UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – A lot of new faces for John Carroll Women's Basketball, but the same aspirations remain.
Last season, the Blue Streaks finished 26-5 overall, with an 11-3 record in their first North Coast Athletic Conference season. The Blue Streaks finished the season ranked #10 in D3hoops.com poll, and lost in the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament, losing to #8 ranked and fellow NCAC opponent Denison.
There is much turnover expected this season for John Carroll Women's Basketball, with the graduation of Ava Ryncarz, Kaylie McKenney, Graci Semptimphelter, Carly Perusek, and Carmen Hueker. Some of the younger players in this program are going to have to step up into larger roles for the Blue Streaks to be successful this year.
Seniors Abigail Rosol and Brooke Laub are expected to lead the program this year, but neither have truly been in this position before with the large number of graduating seniors before them.
"Rosol and Laub bring a ton of experience and leadership to the floor. I'm expecting them to be consistent all year," said Head Coach Beth Andrews '15. "On the court, Brooke knows who to get the ball to, and how to make crucial adjustments, and Abby coming back from an injury has increased her motor and ability to slash through the lane."
Rosol, who missed last season with an injury, will hope to bounce back this year after a sophomore season where she averaged over 17 minutes per game and 5 points per game for JCU. Laub played in all 31 games last season, averaging just under 27 minutes per game, and being a primary ball handler.
Some new faces will have to play in a big way this year, starting with Bella Houillion. The sophomore had a couple big games for the Blue Streaks last year, and ended up averaging 8 minutes a game in 28 games. Along with her, junior Katie Puletti will see a ramp up in her playing time. She played in 24 games, averaging over 7 minutes. Sophomore Reese Rhodehammel is also expected to make a jump this season after playing in 17 games and making a couple appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
"I'm excited to see Puletti, Houillion, and Rhodehammel continue to grow throughout the course of the season into the next leaders of this program," said Andrews.
No loss hits harder this season than Ava Ryncarz, an All-American who averaged 14.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. She will be a giant hole to fill on this roster, not only on the court, but also in the locker room.
But Andrews noted, "Our seniors have grown tremendously over their four years. They are a huge reason our culture is so great on and off the floor."
Andrews also highlighted senior and student manager Olivia Donnelly stating, "It has truly been a blessing to have her supporting the team for the past four years."
The Blue Streaks will start their second season in the NCAC with high hopes, ranked fourth in the preseason coaches poll. John Carroll will open their conference schedule on Saturday, December 12 at home taking on Kenyon.
"I am looking forward to all the games and mixes of people we can play," said Andrews. "We are very young, but deep in every position, so the opportunity to play a lot of people at the pace we want is awesome."
This weekend, John Carroll's season will open with the Winking Lizard Tip-Off Tournament. The Blue Streaks will host Calvin and Mount Union for a neutral site game before taking on Calvin on Saturday, November 7 at 12 pm to kick things off for the 2026-27 campaign.
