Though the roster remains nearly unchanged, there are some conspicuous absences from the women’s basketball team this season.

The Jays lost 2008 graduates Ally Thrall and Sara Cain in the offseason and junior forward Sam Schuett to a season-ending injury. Point guard Thrall and forward Cain were two of last season’s leading scorers, and Schuett was expected to be a key contributor this season.

Thrall averaged 10.8 points and 3.8 assists per game during the 2007-2008 season while Cain finished with 335 points, averaging 10.5 per game.

Head coach Jim Flanery recognizes the holes left by his seniors, but he is confident this year’s team is capable of filling them.

“We’ve got players that are capable of stepping in,” he said.

Junior Chevelle Herring will take over the point guard position. Herring sat out last year with a medical redshirt, giving her time to observe and learn from last year’s team. Flanery thinks that extra year will give her an edge.

“The fact that she sat for a year makes her that much hungrier,” he said. “She learned how to play from watching.”

Herring hopes to be a swift and steady presence on the court for the Jays.

“I think I can do some things this year that would give us a different look on the offensive end,” she said. “While quickness has its advantages, our team is going to need me to be consistent, and that’s what I plan to improve on and bring to the table this year.”

There are several Bluejays capable of making an impact under the basket.

“We all are taking on some of the leadership roles since we lost Ally and Sara,” junior forward/guard Megan Neuvirth said. “Everyone on our team brings something different and helps us lead in their own way.”

Neuvirth has already gotten off to a strong start in the Jays’ two exhibition games. Against the University of Nebraska at Omaha, she had 14 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. She led the team with 20 points and seven rebounds against Central Missouri.

Sophomore guard Kelsey Woodard will look to improve upon her strong rookie season. Through two exhibition games this year, she has 37 points. Flanery says her playing is contagious.

“Kelsey is ready to be a really good player,” he said. “When you play like she does, you can spread that through the whole team.”

One player the Jays had been counting on was Schuett, who injured her ankle in practice and had season-ending surgery on Nov. 10. Schuett, who averaged 6.8 rebounds per game last season, was poised to execute more on defense and shooting. Her loss will be felt especially on defense

“It will prohibit us from pressing and from running a full-court defense. Her versatility and her conditioning made her a valuable part of the defense,” Flanery said.

However, Flanery is still confident in his team.

“We still have the opportunity to have a good team,” he said.

The coaches always prepare their team for the possibility of losing a player to injury.

“We all know what we need to do to step up and make up for her being out,” Neuvirth said.

That adaptability is key, Flanery said. “You know that you’re gonna have to have people play a different role than you thought.”

The mixture of returning talent and new roles for the Bluejays will be a defining theme this season.

“It’s a great challenge, but an exciting one,” Herring said.