HICKORY, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College women's basketball team enters the 2023-24 season with high expectations after reaching the program's first national tournament this past spring in Michigan.
"Last year was definitely a God season," said Catawba Valley women's basketball head coach Tisha England, who enters her 11th season at the helm. "He definitely honored us for doing the right thing. We let kids go who didn't have the same vision or the same heart. That magnificent seven bought in. They took it to the next level. That group will forever be a special team in my heart in helping us get to our first nationals. Like I told them in Michigan, though, we will be back."
Four Red Hawks return from last year's national tournament team, including guards Rylie Hogg and Angelina Bobbitt and forwards Alexia Cunningham and Assetou Ballo.
"They have big shoes to fill," England said of her four sophomores. "Truthfully, the sophomores who came back — Rylie Hogg and Angelina Bobbitt — had a lot of playing time, but we're still young with this team. Everyone has taken the challenge and put it on their back. We've grown every day. There's been a lot of teaching. This year I am doing a lot of teaching. They are willing to learn the game and get better. This year we will definitely have to trust the process."
Five new Red Hawk freshmen join the four sophomore returners. England said her incoming freshmen class has been impressive, but still has room to grow.
"We have a couple of freshmen who are going to be impact players" England said. "Sabrina Lewis out of Virginia is our most well-rounded player. She can shoot outside and go to the hole and work it inside. She is definitely our most versatile player. We have Erianna Scott out of South Carolina who is a shooter. Anayah Turner is a shooter out of Statesville. That group of freshmen along with Caleeya Duke, who is going to be one of our defensive specialists, is a mixed multitude. They're trying to put it together."
The Red Hawks have been tested during their preseason schedule, including a trip to Chicago for the first time in several years to compete in the Toi Baylor Scrimmage Jamboree.
England learned a lot about her team during the preseason, including several issues that needed to be addressed and corrected.
"We have to be consistent," she said. "That comes from how we perform in practice. Free throws were a weakness for us in Chicago. We didn't make any free throws our first game. In the second game, we made some, but we lost games by six or seven points and missed 13 or 14 free throws. They should know right there that we have to put the work in. To be a complete team, we have to work on everything — from ball handling to the whole fundamental package."
One of the highlights fof the preseason for the Catawba Valley women's basketball team was during the "Meet the Red Hawks" kickoff event when a new national tournament banner for the program was unveiled in the Tarlton Complex.
England said the moment was 10 years in the making come to life in her coaching journey.
"That (national tournament) group stood on the shoulders of those who paved the way prior to them," England said. "We've had a lot of great teams come through CVCC, but our program just couldn't get over that hump. So many people have paved the way for them to be able to stand there in front of that banner. It was a day of reflection of all the hard work we put in. We just didn't quit. A true Red Hawk doesn't quit or give up on anything - whether it's academic or athletic wise. I think our girls last year understood that. No matter how hard it gets, you have to trust the process."
Heading into their season opener, which is set for Thursday against the Montreat JV team, England's expecations from her student athletes and program won't change as they push to return to the Division II national tournament in Michigan.
"Every year I want to win the conference, win conference tournament and go to nationals," she said. "That's always our desire. We don't want to grow athletic wise, but we also want to grow academically and grow as people, too. That is my biggest thing is to see them grow in every area. I would love to not only win the conference, but win the conference tournament so we can get back to nationals and not just go back, but compete there as well."
