Expectations have never been this high for Alisa Kresge and the Vermont Women’s Basketball team. After clinching its first America East championship in 13 years and a trip to the NCAA tournament, the Catamounts have been tabbed to finish first in the 2023 America East preseason coaches poll, with 5th-year guard Emma Utterback and senior forward Anna Olson selected to the preseason all-conference team. With that honor comes accountability, with fifth-year head coach Alise Kresge scheduling difficult out-of-conference opponents to get the team prepared to repeat, including matchups against North Carolina, Quinnipiac, and Miami, Ohio.”We are going to be challenged in the conference, and we’re going to learn it’s going to be a learning curve. It’s not going to be all pretty,” said Kresge. “I promise you. But we’re going to work through that, and we’re going to be ready for a really tough conference this year.”If the Catamounts want to repeat, they will have to do so without junior guard Catherine Gilwee. The Shelburne, VT native suffered a leg injury that ended her season, taking away her 10 points per game and elite three-point shooting. Kresge provided an update on her local standout, saying she’s still participating in team activities and has resumed low-impact shooting drills.”We do a free throw drill every day, and Cat is in it,” said Kresge. “She’s moving, working her tail off. She’s been really smart about her rehab. But she’s dying to be out there.”Schematically, Kresge says the rest of the starters should remain in place, including all-conference guard Emma Utterback, who led the team in scoring the past two seasons.”We lost a lot in ,” Utterback said. “She’s a grinder, and she has a very high IQ. She led our team as a point guard. You need to be an extension of the coach on the floor. And that’s exactly what she was. You have players coming in that are trying to fill that role. So I think those minutes will come the confidence in doing that.”
Expectations have never been this high for Alisa Kresge and the Vermont Women’s Basketball team.
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After clinching its first America East championship in 13 years and a trip to the NCAA tournament, the Catamounts have been tabbed to finish first in the 2023 America East preseason coaches poll, with 5th-year guard Emma Utterback and senior forward Anna Olson selected to the preseason all-conference team. With that honor comes accountability, with fifth-year head coach Alise Kresge scheduling difficult out-of-conference opponents to get the team prepared to repeat, including matchups against North Carolina, Quinnipiac, and Miami, Ohio.
“We are going to be challenged in the conference, and we’re going to learn it’s going to be a learning curve. It’s not going to be all pretty,” said Kresge. “I promise you. But we’re going to work through that, and we’re going to be ready for a really tough conference this year.”
If the Catamounts want to repeat, they will have to do so without junior guard Catherine Gilwee. The Shelburne, VT native suffered a leg injury that ended her season, taking away her 10 points per game and elite three-point shooting. Kresge provided an update on her local standout, saying she’s still participating in team activities and has resumed low-impact shooting drills.
“We do a free throw drill every day, and Cat is in it,” said Kresge. “She’s moving, working her tail off. She’s been really smart about her rehab. But she’s dying to be out there.”
Schematically, Kresge says the rest of the starters should remain in place, including all-conference guard Emma Utterback, who led the team in scoring the past two seasons.
“We lost a lot in [Cat],” Utterback said. “She’s a grinder, and she has a very high IQ. She led our team as a point guard. You need to be an extension of the coach on the floor. And that’s exactly what she was. You have players coming in that are trying to fill that role. So I think those minutes will come the confidence in doing that.”