AKRON – After graduating just two players from last season's Class 3A state runner-up team, the Tippecanoe Valley Lady Vikings have the pieces to put together another special season. The Lady Vikings open the season Thursday when they host Bremen, and sixth-year coach Chris Kindig's team enters the 2015-2016 campaign ranked sixth in the state. Graduated from last year's team, which posted a 25-3 record and won regional and semistate titles for the first time in school history, are Taylor Trippiedia and Caylie Teel, both of whom were starters. This year's roster includes seniors Karis Tucker, Brynda Krueger and Morgan Brazo; juniors Anne Secrest, Meredith Brouyette and Hannah Dunn; sophomores Oliva Trippiedi, Addy Miller and Asia O'Connor; and freshman Sophie Bussard. “This is a different team,” Kindig said when asked what his team might do for an encore to last year's magical season. “We'll have two or three different starters this year, depending on how fast Karis (Tucker) can come back from her knee injury. It's going to be one of those things where we're not going to look at it as an encore, we're just trying to get better as a team and figure out the best way to play the game with this team. “I think in some ways we can be better. In other areas we may not be as good. Hopefully that'll kind of balance itself out. I'm excited ... we've got some girls, maybe my sixth and seventh players, that are really stepping up this year and I think those two are really going to contribute well for us this year. They bring a couple different things to the table than the two seniors I lost ... not necessarily better or worse, just different.” Kindig isn't sure when Tucker will return from her knee injury. And freshman Emily Peterson isn't even listed on the roster as she will miss the season because of a shoulder injury she suffered in volleyball. The centerpiece of the Lady Vikings will be junior frontliner Anne Secrest, who recently made a verbal commitment to play at NCAA Division I Youngstown State University. Secrest, a two-time Times-Union Area Player of the year, averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game last year. “I don't know if you noticed it, I hope most people did, but Anne took a pretty good leap from her freshman to her sophomore year,” said Kindig. “And she did from her 8th grade year to her freshman year. If she can take that kind of leap again this year, it's really going to be a special year for her. I think she's made some progress in some areas. For example, I think that she is a little bit better facing the basket this year than what she was last year. She's really working hard to develop a face-up game, and to have a little bit more range in that 10 to 15-foot range. I also think that she's capable of handling the ball if she needs to. Even at 6-foot or 6-1, I wouldn't be opposed to her bringing the ball up the court if she has to.” Expected to join Secrest in the starting lineup Thursday are Brouyette, Krueger, Dunn and Miller. Valley will play its first six games on its home floor. Following Thursday’s season opener against Bremen, the Lady Vikings play Culver Academy (Nov. 10), Warsaw (Nov. 20), Maconaquah (Nov. 24) and then host their annual tournament. Valley’s first road game is scheduled for Dec. 3 at Plymouth.
