The WACO Warrior girls’ basketball team will have their entire starting lineup back from last season, and they’re hopeful that experience will translate into more success. Head coach Lisa Graber’s team scrapped and clawed their way a 10-13 record last season but hope for more as they begin a new campaign tonight.

On offense, WACO leans on one of the top scorers in the area. Senior Ellah Kissell poured in 18 points per game last season and also led the team in assists and steals. Fellow senior Grace Coble could become a star post player after averaging eight points and six rebounds a game last season, while senior Katie Leichty and junior Emma Wagler combined for more than 12 rebounds per contest and will look to keep pulling down boards at a high rate. Graber tells KCII Sports being able to clean the glass effectively is a huge asset to her team.

“It just takes a mindset to be committed to making that extra effort, to not be a spectator when your teammate shoots the ball but to get in there and try to get a putback,” Graber says. “It creates foul problems for the other team, and on the defensive end too, a strong box-out and controlling the boards, with the shot clock this year, it resets if we don’t get the rebound and it hits the rim. So that’s something I sort of challenge [players] with, too, is if you want to play defense for only 35 seconds, get that first rebound.”

WACO will be moving back to the Super Conference North after spending the last few seasons in the South division, including going 5-11 last year. The Warriors start the new season this evening by hosting Pekin.