The University softball team begins its season this weekend with five games in three days at the Triangle Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Leading the team in 2006 will be senior captains Jackie Greer, Erin Horn, Jessica Taylor and Sara Larquier. Larquier, 2005 ACC Player of the Year, recently was named to the Preseason Watch List for the 2006 U.S.A. Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award by the Amateur Softball Association. The top 50 players in the country are given the honor.
Gearing up for the first game of the season, the team has displayed a positive attitude in the final weeks of preseason practice.
"We've been working hard in the off-season and the last six weeks since the semester started," Larquier said. "I think we've got a lot to show people, and we're ready to go come Friday."
Both Larquier and coach Karen Johns are extremely impressed with the progress the team has made so far this season. Even though the team has already suffered setbacks from injuries, Johns believes the squad is making giant steps forward.
"They're practicing really hard," Johns said. "They're further ahead than we expected and we're pleased with the work ethic the team is showing."
Johns emphasized motivation is not a problem for this team. The Cavaliers are ranked sixth in the ACC preseason poll and the team feels it has something to prove.
"We have a group of athletes that are hungry," Johns said. "They want to achieve and win and go higher than we're [currently] ranked."
Johns, along with assistant coaches Carie Dever
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