The Lady Aces of Owensboro Catholic finished last season with a disappointing loss to Breckenridge County in the semifinals of the Third Region Tournament. A deep run in the region tournament is a successful season for most teams, but the Lady Aces want more in the 2022-23 campaign.
Owensboro Catholic Head Coach Michael Robertson wanted to make it known from the jump what his and his team’s expectations are for the upcoming season.
“Expectations are the same for us every season,” Robertson. “We want to compete for an All-A State Championship, Ninth District Championship, and Third Region Championship.”
The Aces will continue to be led by backcourt tandem Hailee Johnson and Karmin Riley. Riley and Johnson each averaged 12 ppg last season and are widely considered as two of the best players in the ninth district, as well as the third region. Riley reached the 1,000-point club as just a freshman last season.
“Look for both of them to continue to make contributions to the team on the offensive end but even more on the defensive end this season,” Robertson said. “I would like for us to be one of the top teams defensively in the state.”
Although the Aces lost seniors Camille Conkright and Kinsley Goetz from last season’s team, they are returning a lot of experience and will have a deep senior class.
“Seniors Katie Riney, Maddie Hayden, and Lexie and Lauren Keelin will give me good senior leadership and help guide the rest of the team with great attitudes and the will to play to the best of their ability,” Robertson said.
The Aces head coach mentioned that sophomore Aubrey Randolph has the potential to be an X-factor for the squad this season. He added newcomer Jenna Krampe could also make an instant impact on the court.
“Krampe is coming back out after a couple years off and she will fit right in with the other girls,” Robertson said. “She will be a hard-nosed player who will not be outworked. I think she could be a very nice addition to the team this season.”
Robertson believes that this Lady Aces team has the potential to be one of the best in the region, as long as they continue to improve and gel as the season goes along.
“I think one of the keys to our season will be if everyone buys into their role,” Robertson said. “I think our depth could be a big factor. I feel like we have a lot of girls that can play, and we can use our depth to wear teams down. We will be playing another tough schedule so we will have to fight through the highs and lows and never let ourselves get too down or too high.”
The Lady Aces will kickoff their season hosting Castle High School at 7 p.m. on November 28th.
