FGCU women’s hoops team gear up for competitive season

FORT MYERS, Fla. The FGCU women’s basketball team is preparing for the upcoming season, which includes home games against Kentucky and Illinois.

The defending ASUN champions began their summer workouts this week and signed three new players: junior point guard Keri Jewett-Giles, a Dunbar High grad and transfer from Southern Miss, sophomore guard Kerstie Phills from Wagner and point guard Lisa Zderadicka from Houston Baptist.

Despite losing starting guard Jordin Alexander and junior Haley Laughter, head coach Karl Smesko is confident the Eagles will be able to duplicate last season’s success.

“Last year was, for many of the kids, their first year in the program,” he said. “Typically you see the most improvement in that first and second year, so if we can get that type of improvement, I think we can have a really good year.”

Smesko has several returning players, including China Dow, Rosmarie Julian and Taylor Gradinjin who took major steps forward last season, resulting in a trip to the tournament.

Click here to see the Eagles’ 2017-2018 schedule.