Coach: Jamie Pewinski is entering her fourth season as the head coach of the Cardinals

Overview: The Cardinals enter the year with high expectations after playing in the GLIAC tournament last season. One of the keys to duplicating that success will be forward Emily Wendling, who is back after sitting out with a medical redshirt last year. Wendling was the freshman of the year in the GLIAC two years ago as she recorded 10 double-doubles and averaged 15 points per outing. Wendling’s presence gives the Cardinals a chance to win every time they take the floor. Junior guard Katelyn Carriere and senior forward Samantha Zirzow also return. Carriere averaged 12.5 ppg and Zirzow put up 11.6 ppg. SVSU averaged 72.9 ppg and only allowed 69.3. As far as newcomers go, the Cardinals have added a talented freshman in guard Jessica Alexander. She won 92 games in her high school career and helped her team finish as the state runner-up twice in Indiana.

Noteworthy: Emily Wendling is a solid shooter. She ranked 20th in the country in field goal percentage as a freshman, knocking down 53.1 percent of her shots.

Saginaw Valley Sports Information Preview

Having made significant improvements in each of the past two seasons, the Saginaw Valley State University women’s basketball team is looking to take the next step during the 2014-15 season.  Coming off the program’s first back-to-back GLIAC postseason appearances since the 1997-98 seasons and a season with the most wins (14) since 2003-04, the ladies will have a healthy slate of returners ready to keep things going.  Despite losing roughly 43% of the scoring from last year’s team, the returns of Katelyn Carriere (12.5 ppg) and Samantha Zirzow (11.6 ppg) as well as the return from injury of 2012-13 GLIAC “Freshman of the Year” Emily Wendling (15.0 ppg) should help the offense stay on track for this upcoming season. 

At the helm of the bunch is 2013-14 GLIAC "Coach of the Year" Jamie Pewinski, who has now led the team to back-to-back years finishing .500 or better in league play for the first time since the 1997-98 seasons.  The Lady Cardinals open the season at the GLIAC/GLVC Challenge with games against Lewis (11/14) and St. Joseph's (11/15) at Northwood University.