Belle Vernon girls focused on reaching playoffs

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, November 21, 2017 | 6:57 PM

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One of the more dangerous girls basketball teams in Class 4A entering the season might be a team that missed the playoffs last year.

Belle Vernon is coming off a season where it went 12-10 overall and 7-7 in Section 3, missing the playoffs by one game.

Good news for the Leopards is they have almost every player returning from last year's team with the appetite to get the job done this season.

“The girls were disappointed not getting into the playoffs and coming so close,” coach Lisa Fairman said. “This is a new season. Not making the playoffs last year has made us hungrier this year.”

Fairman enters her seventh season as the coach of the Leopards, but the core of the team has been playing together for longer than that.

The senior leadership will be the backbone of their team this season, with all but one of the starters returning from last year. The one player they have to replace is Ashley Russell, who scored five points in her collegiate debut with Westminster.

“The intensity is high, and the energy is high,” Fairman said. “They are determined. The seniors know this is it. I know the work ethic is going to be there.”

Leading the senior group this season will be Kelsey Green. Green is a three-year starter and is the top returning scorer for the Leopards.

“She is a natural athlete,” Fairman said. “She leads by example. She is a good kid on and off the floor. Her natural athletic ability can take over games for us.”

Joining Green on the court will be Caitlyn Trombley, Keira Boff, Taylor Kovatch and Rylie Campbell. Junior Lindsay Steeber also will get quality minutes this season.

“These girls have played together for so many years,” Fairman said. “They have worked well on the court together. I think the dynamics of our team this year is that we are well-balanced.

“I am expecting some things for some younger kids. The senior leadership that we have will help the younger girls adapt quickly.”

Belle Vernon will begin the season at the McKeesport tip-off tournament Dec. 8 against Cumberland Valley from Class 6A.

“You go through a couple of weeks at practice, and the girls are at a point where they are ready,” Fairman said. “There is excitement and motivation. It is a big thing for the girls, and you are playing teams you wouldn't normally play.”

Drew Karpen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Belle Vernon