Bitburg and Hanau figure to battle once again for the Division II crown.
Last season, Hanau went undefeated until the Division II final, where it lost to Bitburg.
Both teams seem loaded for another strong run.
A look at the Division II girls’ teams:
Bitburg Lady Barons
Denny Lemmon’s club returns 6-foot-2 All-Europe center Nadia Parker (24 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 steals, 3 assists per game) for her junior season, along with starting guards Chelsea Gavagan and Erica Winters. Six other varsity players — Krystle Vasquez, Andrea Drake, Melodie Dupervall, Monica Binz, Carletta Hernandez and Jazmine Wynn — also return.
Hanau Panthers
Mike Hunt’s Panthers are primed for another run with junior Katisha Faunleroy, an All-Europe first teamer who averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks per game; 5-10 senior center Courtney Smith (6 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks per game), a second-team All-Europe choice; all-tournament guard Tiffany Loyal; senior guard Dominique Lee, and junior point guard Kyri Bye-Nagel, the school’s female athlete of the year as a freshman. Bye-Nagel’s sister, Kyla, and fellow returnee Jessica Riggins round out the cast.
AFNORTH Lions
Laura Rivera and Corinne Griffith return for their senior years to the team they led last season for coach Patty Hittinger. Amanda Gaidjunas and Tauree Blankenship also return, but lots of the spark will come from freshman Victoria Webber and sisters Natalie and Whitney Pieterse, daughters of 6-11 Dutch star Henk “The Tank” Pieterse.
SHAPE Lady Spartans
Second-team All-Europe pick Soraya Lakhal (12.2 ppg during a 10-2 regular season) leads this season’s team for coach Curtis Harris, who will have to overcome the departure of All-Europe scoring ace Charity Stowers.
Patch Lady Panthers
Fred Merrick will be aided in his first season as Patch coach by returning All-Europe second-team guard Brianne Gemeinhardt (16 points, 4 rebounds per game), a senior. Senior Ivory Knowles and juniors April Armstrong and JoEll Carrow also return to a team Merrick said will run on offense and press on defense.
Vilseck Falcons
Alex Veto welcomes Hohenfels transfer Paige Nicoson, all-conference in III-South, and newcomer LaPorchea Sanders in his bid to better last season’s 1-11 mark.
He also expects freshman Cathy De La Rosa and returnees Clarissa Harvey and Christina Funderburk to assist the project.
Black Forest Academy Falcons
All-Europe volleyball player Maria Golike and fellow returnees Allyson Woodward, Karis Brauer, Christina Rempel, Kelsey Garrity and Eliza Meier gained lots of experience playing together during last season’s 7-5 campaign for Pat Woodward.
Mannheim Lady Bison
All-conference guard Amanda Knox, a junior, and senior returnee Nadine Schumann return to help coach Adrian Crawford’s Lady Bison take a giant step.
“This is my second year,” Crawford said, “and the system’s finally in place. There won’t be any more 1-15s or 2-14s.”
