Penn women's basketball opens up season at No. 4 Tennessee

“Euro, Euro! ” freshman guard Beth Brzozowski shouts as she runs up the floor in practice.

A few quick passes and screens later, sophomore forward Jackie Falconer deftly lays it in, and the team goes sprinting back the other way.

It’s a few days before Penn women’s basketball opens its season at No. 4 Tennessee, and the message in practice is clear: The team will need to find some way to counter the Lady Vols’ length and athleticism.

“What’s important for us is to be able to cleanly move the ball from side to side of the court, which we worked a lot on today,” coach Mike McLaughlin said.

“We need to try to alleviate some of the length by playing in small areas with them. It’s definitely going to be a challenge.”

Tennessee — a perennially strong program — is coming off a Sweet Sixteen exit in last year’s NCAA Tournament and was the one seed in Penn’s region. Though they graduated honorable-mention All-American guard Meighan Simmons , the team returns most of its starters and looks poised to put together another dominant campaign.

Senior center Isabelle Harrison and guard Ariel Massengale were among the Lady Vols’ top scorers last season, and the former has been named a preseason second-team All-American by multiple news sources.

Opening the season in the heart of an SEC powerhouse is a challenge in and of itself, but the Quakers also have the challenge of starting a freshman at the point.

“It’s going to be a challenge for them against Tennessee or whomever else we’d be playing,” McLaughlin said of his two freshman guards, Brzozowski and Anna Ross .

“First game jitters against that level of athlete is going to be a challenge. We’re going to be patient with them and instill some confidence in them, but there’s no doubt they’re going to be challenged.”

At this point, McLaughlin hasn’t come to a decision as to who will start between Ross and Brzozowski, as the two continue to compete for playing time.

The Quakers will also see a first-time starter at the two-guard, as sophomore Melanie Lockett will get the start along with the three returning starters from last year in sophomore Sydney Stipanovich and seniors Kathleen Roche and Kara Bonenberger .

Bonenberger had been limited in practice earlier in the preseason, but she  returned to practice last week and will get the start against the Lady Vols.

“She’s still trying to get her game back, but she’s ready to roll,” McLaughlin said of Bonenberger’s return to practice.

Stipanovich and Bonenberger will have their hands full with Tennessee’s forwards, who figure to be one of the team’s greatest strengths. Three of the Lady Vols’ top four returning scorers check in at 6-foot-2 and taller and a fourth, junior center Nia Moore , put up 29 points in the team’s public exhibition against Carson-Newman University .

While the team is focused on the game at hand, Penn is also excited for the chance to travel on the road for the first time with the full team.

“It’s the first time traveling together for us, the first flight trip for us with everyone together, since not everyone was going to Italy [this summer],” senior captain Renee Busch said.

“Playing in a big gym against a big-time team like Tennessee is a challenge we’re really excited about.”

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