this great place that we call home and hopefully they will decide to make it their college home in the future.
Ok, I'm off to lunch now. Maybe Coach P wants to go to McDonald's today!
JRA

It's been a while

2007-05-24T11:59:00.000-04:00

I don't have an elaborate excuse for why I have not posted a journal entry since right before the conference tournament. Honestly, I am a sore loser and I haven't felt like writing anything about the championship game so I have just been avoiding the blog altogether. Alot has happened since we headed down to Asheville, NC to play in the Big South Tournament so I'll just try to hit the high points to catch you up. We beat Charleston Southern in the first round of the tournament and moved on to yet another matchup with Liberty in the second round. The game was tied up at 55 and we had the ball with 18 seconds to go. Kelli's shot left her hands with about 0.2 seconds left on the clock and banked in to send us to the conference championship game. That was an incredible game to be a part of. We were one win away from the big dance. The next day we played UNC-A on their home floor for the championship and left the court asking why UNCA shot 30 free throws and we only shot 8...but I promise not to make excuses. Losing in the championship was very disappointing for all of us but I think that loss may propel our team to do great things next season. Our team was so close and they won't get that close again without winning it all. After the season ended, Coach P and I went to the Final Four, I spent alot of time on the couch watching March Madness, and we all have made trips home to see our families. The president of our university invited our team and staff to a board meeting to introduce us and brag about the success we had this season and later this spring, we had our team awards banquet. I don't want to write a book here so maybe I will try to write more in the next few days. The picture is from the conference tournament banquet. Check out our highlight tape by clicking in the upper right corner. That took ALOT of work...I hope you like it.

Until Next Time,

JRA

Senior Day vs Liberty

2007-03-06T09:44:00.000-05:00

I love it when we win! Saturday could possibly be my favorite win of all time. Our 77-54 win over Liberty gave us an 18-10 overall record, a 10-4 conference record, and the #2 seed in this week's conference tournament. Saturday was Senior Day for Shavon Earp, Sarah Stephens, Meagan Hilligas, and Tameisha Carter. These ladies were playing their last game in the Dedmon Center and their last game in front of the home crowd. They all had family and friends in town to support them and they played sooooo well. That group started the game on fire and helped us push our lead to 30 points by halftime. We were all so proud of them and so happy that we could send them out with a big time win over Liberty.
Now, while that win was a great way to end our regular season, beating Liberty doesn't matter at all when we get down to Asheville for the tournament. Nothing we've done so far this year can help us get a first round tournament win. It is all up to our girls to get it done on Thursday at 6 oclock. Our record now is 0-0 and we've got to win 3 games in 3 days to win a conference championship. Charleston Southern is up first...then when we win, we'll play the winner of the Liberty / Birmingham Southern game on Friday. We leave tonight to go down to Asheville, we practice in the morning, and we have our conference tournament banquet tomorrow night where they will announce the all conference teams, all rookie team, and defensive player of the year. The girls will all get dressed up and will probably make fun of all the other teams for the entire dinner. I hope we don't get in trouble! For now, I have to go to the staff meeting. I hate staff meetings!
JRA

2007-03-02T18:29:00.000-05:00

When we lose, I don't like to write anything on here. I just can't think of anything positive to say, so I don't say anything at all. Wednesday night, we lost to UNC-Asheville on the road and I just haven't had the heart to write about the game. We played so hard and just happened to catch Asheville on one of their best nights. They shot unbelievably well from the floor and the 3 point line and their key players made some very clutch plays. Sometimes when you lose, it's not because you didn't play well, it's because the other team was just better than you on that given night.
We've moved on from that game and have spent the last two days preparing for our Senior Day game vs Liberty tomorrow. Sarah Stephens, Shavon Earp, Tameisha Carter, and Meagan Hilligas will play their last game in the Dedmon Center. Our team's goal is to send these ladies out on a good note. This game will decide what seed we get going into the conference tournament. When we win, we will get the #2 seed. It's not up to any other team to win or lose to help us out. We win and we decide our own fate. We win and we send our seniors out with 18 regular season wins and a 10-4 conference record. We just find a way to win to quiet all of the doubters who picked us 5th.

I'm back

2007-02-22T21:16:00.000-05:00

I'm back. Ok, so I'm very sorry that it's been almost 2 weeks since I last wrote anything. I haven't done laundry in that same two weeks either so you can imagine how busy and crazy things have been around here with games and recruiting as the season heads into the final week of the regular season. Since I last updated you guys on the season, we got a huge win over High Point that avenged a loss to them earlier in the season. The girls stepped on the floor that night and looked like they had something to prove. That was a fun game to watch and the outcome was a very fun one with us winning by 16. Last weekend, the beach came to us. We beat Charleston Southern on Saturday by 30 something but came up 6 points short to Coastal on Monday night. That loss dropped us out of the first place tie and took our conference record to 8-3 and our overall record to 16-9. When we talked as a team before practice on Wednesday, the thoughts of the girls were all centered on not letting that happen again. That loss may have been good for us (if any loss can be good)...it refocused our team and made us realize that we can be beaten if we don't play a complete game. Coastal wanted that game more than us on Monday night and they came onto our floor and got the job done. I think that game got our attention...and we will be ready to leave it all on the floor when we head down to Birmingham Southern this weekend. Yeah, that's right...we're going to Alabama in the morning...the best place in the world (just in case some of you didn't know). I look forward to seeing all of my family and friends and coming back with conference win number 9!
JRA
Coach and E.J. discussing the game plan...I absolutely love this picture of them!

Second time around the Big South

2007-02-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

What we did in the first half of conference play got us a 5-2 record but it means absolutely nothing to every team we will face in the second half. Teams that we beat will play us tougher the second time around and as for High Point and Liberty, we have some unsettled business with them. This was very true for us as we went in to Rock Hill, SC on Saturday to play Winthrop. After we beat them so badly at home, we had to expect that they would make some adjustments and that they would be a much tougher team at home. They did exactly that. We had to battle for 40 minutes on Saturday and we left SC with a 3 point win. Kelli D had a major part in the win scoring a career high 31 points. Again, if I had a vote for Big South Player of the week, she'd get it this week! Our post game has been pretty much unstoppable lately and our guards are hitting just enough shots to make the defense have a tough decision to make on how to defend our team. If we can just find a way to get back to defending the way we did for the large part of this season, we are going to be a tough team to beat in our 6 remaining regular season games. Tuesday night is a huge game. High Point comes to the Dedmon Center and we owe them one. A win will put us in a tie for first place in the conference. A win will also extend our home win streak to 10 in a row. This game is a big one. Tuesday night at 7 in the Dedmon Center...don't miss out!

JRA

Corrie and Kelli dominate UNCA

2007-02-08T14:20:00.000-05:00

If you didn't have the chance to watch the Lady Highlanders take on UNC Asheville last night, you missed a great game. The matchup between RU and UNCA is always a hard fought battle at home and on the road. Asheville is known to be a very hard working team who never gives up and our challenge to the team in practice as well as Coach Porter's thoughts before the game were "Don't get outworked." Coach talked in the locker room about goals for things that we could do to show that we would not get outworked like taking charges, getting on the floor, and getting tips on defense. When the first half ended, we had already met all of those goals. We worked hard on both ends of the floor and came out with a 72-67 victory to put us at 5-2 in the Big South and in 3rd place one game behind Liberty and High Point. Our two starting post players played excellent games last night and have become a nightmare matchup for all of our opponents. Kelli ended the game with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Corrie had 17 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. She gets my vote for player of the week in the conference (if I actually got a vote!). J Dub had 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists which is definitely worth mentioning. These ladies had a great game and made some big plays down the stretch for us. The plan is to pack all of that scoring and rebounding in our travel bags and head down to Rock Hill, SC tomorrow afternoon to grab another road win against Winthrop on Saturday afternoon. Wish us luck!

Alumni Weekend

2007-02-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

Our 1st annual Alumni Weekend and Alumni Game was a success! The Lady Highlanders also experienced some success on Saturday with another Big South win over Birmingham Southern. We are now 12-8 overall and 4-2 in the Big South with UNC-Asheville coming in to the Dedmon Center on Wednesday night. The UNC-A game marks the end of the first half of conference play and will be a big game in the conference race because the Bulldogs are also 4-2. The winner of Wednesday night's matchup will take sole possession of 3rd place in the conference with 7 games remaining before the conference tournament. Every game is very important right now!
This weekend, we had the opportunity to welcome several Lady Highlander alumni back to Radford. We held our first alumni game on Friday night after practice and had several former players come back to show off their skills and I must say, a few of them looked like they could've played with us on Saturday! Our current players participated in the game acting as coaches, water girls, ball girls, stat keepers, and scoreboard operators. Shavon and Corrie's red team won the game and we all had a great time watching and laughing. I hope next year's alumni game can grow and a few more of our recent alumni will have the chance to come back to play. Pictures will be posted soon! Thanks to all of our alumni who attended and for their continued support of Lady Highlander Basketball.

Question and Answer with Serena White

2007-02-02T10:03:00.000-05:00

1. What are your top 3 favorite things to do on the bus on road trips? I think my top favorite thing to do on road trips is to serenade everyone on the bus. I must say I think everyone enjoys my singing, coach even said that I should go on american idol. I also like eating for free on road trips and having short practices before games.
2. Which Big South Conference team do you most want to beat this season? Why? I'd have to say Liberty because for some reason, every time we play them we cant put two halves together. It's frustrating that we keep losing to them but I think it's more frustrating that we let ourselves down by not playing to our full potential.
3. Who is your favorite teammate to share a room with on the road? Why? I would have to say Kelli, as long as she doesnt eat salsa from chili's :) Kelli and I get along pretty well and we have to same sense of humor so I feel like I'm laughing the entire road trip when she is my roommate.
4. What is your game day routine when we play at home? I go to shootaround then pregame, and I try to get in a nap after that. I like to get to the gym 2 to 2 1/2 hours before the game to get treatment and get some extra shooting in. I listen to my ipod while I'm shooting just to get my self to relax and get ready for the game.
5. What should opposing teams prepare the most for when we are the next team on their schedule? Teams should prepare for an all around team....we have people that can penetrate, shoot, post up, etc. We have a very well rounded team when it comes to offense and often times I think that's hard for other teams to stop. Defensively, they should prepare for pressure defense for 40 minutes, as well as us overplaying the passing lanes. They should probably work on blocking out because we crash the boards hard (most nights). Really the only thing that need to be prepared for is to lose.
6. What is one goal that you individually or our team has not yet accomplished this season? Individually, I haven't accomplished my goal of being consistent. Team goal wise, we haven't won our conference championship yet and I think everyone is thinking that this is our year.

They have to come back to Radford

2007-01-31T09:56:00.000-05:00

I've only got a few quick things to say today. I've been meaning to write something since Saturday night, but for those of you who know me, you know I have needed some time to collect my thoughts and cool down since we lost. I do not in any way want to make excuses for the way we played on Saturday night at Liberty. We didn't play our game. We have been winning games with our defense and rebounding and both of those areas fell apart in the Vines Center. Before Saturday, we were 10-1 when we outrebounded our opponents and we had played 10 straight games where we held our opponents under 60 points. Both of those streaks ended at Liberty along with our 7 game winning streak.
But that's enough about the past. Liberty still has to come back to Radford...and we feel sure the outcome will differ next time. If that game did anything, it taught us a few lessons and we plan to learn from the mistakes we made and strive to be a better basketball team tonight. We have another tough road test tonight at High Point University in North Carolina. Right now, High Point is 3-1 in the Big South like we are and they are a team full of very talented veteran guards. We have our work cut out for us tonight but the girls are focused and ready. We plan to get back on the bus tonight sitting at 4-1 and tied for first in the league knowing that 6 out of our last 9 games are played right here at home in the Dedmon Center. I hope my next journal entry comes first thing tomorrow morning...to talk about a big win!
JRA

Shavon's thoughts on the season so far:

2007-01-24T15:55:00.000-05:00

I’m really excited to have the opportunity to inform you all on how well we are doing so far in conference play. We have just come off of a great win against Winthrop and we are getting prepared for Liberty this Saturday and High Point next Wednesday. As you all may know, we are the only undefeated team left in the conference and we want to keep it this way, so we are continuing to work extremely hard in practice with drills, weights, and film sessions. There is no time to let down.

A lot of people are anticipating the match up between us and Liberty this Saturday to see how good we really are, but I am here to say that one game is not going to determine our worth as a team. We are a good team, with great coaches, and a lot of success ahead of us. Babe Ruth once said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” We are a team with many weapons, but what makes us so special is the fact that we play well together and put aside our individual goals to accomplish the greater goal: BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONS.

This year everyone has made it a priority to do their part and bring whatever they are supposed to bring every day and every game. We would not be as successful as we are if everyone didn’t know their role and bring it to the table for each game. That’s our team and that’s what is going to take us to the next level. Everyone does their part.
We are a team of stars.

Shavon Earp #3

p.s. the picture is Shavon and E.J. showing off their rudolph noses at the Christmas party

Winning Streak: 7

2007-01-22T12:02:00.000-05:00

We have a spot in the top right hand corner of the dry erase board in the locker room where we write what our current winning streak is...wait, WE don't write it...only SHAVON is allowed to write it. If you want to talk about creatures of habit, our team is the perfect example. Sarah tried to change the number on the board while Shavon was being interveiwed on the radio after the game Saturday and I think she almost got taken down by one of her teammates! Everybody sits in the same chair, stands in the same place in the circle, and even exits the locker room in a specific order every game. Hey, if it continues to work for us, we'll keep doing it!

Another big win for the Lady Highlanders! The picture says it all...a 65-38 win on Saturday pushed our winning streak to 7 games and makes our overall record 11-6. More importantly, we are the only undefeated team remaining in the Big South Conference at 3-0. Our girls are playing with so much confidence right now and having alot of fun in the process. We've got 5 days now until our next big game. We travel to Lynchburg on Saturday to play Liberty University at 6:00pm in the Vines Center. It's been several years since a Radford team has beaten Liberty at home or on the road. We will continue to work hard this week to prepare to end that drought and keep our current winning streak alive. We would love to have your support on Saturday in Lynchburg.

A few pictures from the game Saturday at home vs. Winthrop:

And most people don't get to see this...it happens around an hour before game time. Kelli and Sarah doing the "Jump on it" dance:

6 in a row

2007-01-17T21:14:00.000-05:00

Don't challenge our girls. Period. They won't back down.

That seems to be what makes our team go. Anytime they have been challenged mentally or physically lately, our team has stepped up. Monday night at Coastal was no different. Before Monday night, we had gone 4 seasons without a win at Coastal Carolina. We have beaten them at home, but could never find a way to get it done on the "beach trip." As soon as the game was over on Saturday at Charleston, our upperclassmen were reminding the entire locker room of that fact. The trip isn't over until we find a way to beat Coastal on Monday night. Coastal gave us all they had for 40 minutes and took the game to overtime, but our kids stepped up huge in overtime and left the beach with a sweep of Charleston and Coastal for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. The win puts us at 10-6 overall and 2-0 in the Big South. We have also won 6 in a row. More importantly, we are 2-0 on the road in conference play. If you've never experienced conference play on a college basketball team, you may not understand how huge that is. This weekend made a huge statement to our conference about how we plan to play this year. Can you tell how excited I am right now? Anyway, I shouldn't ramble on about just a few wins. We have another very important game this Saturday at home against Winthrop. We split with Winthrop during the regular season last year and then they beat us in the tournament. You better believe that our girls remember that this is the team who ended our season last year...and they love a challenge!
A few pictures from the bus ride home after 2 wins on the Beach Trip:

great week

2007-01-14T18:44:00.000-05:00

It's been a great week for the Lady Highlanders! We began the week at home against Winston Salem State on Tuesday night with a 72-48 win. That game was followed by another home win vs. Longwood on Thursday with a score of 61-47. Those two games were the last 2 tune ups before we hit the road for Big South Conference play. After those two wins, we had won 4 in a row and were feeling very good about the way our team was playing. We talk all the time about the importance of conference games and about using our nonconference schedule to gain experience and get us ready for the ones that really count. Yes it is nice to be 8-6 going into conference play, but we started on Saturday with a 0-0 record in the games that matter in the long run.
Yesterday, we got a big win at Charleston Southern University. We went into the locker room at halftime down by 7 but the girls came out and played like we know they are capable of playing in the 2nd half and ended up winning by 24 points. They picked it up a notch on both ends of the floor and showed the people in Charleston what Radford Basketball is all about. Our defense in the 2nd half won us that game. So, everybody was in a great mood on the short 2 hour trip over to Myrtle Beach last night. The girls like it when I'm in a good mood because they say I don't let them eat when we lose...I don't think it's that bad...but that's just my opinion.
Today has been a day to relax in the hotel and hopefully replenish the energy supply so we can grab another big win tomorrow night at Coastal Carolina. Tomorrow night will be our 4th game in 7 days and it's a very important one. This would be a great way to start our conference season with 2 wins on the road. Wish us luck as we try to finish this week off with our 6th straight win and don't forget that you can listen live and watch us live on www.ruhighlanders.com!
JRA

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T11:33:00.000-05:00

Maybe my New Year's resolution should be to try to keep up with the blog on a more regular basis. Sometimes I really just forget to write something. This New Year's Eve was a good one for Radford Women's Basketball. We beat Hampton University yesterday 62-54 to end 2006 with a 5-6 record. The record is not exactly what we had hoped for, but I guess we have to take it. We played 7 of our first 10 games on the road and we were very glad to finally get back to playing in the Dedmon Center last night. Sorry I have to cut this one short, but we are about to go watch film and have practice. Our next game is on Thursday at home versus Lees-McRae. 3 more non-conference games left before we kick off Big South Conference play on the 13th!
JRA

Pictures

2006-12-25T21:53:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've finally had a little time to relax and load pictures onto my laptop so I thought I would share some pictures from the first semester and the first part of our season. I hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas from all of us at RU!

The team stretching before our game at the University of Evansville in Indiana.

Kelli and Serena on the plane going to New York (maybe Serena is making that face because she doesn't want to sit next to Kelli?)

The girls looking festive at the Hoop Group Christmas Party

More of the girls and guys at the Christmas Party

For those of you who don't know, Sarah is very talented off the court. Here, she's singing and playing the piano at the Christmas Party.

Davida, Meagan, Shavon, Corrie, and Rachel sporting red Rudolph noses at the Christmas party

Merry Christmas

2006-12-24T00:14:00.000-05:00

Ok I know it has been a LONG time since I last posted a journal entry...my mom has reminded me of that fact every day lately. I have no good excuse as to why I haven't kept up better except that I really haven't had much to say. Since I last wrote, alot has been going on. So, here's a quick update to catch all of you up on what's going on in the lives of the Lady Highlanders. On Dec. 4th, we hit the road for what seems like our 10th road trip of the year to play Belmont University in Nashville, TN. The restaurant we ate at the night before the game had line dance lessons and then a chance to show off what you had learned. Needless to say, our girls are not at all shy and they quickly became the life of the party. I think everyone in the building knew who the best dancers were because they got somewhat of a large cheer when we finally dragged them off the floor to get back to the hotel. We then had a 13 day break in our schedule because the NCAA will not allow us to play a game during finals week. Our girls studied very hard and from what we hear from them, we should achieve our team goal of at least a 3.0 team grade point average. During finals week, we brought in our male practice team to give us the opportunity to play against some better competition and polish up or correct a few things we had noticed in the first 7 games of the season. All of us coaches made recruiting trips that week loooking for the next class of Lady Highlanders and came back feeling good about the players we are going after. We also attended the Hoop Group Christmas Party. That party is put on by a group of mens and womens RU basketball supporters and always means a great night of conversation and some very good food. The picture at the top is Corrie, Vandy, Kelli, Meagan, and Rachel at the party. After finals, we played a much needed home game against Appalachian State University. We won that game by 12 and had several players come out and play very well for us. Sarah led us with 17 points, Corrie had a double-double, and Johnette played very solid at the PG position in front of her Mom, Dad, and sister who made the trip to Radford. Our last game before Christmas break was once again on the road at East Tennessee State University. We lost a heartbreaker in Johnson City with a score of 54-52 and returned to Radford wishing we could have that one back. We know that we are more talented than our record shows right now and we hope that the lessons we are learning through all of these road games will pay off when conference play rolls around. As for now, it is officially Christmas Eve and I am very happy to be at home in Georgia with my family and my dog. My little brother and I have been watching christmas tournament games the past two days and doing some last minute shopping. The crowd at Walmart today made me promise to finish my shopping much earlier next year! Even though I can never fully escape from hoops and take my mind completely off basketball and our season, I love this short break and the chance to sleep in, see my family, and eat a few home-cooked meals. I hope this gets you all caught up and excited about everything that is going on with RU basketball. I, along with all of the RU Women's Hoops family would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy new year. Put in on your calendars now: we play 4 straight home games starting on New Year's Eve and we'd love to see you in the stands. See you then!
Merry Christmas,
JRA

Road Warriors

2006-12-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

It was a long weekend of traveling to Ithaca, New York for the Lady Highlanders. We left Radford last Thursday morning at 5am and finally made it back yesterday afternoon. We came back 1-1 in the tournament after losing a tough one to Duquesne on Friday night and then beat tournament host Cornell on Saturday afternoon in the consolation game. The girls (especially Johnette) complained about the dinner we ordered on Friday after the game and then were commenting during the game on Saturday that since we were winning, maybe they would get to eat good on Saturday night. They said they have to work hard for their meals. They did play very well on Saturday against Cornell and it was very apparent that defense was the focus. Some of our defenses looked as good as we've seen them look all year. It's great as a coach to watch a team have so much fun playing defense. I hope that continues! We had a good dinner on Saturday night and as always, we were the life of the entire restaurant. When you get all of us sitting at one table, it always seems to get loud and we can tell that everyone else is jealous that they can't be included in our fun! The girls sang happy birthday to a complete stranger and I think a few of them were flirting with our waiter. It was a good way to end our trip. Today, we will get on the bus to go to Nashville, Tennessee to play Belmont University tomorrow night. It is about a 5 1/2 hour trip and I'm hoping the DVD player on the bus works so we can pass the time watching movies. Belmont is a great team who won their conference last year, and beating them on the road would be a big win for us. My Dad is bringing my grandmother and great aunt to the game so I'm very excited! I hope to write again on Wednesday when we make it back to RU. After that, no more road games until the 20th...we'll be glad to sleep in our own beds for a while.

The top left picture is Becca (our manager), Coach T, and Corrie at dinner Saturday night. The top right picture is Shavon, Meagan, Bebe, and Becca chillin in their hotel room.

JRA

BIG win last night

2006-11-28T13:58:00.000-05:00

When I say we had a big win last night, I mean we really put up some big numbers...One hundred and one points and 61 rebounds to be exact! That marked the first time since 1997 that a Radford team broke the 100 point mark and the first time in 30 years that the Lady Highs have beaten a team by more than 60 points. Last night was a fun game to watch from the bench. It's always fun when most everything is going your way and every person on the team contributes. It should also be fun the next time we watch game film. After games like that one, we can always find things to joke about! Next up for RU Women's Basketball is a trip to New York to play in a tournament hosted by Cornell University. We play Duquesne in the first game on Friday night then hopefully will compete for the tournament championship on Saturday night at 5. After that trip we head to Nashville, TN on Monday to play Belmont University. Lots of traveling ahead for the Lady Highlanders...get some extra sleep for all of us!
Until next time...
JRA

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T19:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope that by now you have all had a great meal (or two), great desserts, and plenty of quality time with your families. I have been quite a slacker keeping up with this journal for the past week possibly because I feel like I've done nothing but travel. I guess it's that time of year right? Last Wednesday, we lost a tough one to VCU at home. We had chances to win but in the end came up 3 points short to a very, very talented VCU team. Thursday morning we got on the bus at 4am headed to the airport to travel to Evansville, IN. We played the Univ. of Evansville on Friday morning...yes, MORNING. It was an 11am game and they filled the gym up with around 1300 screaming school kids. Loud doesn't even begin to describe that atmosphere. If you've seen the website by now, you know that we lost another close game by 9 points. Maybe that's why I've been so slow to write this...I hate to lose...and I think I hate to write about it even more. Anyway, we all got to go home yesterday afternoon for Thanksgiving and the girls who weren't going home are having Thanksgiving at Coach Porter's house. As long as Coach doesn't try to cook, I'm sure that will be a great meal and fun times! I'm going to get back to hanging out with my parents and little brother now...gotta head back to Radford tomorrow morning for practice so my time at home is short. Happy Thanksgiving again and we hope to see you at the Dedmon Center Monday night when we plan to get back on the winning track!

These pictures were taken at the mall in Evansville. The girls had a good time acting like little kids on their carousel ride. I think the ride was cut short because Kelli changed horses while the ride was in motion. I'm sure the rest of the food court got a kick out of watching this!

Watch our game tonight Live Online!

2006-11-15T10:33:00.000-05:00

Big game tonight for the Lady Highs. Virginia Commonwealth University comes into the Dedmon Center tonight for our first home game of the 2006-2007 season. We had a good practice last night after a not so good practice on Monday night. It seemed like our girls got their focus back yesterday and are ready to play tonight in front of the home crowd. This is a big game for us. We think VCU might be even better than the Virginia Tech team we beat last week after watching them on tape. This is a team that beat us by 2 last year at their gym so we feel confident that it will be a great game between two veteran teams tonight. If you haven't heard yet, our game tonight will be on a live video stream on the internet. You can go to www.ruhighlanders.com and click on "watch live" to see our game.

Congrats to Sarah Stephens who was named Big South Player of the Week for her performance last week. That is a great accomplishment for Sarah to be recognized by people in the conference in that way. We hope Sarah continues to lead our team by playing hard every minute she is on the floor. Well, we've got a busy schedule this afternoon so I need to cut this short. We're headed over to the student center to pass our flyers about tonight's game then back to the gym for shoot around followed by our pregame meal. Game time tonight is at 7:00pm. Get your game face on!

67 - 60

2006-11-11T17:44:00.000-05:00

BIG TIME win last night for RU Women's Basketball! It was cool to walk into Joe's Diner for breakfast this morning and see the headline "RU upsets the Hokies" on the front of the sports page of the Roanoke Times. I am so proud of our team. "We can...because WE think we can." That's what Coach Porter told the girls in our pregame talk last night. We can beat an ACC team because the people in the cirlcle in the locker room believe that we are capable of doing so...TOGETHER. Our girls got it done together. When most people in Cassell Coliseum doubted us, our girls came through and delivered a performance that showed a 67 - 60 score when the final buzzer sounded last night. Senior captain Sarah Stephens stepped up huge for us and had 22 points off the bench while fellow captain Corrie Fertitta hit 4 free throws in the final minute to seal the win for us. That's what upperclassman leaders are supposed to give a team. They came up big in a big game. It was a tremendous team effort with us playing 10 kids and having 9 put points on the board. We couldn't have done it without everyone stepping up. Thanks so much for the people who came out and supported us last night. The best thing I heard all night was the chanting of "RU, RU, RU" as the clock ticked down at the end of the game. We all appreciate that.
If you can believe it, we've got an even bigger game on Wednesday night at home. We play a VCU team who beat us by 2 on the road last year and who also returns all of their players from a year ago. Yes, we're gonna enjoy this Virginia Tech win for today, but tomorrow we start to focus on our home opener and hope to pull out another victory! We hope to see you there.
JRA

P.S. The picture of the scoreboard was taken by my little brother, Dave. I think he gets the award for driving the farthest to watch our game. Did anyone else drive more than 9 hours??

we win!

2006-11-07T16:59:00.000-05:00

Yes it was only an exhibition game and it doesn't officially count towards our season record, but the Lady Highs came away with a win last night over Lenoir-Rhyne College. I want to give alot of credit to Lenoir-Rhyne. We are proud to have beaten an excellent team that played very hard for 40 minutes. After watching the game last night and again today on tape, I am very excited about what the 06-07 season holds for Radford Women's Basketball. We did so many things well and only have a few minor adjustments to make and a few mistakes to correct before we get started for real on Friday night. A few people who stood out last night were: Davida Dodson had 17 points on 4 of 6 from the 3 point line in the first game of her collegiate career. Kelli Darden had a double double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Johnette Walker starts her sophomore campaign with a solid outing having 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, and only 2 turnovers from the point guard position. (I'm proud of JW for taking care of the ball!) Sarah Stephens was one rebound away from a double double with 13 points and 9 boards. Those were just a few who stood out in my mind out of a solid team effort last night. We hope to build on the things we did well last night (like rebounding) and correct a few of the mistakes before we head over to Blacksburg Friday night with plans of making the RU fans proud. We would really appreciate your support in the stands if you have the chance to make it out. Any words of encouragement you'd like to send the team can be posted in the comments section below this journal entry. They would love to hear from you guys!
See you at Cassell Coliseum on Friday night! Be LOUD!
JRA

Exhibition vs Lenoir-Rhyne tonight

2006-11-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning Radford Women's Basketball fans. Today kicks off a big week for RU women's hoops. Tonight at 7:00, we play our first exhibition game against Lenoir-Rhyne College from Hickory, North Carolina and Friday night is the game that people around campus have been waiting on when we make the short trip over to Blacksburg. Yes, everybody is excited about our matchup with the Hokies on Friday, but we have to focus on one game at a time. Coach Porter reminded the girls yesterday at practice that our most important game is the next game on our schedule...and right now, that's Lenoir Rhyne. We hope to make a statement tonight. We want to show everyone in attendance how we plan to play for the entire 06-07 season. We promise not to get outworked.
Today is a typical game day for the girls. They get up, go to class, come to shoot around at 2, then pregame meal at 3. After that, most of them go home for a quick nap then they head to the gym for treatment and taping in the training room. That's followed by stretching as a team and our pregame schedule starts around 6. It's a busy schedule for them! We just hope it all leads up to them being at the top of their game at 7 when we tip off.
It's been a long time since you last had a chance to watch the Lady Highs in action last March so, we hope all of you are excited about this season finally starting. I know there are 14 girls and 4 coaches who can't wait until 7 oclock tonight!

JRA

p.s. for those of you who were wondering how our scrimmage game vs gardner webb went last week, we didn't technically keep score like a real game...but we won! This is a picture of some of the girls in the locker room before the game.

New Pictures

2006-10-30T11:42:00.000-05:00

If you have ever been a part of a college basketball team in any way, you can fully understand how much time a player spends in the training room. Bumps and bruises this time of year are very common and getting taped before practice and ice after practice becomes an everyday routine for most of our players. They beat up on each other so much in drills and when we get this deep into practice, we are more than ready to get into games so they can beat up on another team. We have a full time certified athletic trainer who works with our team, watches every practice, and travels to all of our games so our girls are never without somebody to take care of them. Amy has quickly become a part of our basketball family. She is the one who has to put up with all of the complaining about what hurts today and also works hard to prevent future injuries from occuring. The picture on the left is Shavon, Serena, and Meagan hanging out in the training room before practice (I'm almost sure they were in there causing trouble!). The picture on the right is Shavon Earp trying to look like she is doing some work. I'm positive she was just listening to music and talking on Instant Messenger. That's just my opinion...maybe she has a different one. But seriously, Shavon has been doing an internship with our Sports Information department this Fall and she is doing a great job for them. I think she secretly wanted to work in that office just so she can make sure Brian gets all of her assists and offensive rebounds right on the stat sheet! Again, maybe she has a different story. I'm sure I'm gonna hear it from her as soon as she reads this.

Just a quick update: We play our first exhibition game at home on Monday night @ 7:00. Come out and support us as we prepare for our opening night matchup at Virginia Tech which is now only 11 days away.

JRA

growing up

2006-10-25T10:52:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I want to start this entry off by saying that it's not my fault that the postings are only coming about twice a week. I've been on the girls to write something for me to post and they seem to be too busy to get back to me. I will say they do have a very busy schedule now that practice is in full swing and midterms tests are coming for all of their classes. So, with all of that said, I will start this entry and try to get them to write soon. Practice is going VERY well. It's hard for me not to get too excited about the season when our girls continue to have great practices day in and day out. Our leaders step up every day and get the team going (because some days they need a jump start!) and the intensity level is as high now as it was on the first day of practice. There are obviously things that we still need to improve on and things that we are still introducing into the playbook, but having a team full of returning players is definitely refreshing. Coach Porter says sometimes that the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores and the best thing about sophomores is that they become juniors...and juniors become seniors. That statement couldn't fit better with any other team than ours. We are finally growing up. Our point guard isn't a freshman anymore, we've got seniors who don't want to underachieve their last season as a Lady Highlander, and we've got a pair of junior post players who look like they will be a force in the paint this year. For any of you players who read this: You aren't grown up yet...so, don't think you've arrived or anything like that. But, you are growing up...and it's going to be a fun ride watching you continue to grow throughout this season. Keep working hard!

Until next time...
JRA

Thoughts from a Freshman

2006-10-19T14:06:00.000-04:00

Hello all!
My name is Charron Leeper and I am currently a freshman here at Radford University. I am originally, born and raised, from Cleveland Heights, Ohio and came to Radford by being recruited on an athletic scholarship to play basketball for this university. Even though I am only several months into my four year college experience, I have already learned, overcome,and experienced a lot, within and outside of basketball.

So far I have learned that 1.) Your food dollars will run out even though you think they won't, so don't be a fatty and eat too much!:) 2.) Preseason - really should be renamed Track season because all one will do is run........and run some more! 3.) There is such a thing called Summer :)! ( sometimes you forget that coming from Cleveland!) 4.) People from the South know that they sure can cook some good chicken! Lastly number five is something that my Coach Mrs. Jeri Porter said that I have to decided to adopt for myself for many reasons. She said, "Don't count the days, make the days count." This motto which was presented to us as the thought of the week is in essence what I will try my best to do during the 4 year duration of my stay here at Radford.

However, in all seriousness I have learned by being here on my own that I can do what ever I believe I can do. I learned this during preseason, which was kind of tough. I had to push my self to get through the workouts, and the most challenging obstacle I had to get through was making my mile time! I learned that you have to JUST DO IT just like Nike says...I know it sounds cliche but it is the truth. Sometimes you can't think about it, complain about it, or run away from it. You just have to do it, period. But I really wished that I could run away from those Five -fortyfive AM work outs...I did't want to just do those! :) However, just in these weeks I have learned some valuable lessons and that was only preseason. I do miss my family but being away from them is not as bad as I thought. I like my teammates and I hope we have a phenomenal season this year. How are classes you say? They are fine. The classes that I am currently taking are interesting and I am doing pretty well in them. But I have learned that I am not a morning person and 8 am classes everyday are not for me! :) I could go on and talk for days about more lessons learned and wonderful things here at Radford but you will just have to come and experience it for yourself!

~Peace and Blessings~

Charron # 42

Practice Time

2006-10-16T10:47:00.000-04:00

Hello Again. Let me first apologize for not posting a journal entry since last Tuesday. I had knee surgery on Thursday and had big plans of getting some work done at home on Friday, but that never happened. Here's a quick update of what's been going on in our world over the past week: We had our last team workout of preseason on Thursday night and the intensity level was as high as it had been throughout the entire preseason. Friday night marked the first day of official practice and the Lady Highs got it all kicked off with an intersquad scrimmage game. I found myself in an unfamiliar position watching the game from the stands and not being very involved since I had been sidelined for a few days after surgery. Being on that side of things allowed me to see our team from a different perspective and watch as more of a fan than a coach. It was fun for a scrimmage game but I wouldn't want to do that on a regular basis! I like to coach too much to be sitting in the stands! As some of you may have noticed, the countdown has now changed and is now counting down to our first game. Hopefully the countdown builds excitement, but that brings me to another quick story. At the beginning and end of practice, we always circle up at half court to talk about practice and announcements. Coach Porter had this quote for the players this week as we talk about counting down until the next big day in Radford Hoops: She said, "Don't count the days. Make the days count." I thought that was a great statement for the team to hear at this point in the season. Yes, we were counting down until practice and now we're counting down to our first game, but we have to make every day at practice count for something. Right now, the 06-07 Lady Highs are working hard 6 days a week to prepare and get better in hopes of making this season a very exciting one for you all to watch. If at any time you have words of encouragement for the team, please feel free to post them here or email me. I'll make sure your well wishes are relayed to the girls.

I promise to write again in a few days.

JRA

Preseason Is OVER!

2006-10-10T13:50:00.000-04:00

Yes that's right. Preseason is over! I know I am not half as excited as the girls are about this fact, but I am very glad to finally be only days away from being on the court. Overall, I would say this preseason was a huge success. The girls have worked so hard and I can't wait to see it all pay off for them. I know they all think I'm a crazy maniac when it comes to planning their running and circuit training but I hope they realize that we only push them because we know just how great they can be. I am probably not the best motivator as far as the things I can say to them, but that's just not my style. I want to push them to what they think their limits are and ask them to do things that they thought they weren't capable of and then just smile when they find out they've got a little bit left in the tank and they can actually make it through the workout. If they learned how much they can depend on each other, how their teammates are willing to pick them up and drag them across the line, and how much we need each one of them to bring it every night over the past 6 weeks, then yes...preseason was a huge success. When this group of young ladies all come together, they are something great...something RU hasn't seen in a long time. This team can do something special this year if they put their mind to it...and if preseason has been any indication, they are on the right path.
Watch the countdown at the top of the blog...we do this for real on Friday night!

JRA

Congrats to Sarah, Shavon, and Tameisha on today being the LAST preseason workout they will ever have to endure!

Baby Update

2006-10-05T16:51:00.000-04:00

Highlander nation! Greetings from Coach T (a.k.a. Pops).
Coach Ashley wanted me to give all our fans an update on how my little boy is doing. Cooper celebrated his six weeks birthday this week. He is 44 days old today. I always thought it was funny/weird how people keep up with the ages of babies. One baby is 17 months old, another is 48 weeks. Who knows? What happened to half a year or a year and a half?
He is doing great though, growing daily. He has not been weighed in over two weeks, but is over nine pounds now, maybe close to 10. He is sleeping a little better, some nights are great, some nights are not so good. One good thing about being up at night though is that it gives me a chance to spend time honing up my skills on NCAA Football for PS2. That is when I can actually wake up enough to see what I am doing. Mom (Bevin) is also doing good. She has been tired of course, but for the most part is doing good. I personally think that she is a great Mom to Cooper and is doing a smashing job taking care of him.
This past weekend he made it out to his first basketball tournament. He sat through a game or so and really did a nice job of helping me evaluate the talent on the floor. He has a good eye for talent already!
Well, we are getting ready to head out to the floor for another full team workout. Things are going really well so far. We just want to keep the atmosphere at a high energy level throughout the year.
So long for now, stay in touch!

Coach T

I didn't want to go swimming today.

2006-10-04T18:11:00.000-04:00

I am soaking wet right now...Not because it's hot outside or because I've been working out. If you've been keeping up with my entries, you may remember that on Wednesdays during preseason, we do a pool workout. Today I went to the pool in khaki linen shorts, a Radford golf shirt, and flip flops. I looked cute as always ;) The play by play goes like this: In the weight room earlier, Coach Porter, Coach P, and I had pushed a few people around (you know like bumping cutters when they come through the lane). Since I must be too strong for a few of them, the girls decided to team up on me and take me down. The scuffle carried over to the pool and Vandy was encouraged by a few of her teammates to push me in. Thanks to Coach Appleby, Vandy has apparently been working out pretty hard because she picked me up with one arm and threw me in the pool with my clothes on. Did I mention that my outfit looked cute before she threw me in? Anyway, my attempts to drown Vandy were unsuccessful (only because Coach Porter would fire me if I really did drown her) so, I am plotting revenge. Anyone who reads this and has any suggestions as to what I should do to get Vandy back is welcome to post a comment. Just so you remember, Vandy is on the right in this picture with Johnette. All feedback will be taken into consideration and is greatly appreciated. I promise to keep you all updated on the situation :)

JRA

It's almost time.

2006-10-03T12:17:00.000-04:00

It’s almost time.

Yesssss… basketball season is officially around the corner and we can taste it...And it tastes good. We are all extremely excited to get started with practice and looking forward to playing games. This year our goal is to go straight to the top and if anyone is in our way, we are taking them out. That may have sounded a little harsh, but it’s the competitive spirit that’s coming out of me. Everyone has worked hard so far, including our wonderful coaching staff. Lol. We have cried, sweat, beat one another up, and gotten up early in the morning for the last six weeks. We are ready to see the fruits of our labor.

We'll see you at our games soon,
Shavon

On the road again

2006-09-29T14:08:00.000-04:00

Yep that's right. We're headed back out for a weekend of recruiting. We'll have coaches watching tournaments in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina looking for the next generation in Lady Highlander basketball. Not much else going on late this week or weekend in Radford. Chelsea Clark's birthday is tomorrow and I think Sarah is hosting a birthday dinner for her tomorrow night. I hear Sarah is a pretty good cook, but she's never cooked dinner for me, so I wouldn't know! We had an awesome team workout last night on the court. The energy and intensity that the girls have been bringing to the court is unbelievable. We can't wait until we can do that 6 days a week during the regular season. The wait until next week's team workout is hard to take!

JRA

Team Picture Day

2006-09-27T10:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was picture day for the Lady Highlanders. As you can see from the pictures, our team cleans up pretty well. All of these pictures were made around the center of campus and the headshots made by our sports information director will be used for the media guide this season. We love picture day as coaches because it is one of the few days all year that we see the entire team dressed up all at one time. The girls aren't shy at all...they will tell you without hesitation that they know they look good! I would never say this to their face, but we don't think they look half bad. If they only looked as good as their coaches, they'd be set!

Top Left Picture: Rook, Coach Porter, Johnette, and Vandy
Top Right Picture: Serena teaches Coach T how to do the "sprinkler".
Bottom Left Picture: Sarah, Shavon, and Corrie
Bottom Right Picture: All of our post players except Kelli D. Chelsea, Charron, Sarah, and Corrie.

Meagan Hilligas # 33

2006-09-25T11:59:00.000-04:00

So we just finished Week 4 of preseason. On day 1, I never thought this day would come, but we’re over half-way through with our conditioning. I would consider this week to be successful. We turned some of our workouts into relays, and we had our first team practice on the court. Monday we ran hills, but we raced each other up to the top to grab a tennis ball before they did. We had girls diving for the ball, cutting each other off, and anything else to win. Wednesday we also did relays, but in the pool. We wore flippers and used kick boards (check out the pics). Each team was screaming to their partners to keep kicking and hurry up. We are a competitive team. We can turn the simplest of relays into a huge competition. We just don’t like to lose, at anything.

This week we had our first team practice. What can I say? We were ready. This practice may have been one of the most intense AND focused practices you could ask for so early in the season. We set the bar high for the rest of the season. We started off strong, now we have to go hard every day from this point on.

Finally! Everyone has made their mile time, even though we’ve all made individually. Each person on a different day has brought their A game and made their time. Now it’s time for everyone to bring it on the same day. The day that each and every person can bring their A game and knock this timed mile out of the way, as team, we will be taking a step forward to being a more successful.

I’m very excited for this season. We’ve been working out together for 4 weeks, and we keep pushing each other. We compete against each other. If we take anything from this preseason I want it to be how to compete against other teams, and how to work as a team on the same day and get the job done!

Meagan

Pool Workout - Preseason Week 4

2006-09-22T11:08:00.000-04:00

Well, week 4 has quickly come to an end. It doesn't seem like we've been doing this for a month. I'm sure the girls have a different opinion and they feel like preseason has been going on forever, but for me it's going quickly. Maybe it's because I've been counting down the days until we can start practicing for real.

3 weeks from today, it's on. All of the hard workouts and days when they thought they couldn't run, lift, or shoot anymore will finally start to pay off. They will finally get to do what they came here to do 6 days a week. That's when the fun starts. Trade in the early morning track workouts, running hills, and pool workouts for shooting drills, rebounding, offenses, and defenses...I can't wait!

If you've never been through a preseason at RU, maybe you're wondering what a typical week is like. The team lifts weights 3 times per week, does a 6 am track workout on Tuesday and Friday, goes through circuit training and plyometrics, as well as individual skill instruction sessions. The most fun workout of the week (if there is such a thing) is the pool workout on Wednesday. These pictures are from this week's workout. I just couldn't resist posting pictures of how ridiculous some of them look in swim caps, goggles, and flippers. This is a day of comic relief for the coaches!

Team Radford Day

2006-09-19T12:02:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know, Team Radford Day is an annual event here on the campus of RU where every student-athlete and coach in the athletic department come together to meet each other, participate in crazy activities, and EAT. The president of our university, Pres. Kyle even came out to show her support of RU Athletics. Each team's coaches speak about key players they have returning, expectations for their upcoming season, academic achievements and conference awards their team had last year, and big home games on the schedule for this year. Coach Porter was out of town on Sunday so I had to speak on behalf of women's basketball. Speaking in front of people is a terrifying experience for me so that wasn't very fun, but saying good things about our girls isn't hard at all. I mentioned to all of the student-athletes in attendance that our first game is at Virginia Tech and we'd like to have all of their support when we make the journey to Blacksburg in search of our first regular season win. The activity this year for Team Radford Day was making tie-dyed t-shirts. Everybody got a white t-shirt with the RU logo on the front and then got to go crazy with red tie-dye. I've already seen a few shirts around campus and they are all very interesting designs, however, I do have to say that mine looks the best. The highlight of the night for most of our girls was the free meal. Burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, slaw, potato salad, and some very tasty cookies were on the menu. This picture shows Davida, Rachel, Bebe (our manager), Tameisha, and Rook doing what they do best...Eating!

# 40

2006-09-18T11:22:00.000-04:00

Tameisha Carter-Williams, fondly known as Meish to all of us, is entering her second season with the Lady Highlanders. We have been very impressed with the work ethic and mindset that Meish came back with this Fall and we are very excited to see what she brings to the court when her senior season begins in November. Last preseason was somewhat of a shock for her and we found out very quickly that Meish absolutely hates the track and any workout we do before the sun comes up. This year, however, she has come in with a different mindset and has worked harder than ever even on the early morning track workouts. Maybe she still isn't enjoying it, but she has at least smiled a few times so far which is a major improvement! Here are her thoughts:

My name is Tameisha Carter-Williams and I reside in Woodbridge, VA which is near Potomac Mills Mall. I am a senior at RU this year. I graduated in 2003 from Paul VI Catholic high school and then went on to Potomac State Junior College in West Virginia. In West Virginia, I played two years of juco basketball and graduated from the institution with an associates degree. Coming to Radford was different than the little school I went to for junior college and playing here is also different. This year is going to be better because last year we were getting to know each other on and off the court. Now, we have everybody returning with two new additions and we look great.

Kelli D

2006-09-12T10:52:00.000-04:00

The D in her name stands for defense. Well, not really but Kelli D has become known in practice and around the league as a big time shot blocker in the middle for the Lady Highs. Our highlight tape proves over and over and over that it is next to impossible to score over Kelli D. Last season, Kelli moved into 3rd overall on the all time list for career blocks with 110. She needs 31 to break the overall record. Her 57 blocks last season were the third highest total recorded in a season at RU. This is what Kelli had to say today about how her workouts are going.

School and basketball have once begun for me and my teamates here at Radford University. Our workout schedule is pretty much the same as last year. We have weights, pool workouts, circuits, individuals, our 6 am workouts and all that good stuff. Since this is my junior year, I kind of knew what to expect. Even though it hasn't been easy, these past few weeks have flown by for me. I've been pleased with my teamates efforts these past two weeks and I'm excited for what the season has in store for us. I'm really excited to see Coach Pulliam in action. He's our newest coach and he seems like a really great coach. Playing a sport in college sure does help the time fly and it gave me a chance to have a family away from college. My coaches and teammates are so different and I love them all to death. Anyway, I know that this will be a great year and I hope everyone can get some time to come out to support us.

Serena White answers a few questions

2006-09-11T11:56:00.000-04:00

My name is Serena White and I'm from Durham County, North Carolina. Don't get it confused with Raleigh or Cary because that's not where I'm from. I played at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. It's a private, Catholic school which focuses on catholic education and preparing students for college. Although I'm not Catholic, it was a good experience for me and I appreciate how well they prepared me for college here at Radford. My major here at Radford is criminal justice. I just recently switched from exercise, sport, and health education major. I really love my criminal justice classes and I'm glad I switched my major. Hopefully after I graduate, I'll either attend law school or graduate school, depending on what I decide as my career.

I chose to come to Radford to play basketball because when I visited the campus, coaches, and players, I felt like they were genuinely interested in not only me as player, but me as a person as well. I think that's the most important thing to remember when being recruited and visiting colleges; you're at college to get an education first, and to play basketball second. The campus is beautiful and definitely helped sway my decision to attend Radford.

My favorite thing about Radford is the actual town of Radford. It's a small town feel to it, which reminds me of back home, however, you can always find something to do in Radford. So, I guess you get the best of both worlds.

Kelli is probably one of my favorite teammates. I spend more time with her than anyone else on the team. There are alot of stories about Kelli and I that I would love to share but some are inappropriate to write on the blog. Also, most of them are inside jokes between us and wouldn't make sense to anyone else. Kelli and I do have alot of fun times though.

I asked my roommate this question and this is what she said. Most people dont know this about Serena but?...... She has a 5 foot dog. I think 5 foot is kinda an understatement. When he stands up on my shoulders he's a little bit taller than me and I'm 5'9". I have a German Shepard named Buddy who lives back at home with my parents. The hardest part about coming to college was leaving my friends and family behind, but I think the person I miss the most is my dog. He's the best dog anyone could ask for.

"No Regrets" - Sarah Stephens

2006-09-04T16:43:00.000-04:00

Senior captain Sarah Stephens came by the office after workouts today and had these words. After reading what she had to say, I didn't feel like I needed to add anything. I hope you all can get a feel for the mindset of our team right now by reading what our senior leader is thinking...

As the captain of my team, setting the standard as well as living up to the standard sometimes becomes a tough challenge. I have committed myself to this basketball team since 2003 and I can honestly say this has been the best experience ever. The 2006-2007 season is when it's going to happen. This summer, I made a commitment to myself as well as to my teammates that no matter how hard it gets, giving up is not an option. My expectations for this season are to "JUST GO HARD", "Play every game as if it was your last", and "Make it Count". Anyone can give you a dollar, but no one can give you heart. I'm ready to have a productive season and better yet, I'm ready to wear that championship ring. "Pain, Sweat, Tears...NO REGRETS.

Preseason Week One

2006-09-02T13:26:00.000-04:00

Preseason Week One has come and gone and the Lady Highlanders are working very hard. For those of you who have never been through preseason workouts for a college basketball season, you have no idea the pressures that are put on your mind and body. The past week found the Lady Highs in the weight room Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and they've been running hard on the track Tuesday and Friday mornings at 5:45 AM. The week also included circuit training, a pool workout, and small group skill development sessions on the court. These few weeks become the foundation for building our team into one of the toughest, hardest working groups in the Big South. There have already been times this week that I'm sure they have all hated my guts for putting them through these workouts, but it's just a part of our jobs to make sure they are ready when official practice rolls around. I have no doubt the ladies of RU Women's Hoops will turn heads this year because they have come in ready to work hard and get better from Day One.

Team Cookout 2006

2006-08-27T21:09:00.000-04:00

A few pictures from this weekend's team cookout. This is always a great time for all of us and something we look forward to. Coach Porter's husband, Mike, is a great cook and it's always fun for all of us to relax and eat lots! Top left is freshman guard Davida Dodson, sophomore post player Chelsea Clark, and sophomore point guard Johnette Walker. Top right is senior post player, Sarah Stephens. Bottom picture is post players, Corrie Fertitta and Charron Leeper. If you weren't here, you missed out on good times and even some chocolate covered strawberries!

Congrats Coach T!

2006-08-22T16:05:00.000-04:00

Cooper Mitchell Thomaston was born today at 1:03pm. He weighs 6 lbs 10 1/2 oz and is 18 3/4 inches long. Congrats to Coach T and Bevin!

Mark your calendar

2006-08-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

Get your calendars ready everyone. Yes, that's right. We have officially announced the 2006-2007 Lady Highlander Hoops schedule. Now it's time to work out your off days and sick days and vacation time so that you see as many games as possible. Get your priorities in order and make sure this year's team has a true home court advantage! You can find our schedule on www.ruhighlanders.com. We would love to have support at any games you are able to attend at home or on the road.

Today is the first day of classes and as a few of the players trickle back into the office, it makes me even more excited and anxious to get started with workouts and get onto the court. We will be starting one week from today and it can't get here soon enough. You will read the girls' thoughts on this subject later.

Also, for those of you who didn't know already, Coach T and his wife are expecting a baby very soon. More specifically, their son could possibly be born tonight! We'll keep you updated on when we all can start calling Coach T and his wife Mom and Dad!!

Vandy P back in Radford

2006-08-17T12:08:00.000-04:00

It was a pleasant suprise today when Vandy Pullen walked into our office. Vandy has been home all summer and made it back to Radford today to move into her new apartment. We are very excited to finally have Vandy able to put on a uniform for the Lady Highlanders this year after what seemed like a very long red shirt year for her in 05-06. She took a few minutes to let you guys know what's been going on in her life since last semester.

This summer I have been playing in the Powers summer league. I was in Radford the first part of the summer but got to spend a little time at home. I worked at Footlocker not making that much money but, I got a big discount on shoes. I worked out and improved my game this summer. I'm very excited about the upcoming season. I was a transfer from the Unversity of Maine so I had to red shirt last year. It was hard last year having to sit out and watch so I'm glad I finally get to play and help my team out. This year I am looking forward to traveling with the team and getting to know my teammates a little better. What I am not looking forward to is pre-season workouts. I predict myself passing out a few times. Overall, I am very excited, have alot of nerves, and overwhelmed about this upcoming year.

Countdown to Day One

2006-08-15T15:25:00.000-04:00

There are a few different firsts approaching the Lady Highlanders over the next two weeks. Next Monday, the first day of classes for the Fall 2006 semester will be upon us. With that day brings a new class schedule, new professors and books, new dorms/apartments, a new daily routine, and possibly some new school clothes. :) The first week of school will be a time for returning players to catch up and reunite with those who have been away for the summer and a time for the rookies to meet their new teammates. The following Monday, another first will come around...a first that we as coaches look forward to much more than the players. The first day of preseason workouts is a day when we see just how hard the Lady Highs have been working during their break. We have been hearing about the progress of workouts on the court, on the track, and in the weight room, but that first workout will prove or disprove all of the rumors. I believe that since we return our entire team from last season, the ladies have really committed themselves this summer to getting better and turning any weaknesses they had in the past into strengths. First on the itinerary for day one is the timed mile. Each player has a goal time they have been working towards since the post season, and that workout will be their time to shine. I hope to leave workouts that day very excited and very impressed. Countdown to Day One: 13 days!

July is over!

2006-08-02T14:12:00.000-04:00

July is over! Man o' man does it feel good to sleep in my own bed. You never know how good it feels until you spend a month on the road in different cities and different hotels. I know a lot of you can relate. After all, you were the ones I was chasing around all of July.

During the month of July, I spent time in State College, Atlanta, Orlando, North Carolina, Louisville, D.C., and Maryland. It was a good month and I enjoyed watching all of the games I was able to see. Now, we are back in the office and getting everything from the month organized and also preparing for our players to return to campus.

We begin school here on August 21st and our players will all be arriving sometime during the week prior. We are all excited about this season and looking forward to working hard and bringing home a championship. I know the girls have been working hard this summer in getting ready for the season and I am excited to see the results of their work.

Well, I know everyone is getting ready to begin school. I wish you all the best and hope you make the most of this year in the classroom and on the court. Stay in touch with us and come visit us here in Radford when you get the chance. Talk to you soon...

Coach P

Hello Again

2006-07-30T17:26:00.000-04:00

Well, July recruiting has finally come to an end. For me, it ended last Monday with a tournament I was watching in Memphis, TN. Since then, I have been on vacation with my mom in sunny southern California. What a way to relax after a long month on the road! Thanks to Coach Porter and Coach Pulliam for fixing the recruiting schedule so I could have one last vacation to the beach before school starts. Right now, I have one day at home with my family before heading back to work tomorrow. I just got home from a Braves game where I got to go up in the radio booth and talk RU basketball with Dave Friedman, our radio announcer. He does radio for a minor league baseball team and they just happened to be in town this afternoon. July produced a great group of prospective student-athletes that we will get to know and hopefully recruit in the future. It was a fun month but the real fun begins in a few weeks. School starts back on August 21st and preseason workouts will be soon to follow. Almost time for another basketball season to start! Keep following RU Women's Hoops as we head toward what we hope will be a very successful season.

July Recruiting

2006-07-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted anything. As some of you may know, July begins our big recruiting period. We are allowed to be out watching tournaments from July 6th to the 15th and from the 21st to the 31st. During this month, we will see tournaments in Oregon, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, D.C., Maryland, Memphis, and Louisianna. Wow, that makes me tired just thinking about all of that traveling...but at least I can speak for myself when I say that I wouldn't rather be doing anything else. It is very exciting watching some of these very talented young players and envisioning them in a Radford uniform.
I am writing this entry as I am sitting in an airport waiting on my flight to Chicago that has been delayed. I just bumped into Coach Porter sitting at the next gate down waiting on her flight to Atlanta that has also been delayed...gotta love airports! Second delay on as many flights this week for me. Coach Pulliam is down in Orlando hopefully working hard...and not hanging out at the beach! Just kidding. We know Coach P is down there getting the job done! Well, the announcement just came that my flight will begin boarding soon so I will cut this one short. Off to find the next generation in Lady Highlander basketball! Wish us luck!

Hello from Coach T

2006-06-27T15:37:00.001-04:00

Greetings all you Highlander fans and hopefuls! My name is Corey Thomaston and I am one of the other assistant coaches. I am heading into my fifth season as an assistant here at RU and my seventh season overall with Coach Porter. We have been together since she was at the University of North Alabama.
I completed both my graduate work (’02) and my undergraduate work (’99) at the University of North Alabama. I originally went to school to become a sports broadcaster and received my B.S. in Communication. The opportunity to coach came along and that is how I ended up here after receiving my M.A. in Health and Physical Education.
My wife Bevin and I just celebrated our third wedding anniversary on May 31st. We currently have two dogs and are expecting our first child (a boy) in early September! We are very excited about that. We had another doctor’s appointment today and everything looks good so far. We are now to the point where we are meeting with the doc every two weeks. We have another appointment in two weeks and should get to do an ultrasound there to weigh him and all that fun stuff.
I have been involved with a lot of different aspects here over the past four seasons. I worked with the guards for three seasons and will now be working with post players for a second straight season.
We are really excited about July and getting out on the road. We will be traveling as far west as Oregon, south to Louisiana, and north to Pennsylvania. We will see a lot of talented young ballplayers. This is one of the best times of the summer and we look forward to it each year.
If any of you need anything, do not hesitate to give us a call or shoot me an email cmthomast@radford.edu.

Take care,

Coach T

Q & A with Corrie Fertitta

2006-06-23T10:20:00.000-04:00

Two down, two to go. Junior post player Corrie Fertitta is half way through her college career and we feel like the best is yet to come. Corrie sets a great example for her teammates in the offseason by always going hard in pre/post season workouts and coming back from her summer break looking game ready. Coach Porter often says that Corrie doesn't smile until October every year because Corrie has gained a reputation of being the player on our team who dislikes preseason workouts and early morning practices more than anyone. Corrie has been at home in Roanoke since finals in May and we wish she'd visit us but we know she loves her family and loves being at home. We'll catch up with her in August and I know she'll be ready to go for her junior season in hopes of taking RU Women's Hoops to the next level. Corrie recently emailed me and answered a few questions:

1. Tell us about yourself. My name is Corrie Fertitta, from Roanoke, VA. I am a Junior forward, majoring in Exercise Sports and Health Education. I plan to use my degree to teach and coach at the high school level or try and work with youth either as a counselor or at a youth center.

2. What are you doing this summer? This summer I'm working as a softball umpire for the Roanoke Rec. Club. For workouts I've been going to my sisters aau practices and working out with the team. Also I'm going to start playing pick up with the Virginia Western and Roanoke College teams as soon as they start up.

3. What do you do for fun outside of basketball? During the summer I love going to the pool and getting a tan. Also I like getting to hang out with my brother, sister and friends that i haven't seen during the school year.

4. What is your favorite thing about Radford? About campus? About our team? I like Radford because its such as beautiful place. The campus grounds are kept so nice and its just beautiful all year round. About the team, I love'em!! Everybody gets along and we have such great times!! Also, its like having a family away from home.

5. What are the best parts about road trips? I'd have to say We Eat Great! We go to some awesome places to eat! Also we get to miss class so thats always a plus to me!

6. Tell a funny story or something interesting about one of your teammates. I can't really think of one right now but i'll get back to you on that one.

Watch the 2005-06 Highlight Tape Online!

2006-06-18T23:42:00.000-04:00

It's finally here. Click the Play Button twice to view the full length 2005-06 Highlight Tape online. We hope you enjoy it and you'll choose to catch a game starting next November to be a part of the moments that will be next season's highlights! We didn't lose a single member of this year's team and we look forward to this group of young ladies finally reaching their potential and contending for a Big South Championship. We hope to have alot of support in the stands as we work hard to reach our goals next Fall.

For now, it's camp time. I've got to get back to my duties as camp counselor in the dorms and put these kids to bed. Gotta love the life of an assistant coach...

Coach P

2006-06-14T13:17:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

Summer has officially begun (or at least it has if you have a six year old who got out of school last week!)! Thus far, the highlight for the Porter family has been a quick trip to Kings Dominion! We met up with several of my coaching buddies and their families and had a great day in the park. My husband Mike and I are trying to put together a summer schedule that will be fun for our son EJ, but won't kill us in the process! The life of the college coach is quite interesting. We spend most of the summer months juggling camps and recruiting trips and vacations with family. We love it!!

Saturday kicks off our 4th annual Next Level Summer Camp! Our enrollment is as large as it has ever been and we are looking forward to the best camp that we have ever had! It's always fun when you get a chance to see something begin to take shape. That is what being here at RU over the past 4 years has been like. Watching this program grow and come together has been very rewarding. Hang on Highlander fans - RU Women's Basketball is about to take off!

Have a great summer!

Coach Porter

2006-06-06T11:50:00.000-04:00

Hello Highlander Fans. It's now the beginning of June and activities are slowing down a little bit on the campus of RU. For those of you that think that basketball coaches only work from October to March, think again. We do have a little more free time these days (I went on vacation last week to Boise, ID and Coach T went to visit family in Alabama) but we are still working every day towards our goals of being more successful next year on and off the court. We are all busy making recruiting calls and planning for the July recruiting period in hopes of securing the best possible 07' class of future Lady Highlanders.

We had a recent addition to the Highlander family on Monday when Davida Dodson verbally committed to join us next year. Davida is a 5'6" shooting guard from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Silver Spring, MD. We had a great time getting to know her on her official visit and I know that she will fit in well with the crazy mixture of personalities we already have.

We are a little less than 2 weeks away from our annual Next Level Summer Basketball Camp that starts on June 17th. It is not too late to register so if you know anyone who would like to attend, let me know. We hope to have a good number of campers and some great competition.

Question and Answer with Johnette Walker

2006-06-02T10:05:00.000-04:00

For those of you who saw freshman point guard Johnette Walker play last season, you can understand how excited we are to have her in a Radford uniform for 3 more years. Johnette is around Radford this summer getting ahead on her academics, but everytime we look up, JW is in the gym working on her game. It is very encouraging for us to have such a talented player who is as devoted to improving herself as Johnette is. Yesterday, I caught up with Johnette and convinced her to answer a few questions for me. I will most likely owe her dinner for helping me out!

1. Describe yourself on the court.
I'm really not good at describing myself, but I would say that on the court I am determined
and hard working.

2. Describe your coaches.
good motivator, personable, helpful, persistent, dependable, honest, relates well with us

3. What is your favorite thing about Radford?
My favorite thing about Radford is the people. The people are very unique and very
interesting.

4. What are you doing this summer outside of basketball?
I work at the Dedmon Center and I am currently attending summer school. I will also be
back later this summer for one more session of summer school.

5. How are your workouts going this summer?
My workouts are coming along pretty good. My new slogan is "Champions are made
when no one is looking." I'm officially a gym rat and proud of it.

6. What do you do for fun with your teammates?
My teammates are very fun too be around and they have made my first year in college
great. I enjoy hanging out with my teammates. We go bowling, play pick up, and mainly I
just enjoy laughing with my teammates.

7. Have you decided on a major yet? What will you do with your degree after
your days at RU?
ESHE major (exercise sports and health education) with a minor in coaching and teaching.
With my degree, I hope too one day become a GREAT Coach.

Keep checking in for more postings by current RU players. I promise to do a better job updating this more often now that I'm back from my vacation.

JRA

Wedding Day hits the Lady Highlanders

2006-05-23T14:27:00.000-04:00

Yes, the day has come and gone and I am now officially married. My wife, Julie, and I were married on May 20, 2006 in Boiling Springs, PA. It is now Tuesday and we are back in Radford working on getting the house ready and our dog, Reddick, acclimated to his new home. So far, everything is going very well. We are busy running around town shopping and trying to get everything unpacked. You never really realize how much junk you have until you move. Then multiply that by two and good night there is a lot of stuff.

Let me give you a quick intro to both Julie and Reddick. My wife Julie is originally from Gettysburg, PA and is a graduate of Penn State. She has worked designing leadership programs and with Parelli Natural Horsemanship. She is a huge basketball fan and is looking forward to cheering on the Lady Highlanders next season! My dog Reddick is a Lab/Great Dane mix. He is one years old and weighs about 60 pounds. He is a big kid and a lot of fun.

Keep checking us out and we will be seeing you this summer. Until next time...

Coach Greg Pulliam

"We about Business" - Shavon Earp's thoughts

2006-05-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. This is Shavon Earp. I am a senior at Radford. I graduated this past spring with a degree in Communication and I am very excited for what's to come in my future. I will be back to play next year and I am excited. This summer I plan on working hard to strengthen my skills. I want to win the Big South so bad and I am going to do what is needed for us to do so. I know everyone wants RU to get back to the dominating program it used to be and we have the coaches, players, and personnel to get this done. Next year will be an exciting one and I hope everyone will come out to support us. We are about business. I just want everyone to know that I am going to do what is needed and so are my teammates and coaches.

2006-05-15T10:06:00.000-04:00

Last week, we were excited to announce the signing of Charron Leaper, a 6-0 post player from Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Charron averaged 15.6 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game in her senior season at Shaw High School. We look forward to having her on campus and in a Radford uniform next Fall.

The RU softball team hosted the Big South Conference Championship Tournament last week and we were out to support them Thursday through Saturday as they made a run to win it all. Coach Pulliam and I along with Mike, Coach Porter's husband caught most of the action and made our opinions heard when the umpire blew a call at third base that changed the momentum of the game. What can I say, we really get into whatever game we're watching. I guess that just comes with being competitive. With all that said, they lost on a walk off homerun in the bottom of the 8th inning of the championship game. They gave it all they had and we are very proud of the successful season they had representing RU athletics.

The first session of summer school starts today and we'll have a few of the girls around the office later this week to post their thoughts on their classes and how their summer workouts are going. I can't wait to hear about that myself.

Next Level Camp Summer 2006

2006-05-10T14:00:00.000-04:00

NEXT LEVEL summer camp registration is now open. This year's dates are Saturday, June 17th - Wednesday, June 21st. The camp is open to young ladies ages 9 up through high school seniors.

A typical day at camp includes waking up in the dorms, breakfast in one of the cafeterias on campus, drills taught by RU coaches with skills demonstrated by current RU players, individual competitions and games, optional pool time, team practices, lectures, and finally 5-on-5 games. Resident campers end the night with time to relax and hang out with RU players in the dorms.

Wow...that makes me exhausted just thinking about it. Camp is always an exciting time but makes us all very tired by the end. Hopefully campers get a sneak peak of what it's like to be a Lady Highlander and play basketball on the Next Level. We are very excited about the caliber of players that have already shown interest in camp this summer. This may turn out to be the best camp we've had at RU. If any of you are interested, you can print a brochure from the RU website. http://ruhighlanders.com Click on the camps link from the women's basketball page. We look forward to seeing you at camp!

2006-05-09T16:09:00.000-04:00

This is RU Women's Hoops

2006-05-09T15:35:00.000-04:00

DAY ONE. Welcome to the official online journal of Radford University Women's Basketball. The plan is to post entries a few times per week so that fans, alumni, recruits, and family can get an inside look at the daily life of RU women's hoops. Mostly it will be me, Jana Ashley, posting my thoughts, but I will also have the other coaches as well as many of the young ladies on our team post thoughts and pictures periodically. I hope you find this informative and entertaining. Follow us from now until next March as we take steps towards winning a Big South Conference Championship and returning to the storied tradition that is Radford University Women's Basketball.