The 2009-10 Youngstown State women's basketball team opens the 35th season in program history on Friday against Elon at 7 p.m. The contest against the Phoenix is the second game of the Elon Tip-Off Classic. The Penguins will also play High Point as part of the season-opening weekend on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Plenty of Newcomers Arrive

Of the 12 players on YSU's roster, seven are newcomers. Bojana Dimitrov, Shea Johnson and Tieara Jones are JUCO transfers, and Maryum Jenkins, Melissa Thompson, Kaitlin Rohrs and Brandi Brown are freshmen. A maximum of five of the newcomers, though, will be able to make an impact on the floor. Jones will sit out the season while she meets academic requirements. Thompson is out for the year with a torn ACL that she suffered in open gym prior the start of practice. Johnson may miss the season with a back injury.

A Quick Look at the Returners

Sophomore guard Macey Nortey enters the season as the active career leader in points, rebounds and assists. Senior post Rachael Manuel has played in 85 games in three years, but she has played mostly a reserve role. Senior Kaitlyn March is a 3-point specialist who played in 23 contests last season after playing in 14 combined in her first two years. Sophomore guard Kenya Middlebrooks is a strong defender who should be an improved scorer, and sophomore guard Makala Gasparek is a hard worker who joined the team last season as a walk-on.

Last Time vs. Elon

Youngstown State fell to Elon 63-58 on Nov. 29, 2003, when the teams met in the consolation game of the Holiday Inn Mountain View Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. Jessica Forsythe finished with 17 points and eight rebounds to lead YSU while Kristy Gaudiose added 10 points. Courtney Nyborg had a double-double for Elon, finishing with 21 points and 10 boards. Tied at 27 through the first half, Elon went on a 24-10 run in the second half. YSU pulled within two with less than a minute remaining before Elon hit free throws to seal the win. The win was Elon head coach Brenda Paul's 400th career victory.

Martin Has Pedigree for Turnaround

Head Coach Cindy Martin has experience and an impressive track record with rebuilding programs. In her three years as the head coach at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Martin led the Crimson Hawks to a 70-23 record. IUP had a 9.5-win improvement from the year before she took over to her first season. Martin was also an assistant coach at West Virginia University from 2001-05.

Looking Back 10 Years

The 2009-10 season marks the 10-year anniversary of Youngstown State's last appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Penguins went 22-9 in 1999-2000, which included a 12-4 mark in the Mid-Continent Conference (now the Summit League). After winning three games by an average of 11 points in the league tournament, YSU lost 83-63 at Penn State. The 1999-2000 season capped a five-year run in which the Penguins averaged 22.6 wins and went to three NCAA Tournaments.

Martin Hopes Rebuilding Starts in Second Year

Since that NCAA Tournament berth in 1999-2000, YSU has not had a winning season. The high for wins has been 14, and YSU has had four 20-loss seasons during the span, including last year's 3-27 mark. Now that 10 of the 12 players on the squad have been recruited by Head Coach Cindy Martin, the second-year coach is hoping that the rebuilding process begins in 2009-10.

Looking for First Win Against North Carolina, SoCon Opponent

Youngstown State is 0-4 in program history against teams from North Carolina and 0-1 against Southern Conference teams. YSU has lost one game apiece to Clemson, Elon, North Carolina State and UNC-Wilmington. Elon is the only current member of the SoCon that YSU has played.

Penguins Among Youngest Teams

The Penguins will be among the youngest teams in the county with only six players on the roster having Division I experience. One of those, transfer Tieara Jones, will redshirt as she fulfills her NCAA requirements. Jones played at Buffalo her freshman year before transferring to Foothills College. Rachael Manuel has the most experience with 85 games, but she's started only eight times. As a whole, the entire team has a combined 47 starts at the Division I level.

Lots to Replace From Last Season

With the departure of seven players from last year's team, the Penguins will have to get contribution from a lot of new faces. The top five scorers from last season are all gone, as is 74.4 percent of the scoring, 75.3 percent of the rebounding and 62.9 percent of the minutes played. Furthermore, sophomore point guard Macey Nortey is the active career scoring leader with 169 points.

Seniors Manuel and March, Sophomore Nortey Elected Team Captains

Sophomore Macey Nortey joins join seniors Rachael Manuel and Kaitlyn March as captains of the 2009-10 YSU women's basketball team. Manuel and March are the lone seniors on the roster, and Nortey is the active career leader in several categories despite being a sophomore. March was also a captain last season, joining three seniors. The trio earned their captainship in a vote by their teammates.

Penguins 10th in Horizon League Poll

Youngstown State has been picked to finish 10th out of 10 teams in the Horizon League in a preseason poll of the league's coaches. That matches where the Penguins finished at the end of the 2008-09 season. Green Bay was picked to win its 12th-straight league title with 266 points, but Cleveland State was a close second with 243 points. The Vikings have the preseason Player of the Year in Kailey Klein and a preseason first-team guard in junior Shawnita Garland.

Who's the Shooter?

An early goal for YSU this season is finding out who its primary outside shooters will be. The active players on the roster have hit a combined 21 3-pointers at the Division I level. Kaitlyn March is the leader with 15 in her career, 14 of which came last season. Macey Nortey and Kenya Middlebrooks each have two in their careers while Makala Gasparek and Rachael Manuel have hit one trey apiece.

Looking to Snap Season-Opener Streak

The Penguins will try to win their season opener for the first time since a 76-59 victory over Saint Louis in 2004-05. Since that time, YSU has lost at Robert Morris, against Cincinnati, at Buffalo and at Kent State. YSU is 20-14 all-time in season openers.

Martin Still Looking for First Road Win

Although YSU earned three wins during Cindy Martin's first season, she is still looking for her first “true” road victory as the Penguins' head coach. YSU defeated Weber State on a neutral floor at the University of Pittsburgh for her first victory. The other two wins were both at YSU's Beeghly Center - against Akron and Valparaiso.

Nortey's Assists Among Best for Frosh

Point guard Macey Nortey finished with 80 assists in her freshman campaign. That total ranks as the sixth-best among freshmen in school history. She started 25 games and played 805 minutes, which ranked second on the team only to senior Kelsey Gurganus.

Loss of Three Posts Leave Guins Thin

With the departure of three senior posts from last year's squad, the Penguins' frontcourt will be thin in experience this year. Rachael Manuel is the only post on the roster who has played in a collegiate game. The Penguins will have to rely on talented freshmen Brandi Brown and Kaitlin Rohrs to step in and play right away.

Kluesner Joins Coaching Staff

In addition to the seven new players on this year's YSU team, Kristina Kluesner has joined the program as a Volunteer Director of Operations. Kluesner comes to YSU with two seasons of operations experience in the WNBA, two years of coaching at the high school level and six months of graduate assistant work at Central Methodist University. Her main responsibilities will be film exchange, assisting with travel and helping in the office.

Three Players Sign NLIs to Attend YSU

YSU welcomed three new players to the program on Wednesday as guards Monica Touvelle and Jill Herman joined post Heidi Schlegel in signing a National Letter of Intent. Touvelle is a 3-point specialist from nearby Boardman, Ohio, who has hit 135 3-pointers in three seasons. Herman, a native of Powell, Tenn., can play the wing or post. She has already scored 1,000 points in her career. Schlegel is a 6-foot post who led Wapakoneta (Ohio) High to the Division II state title game as a junior.