What the Geneva Eagles lack in experience as they kick off the 2024-2025 season, they more than makeup for it with effort and intensity.
The Eagles, who finished 18-5 overall and 10-4 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division last season, return just two starters and two others with varsity experience.
“Our squad does not have much experience at the varsity level this year, but they are very energetic and ready,” said second-year head coach Emily Vossers. “They are hungry it is their time to step up and make an immediate impact in our program. They show up every day and bring intensity to practice. If we keep practicing with the intensity that we are currently showing I think our team has the potential to have an exciting year.”
Geneva’s lack of experience is minimized by each girl striving to be the best player she can be.
“One of our team’s strengths is that they want to grow and get better,” Vossers said. “We are really focusing on executing our plays and controlling what we can control. We are really going to focus on playing to the strengths of our team. Each player is buying into their skills and how they can help our team. Whether that’s bringing energy on the defensive end, bringing energy to the bench, making a play when in the game, finding open players, etc.”
Overcoming a lack of varsity experience is never easy but by fostering a team culture, Vossers hopes to turn that weakness into a strength.
“One challenge we will encounter is our experience. We plan to overcome this by emphasizing the importance of a positive ‘team culture’ and being able to keep an upbeat attitude as a team,” Vossers said. “There are going to be mistakes, but how we react to the mistakes is what’s going to be so vital to our team. Leaning on each other and remembering our team saying which is, ‘onto the next play.’”
Emily Buck and Tahkyah Myers are Geneva’s returning starters, and they’ll play a key role for the Eagles this season.
Buck is a 6-foot-2 senior post who averaged six points and six rebounds per year last season.
“Emily brings experience as a previous starter,” Vossers said. “We are going to heavily rely on her scoring ability and her ability to protect the paint with her length. She has made it her goal to be more aggressive this year and I truly feel like she will shock the conference when she plays confidently.”
Myers, a 5-foot-4 point guard, averaged eight points per game on being named honorable mention all-conference and all-county.
“Tahkyah is going through an injury right now but she should be back by January,” Vossers said. “Tahkyah is the type of kid you love to have on your team. Being hurt, she will not miss a practice and will get every mental rep that she can. She is a tough kid and when she is cleared, she will be a player on a mission to pick back off where she left last season. We can’t wait to get our team flowing and then have the ability to add a player like ‘T’ back into our system.”
Rounding out the projected starting lineup are seniors Lexie Besco, Addy Reece, and Mickey Zheng.
Besco is a 5-foot-6 guard who averaged four points per game last winter, Reece is a 5-foot-4 guard, and Zheng is a 5-foot-7 point guard.
“Lexie is a veteran player who is the heart and soul of our team. She has had a great offseason, and Lexie is ready to be a vital player for us on the offensive end and also is a great lockdown defender. Every time she steps onto the floor you know you get her everything,” Vossers said. “Addy leads by example. Every time she steps onto the floor you know she is going to bring energy, heart, and the spark that we need. Addy has a huge role for us this year as we are looking for her to step into a scoring role which I know she is ready to shine at in her senior season. Her ability to be a shutdown defender is also key to our success. Mickey came over from Saint John’s in the spring. She had a great summer with us and is a perfect fit to our team. Mickey has the ability to be a huge offensive scorer, and her passing abilities also help set her apart. She does a great job at creating for her teammates and truly has a feel for the game. I am so excited for Mickey to have the opportunity to be a key player in the CVC.”
Five sophomores and two freshmen will provide the Eagles with depth.
Cali Boland (5-foot-6), Jayla Reigert (5-foot-5), and Delaney Paxton (5-foot-4) are sophomore guards.
“Cali is one of the most athletic players I have ever coached. Cali improved immensely in the offseason. She is a quick player who can help our pace on the offensive end and someone who can create turnovers on the defensive end and bring a spark to us,” Vossers said. “Jayla has grown a lot in the offseason. Jayla is an extremely hard worker who always wants to give her absolute best every time she steps on the court. Her confidence keeps on rising and I truly believe she is going to be a huge key to our success. Delaney is a player who brings a fire every time she steps onto the court. She can drive to the basket and create for our team. She also can make people on the offensive end struggle to take care of the basketball due to her tenacious defense.”
Hannah Dunn (5-foot-8) is a sophomore forward and Lexi Wegmiller (5-foot-3) is a sophomore guard.
“Hannah has shown so much growth this season. The more confident she becomes the better she gets each and every day. She is a rebounding machine who will do whatever she can to help us win games this year,” Vossers said. “Lexi is new to our school district and she has been a great addition. Lexi is the definition of a gym rat. She is constantly trying to improve her game, and you see it each day she steps on the floor.”
The freshmen are Giavanna Bobish, a 5-foot-6 guard, and Eliana Dials, a 5-foot-3 guard.
“Giavanna is super athletic and as the season goes on, I believe her confidence in her abilities to impact the game will rise immensely and she can help make an impact for us as a team this year,” Vossers said. “Eliana is always trying to improve her game. She is always looking for ways to get better outside of just practice time. She truly loves the game and the process of getting better. As she develops this year, I am excited to see the impact she can have for us.”
Despite their relative youth, the Eagles are optimistic they can put together a solid season this winter.
“My team goals this season are for us to stick together through the ups and downs,” Vossers said. “We know our lack of experience means there are going to be a ton of lows and highs to come throughout this season. As coaches, we keep reminding our team that mistakes are areas that we are able to grow in and learn from. As long as we stick together, work hard, and come to practice focused and ready to work, I truly think we can come together and have a great season.”
