Last year, the Texas State women’s basketball team exceeded expectations, going 16-15 before an upset in the Sun Belt Conference tournament by Louisiana in a game that went down to the wire.
Now, the Bobcats look to rebound and continue to improve from last season with many returning players and the addition of some new faces.
Coming back, seniors Ericka May and Zandra Emanuel know that the expectations for their team will be high.
“I feel like we’re working our hardest that we’ve done in a long time,” May said. “I feel like everyone is on the same page and I think everyone has bought in because everyone wants to win.”
Emanuel agreed with her teammate, saying that they’re ready for the season to begin.
“I feel like we’re reaching our expectations and stepping up to the bar and accomplishing a lot,” Emanuel said. “We’re all in on one another to get the job done. Whether it’s in practice, the weight room or in the classroom. We’re ready for any challenge that comes our way.”
May set the bar high for the team as the Bobcats’ leading rebounder last season, but Emanuel has her sight set on one goal.
“I feel like as a team, what we want to get out of this season is to cut the net down and basically go to the NCAA tournament (after) being the Sun Belt Conference champions,” Emanuel said.
The women’s basketball team also had plenty of close games and real battles both in pre-conference and in Sun Belt Conference play.
While winning is fun, that’s not the only fun the Bobcats look to have this season. Like many other teams on campus, they have a few hobbies of their own.
“Whenever we all hang out, we have fun together,” May said. “For fun, I mean we go out together sometimes, play Uno a lot, watch ‘Love and Hip Hop,’ that’s our show.”
Emanuel elaborated more on what the team likes to do for fun, like cooking dinners, hanging out and discussing future plans.
Altogether, the team is ready to shock everyone this season.
“I’m just excited to see the outcomes we get when we see our opponents look on their faces, they’re not going to be ready for it,” Emanuel said. “When we step on the floor, we’re going to shock everyone.”
Both May and Emanuel are playing in their last year of eligibility and are looking to leave an impression on the program and the season. However, May is also playing for a different reason.
“I want to have fun,” May said. “I haven’t had fun in a long time in basketball, so I just want to have fun.”