Women’s basketball kicks off season at 6-0

Head coach Dave Krauth kicked off his last season with the Vikings’ women’s basketball on Friday, Nov. 11, against Fort Hayes State.

The team shows potential for a promising season, despite being a fairly young team with only three seniors on the roster.

“I think one of the things that I hope we’ll see more of is that we’ve got different people that, let’s say, would step up on either certain games or even parts of games and be scorers for us,” Krauth said, “I think we’re going to be able to do that, where other people will step up and get enough balance.”

The talent of the new team gives senior Aislinn Duffy hope for an outstanding last season.

“We have a lot of young girls with a lot of potential,” Duffy said, “We had a few people graduate, and so getting to kind of learn how to play with this new team has definitely been a highlight.”

Duffy said she hopes to keep up the preseason energy as the season ramps up.

“I think that we’ve all just gotten really close as a team, and so kind of just keeping up this positive energy, positive vibe going into the season, that’s been on the forefront of our minds,” Duffy said. “I think that when the season starts, you can kind of get in your head about the negativity if you have losses or whatever, but trying to stay positive has been our biggest thing.”

For his 34th and final season with the team, Krauth plans to treat it as he would any other season.

“Of course, you can always dream, but realistically, I haven’t thought about it as if it’s my last season, and so I want something better or more special or something to happen,” Krauth said, “I’d like to have this team live up to its potential, and I think if we do, we’ll have a good season, and so that’s the way I’ve coached most years, and I’m trying to do this one the same as others.”

Duffy, who is also in her last season with the Vikings, said she is trying to enjoy each moment.

“It’s my fifth and final season, so I’m kind of just trying to enjoy the lasts: last first game, last first NSIC game,” said Duffy. “I guess just kind of trying to take it all in because this is just a fun team. It’s a fun group of girls, so I’m just excited for all of it.”

Krauth said he hopes this team can make it deep into the posteason.

“My goals again are probably what I’m hoping early in the season every year, and that is that we’re able to put together a good enough team that we’ve got a good shot at making postseason, to play beyond the conference, into the regional,” Krauth said.

The Vikings will play their next game at home on Saturday, Dec. 3, against the University of Sioux Falls at the Sanford Pentagon.