The 2008-09 Denison Big Red women's basketball is going for their fifth straight NCAC Tournament title.

Coming off their fourth consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, the veteran Denison women’s basketball team sets their sights on the NCAC regular season title and a return trip to the NCAA tournament.

Led by head coach Sara Lee, who is entering her 20th year, the Big Red returns a solid group of experienced players including a talented senior class comprised of point guard Ellen O’Brien (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman), wings Sarah Perrine (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) and Amber Clites (Oakmont, Pa./Riverview) and post players Katie St. Clair (Granger, Ind./St. Joseph’s) and Carolyn Simpson (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Scioto).

“They bring loads of experience and last year they really learned how to become leaders,” Lee said of the returning seniors. “All the seniors have a strong work ethic that has shown through in practice.”

Simpson is a three-time All-NCAC selection including first-team all-conference honors last season. She led the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.4 rpg) and led the conference with 56 blocks. Last season, the Dublin, Ohio native set a single-game school record for highest field goal percentage after a 10-for-11 (.909) performance against Hanover (12/16/07). Like Simpson, O’Brien was a first-team NCAC honoree after averaging 8.9 ppg, 5.2 apg and 3.4 rpg for the 2008-09 season. She also set a new Denison single-season mark with 152 assists which led the NCAC. A second-team All-NCAC choice and the reigning NCAC Tournament MVP, Perrine was second on the team in both scoring (10.1 ppg) and three-point field-goals made with 38. St. Clair started in 27 of 29 games, averaged 6.4 ppg and was second on the squad with 4.6 rpg while Clites appeared in 19 contests for the Big Red.

This year’s senior class is making a mark in the Denison record books. Simpson is currently 42 points away from 1,000-career points and is second all-time in career blocks (122). She enters her senior campaign seventh on the Denison career rebounds list with 569 and, with a solid season, can challenge for the school record. O’Brien is currently fourth all-time in career assists (343) and is just 90 helpers from becoming the career assist leader. Perrine needs 287 points to hit the 1,000-point milestone.

Other key contributors returning from last season are junior Jackie Pachuta (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) and sophomores Haley Dahlgard (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate), Shaina Kaiser (Ostrander, Ohio/Buckeye Valley) and Lindsay Henry (Elma, N.Y./Iroquois).

“All of them got a lot of experience last season,” Lee mentioned. “Both Haley and Shaina came back in better shape and are pushing the seniors really hard. Jackie and Lindsay will also see time and the team will benefit from the spark they provide off the bench.”

Dahlgard was last year’s NCAC Co-Newcomer of the Year after averaging 9.9 ppg and 3.6 rpg. She also led the team with 50 threes and was second on the squad in assists with 57. She also earned honorable mention All-NCAC status. Kaiser tallied 6.5 ppg and averaged 3.0 rpg in 29 appearances during her rookie campaign. She was named to the NCAC All-Tournament team after averaging 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in the three tournament contests. Pachuta and Henry each averaged 2.6 ppg as key contributors off the bench last season.

Joining this already solid collection of athletes is senior transfer Caitlin Graessle (Galloway, Ohio/Bishop Ready). Graessle joins the Big Red after a three-year career at Capital University. Lee is familiar with Graessle’s play and likes what she brings to the team.

“She fits into our program and scheme really well,” said Lee. “She brings a hard-nosed type of play to our team, is a natural leader and an aggressive defender.”

In addition to Graessle, the Big Red women’s basketball team welcomes six first-year players to the hardwood. Expected to make an impact during their rookie seasons are wings Jessica Grzybowski (Parma, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) and Andrea Pion (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and post player Christina Myers (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial). Myers is a quality player that, if she stays healthy, could be another solid presence in the post. Grzybowski is a steady player that makes very few mistakes while Pion continues to get better every day.

Rounding out the squad will be junior Teresa Young (Payne, Ohio/Wayne Trace), sophomore Lauren Sabo (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) and first-years Alesha Stewart (Houma, La./La. School for Math, Science & the Arts), Jessica Harkins (Albany, Ohio/Vinton County) and Annie-Rae Dura (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central).

For the second straight season Denison was picked as the preseason favorite in the NCAC. However, the pressure that accompanies preseason hype is out of the minds of this veteran DU squad.

“There is no pressure early on,” Lee commented. “We scheduled tough opponents early in the season to see where we stand and to see where we need to improve.”

Lee knows how competitive the NCAC will be this year and believes the regular season champion will not go undefeated.

“We have to continue to focus on the process and just improve each and every day.”

Denison beefed up their nonconference schedule with a trip to San Diego, Calif. for the Surf ‘N’ Slam Tournament. Those three games will add to an already difficult schedule that includes conference games with rivals Wittenberg, Ohio Wesleyan and Kenyon.

The Big Red women’s basketball team will open the season at the Damon’s/Wilmington Inn Tip-Off Tournament against Juniata College on Friday (Nov. 21) at 8 p.m.