After suffering two losses due to major injuries last season, the women’s basketball team is back this year and ready to play.

“We are all really excited and very optimistic,” junior forward Sam Schuett said. “We are excited to be on our way and to play other teams besides ourselves in practice. We want to win our conference championships.”

Last season, Schuett and graduate Michelle Kaus experienced season-ending injuries within the first two games. The women’s basketball team’s line-up dwindled to nine.

“Any time you have an injury, especially with a small line-up, it is difficult. Everyone knew how to adjust to it, though,” Schuett said.

Adjusting to an even smaller team was exactly what head coach Jim Flanery had to do.

“We handled it as well as we could. We had to change up our style. We became more of a half-court team,” he said.

“It was a good reminder that every player needs to stay committed and continue developing. Some of our girls got opportunities that we had not envisioned because of these two injuries.”

Assistant coach Jenny Burns Vickers believes the team adjusted well to the unpredicted situation last year.

“Our team responded really well [to the difficulties presented by the injuries],” she said. “It started with the injured players, Sam and Michelle. They came to practice every day and were never negative. They really helped everyone else step up and fill their shoes.”

The shortage of players brought those remaining players closer together.

“We definitely realized that the only way to be successful with our small team was to come together through adversity,” Schuett said.

The smaller team also offered some players a chance for more game time. The team brought in freshman Michaela Kraft as a walk-on to bring the team up to ten players.

“We have good kids,” Flanery said. “They made the necessary adjustments. The smaller numbers forced us to define roles earlier in the beginning. It put more on the girls to be more productive.”

In the 2007-08 season, Schuett led the Jays in rebounds with 6.8 per game and scored an average of 7.9 points per game. This year, she is back and ready for a great season.

“I’m really excited and ready to get back out there and play again,” she said. “Each year gets better and better. It helps to have people on the same page and with the same goals.”

Two freshman join the squad this year to compensate for the graduation of Kaus and fellow senior Kristina Voss. Ally Jensen of Ames, Iowa, and Jasmin Corbin of Omaha are

both guards.

The team started out its season with an exhibition win against the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The Jays won 80-57.

Schuett finished with 10 points, and Corbin added 10 of her own off the bench to join three other players in double figures.

“It was great to figure out some of our weaknesses before our season opener against Arkansas State next Friday,” Vickers said.

Another exciting aspect of this fresh season is the new D.J. Sokol Arena.

“It is great to be on campus and have a home court advantage,” Flanery said. “We are so thankful and hopeful for a great season this year.”

Overall, the Creighton’s women’s basketball team is set and ready for its upcoming season. The Jays were picked to finish first in the Missouri Valley Conference.

“We are all so excited for this season. We have the chance to be really good, if we do stay healthy,” Vickers said.

“This year we have a lot of experience and a lot of experienced players coming back. The girls have been working very hard.”