A new era of Fairview basketball is set to begin this winter as Karen Swanson Haan takes over the Warrior program.
Swanson Haan returns three starters and three others with varsity experience from last year’s team that finished 9-14 overall.
“I feel very optimistic about our squad this year,” she said. “We have a very hard-working, coachable group of young women who are eager to make a statement. I believe we have the potential to surprise a lot of people this season.”
Fairview’s strength lies in the intensity the Warriors bring to the court.
“We have gritty players with a never-say-die attitude,” Swanson Haan said. “We aim to take advantage of that skill by wearing our opponents down.”
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The Warriors will focus on playing with effort every night to mask their relative youth.
“We have a new junior and a group of three freshmen who will be impact players for us, but their inexperience may occasionally manifest,” Swanson Haan said. “We hope to overcome that challenge by infusing those players with belief. We know they are very capable.”
Senior Alexa Manos and sophomore Bella Pecchio-Shuerger have locked up starting roles for the Warriors this winter.
Manos is a 6-foot post while Pecchio-Shuerger is a 5-foot-7 guard.
“Alexa is an athletic post player with great hands, a soft touch around the rim, and an effective outside shot. She’s also a great leader for us. We expect fabulous things from her this year,” Swanson Haan said. “Bella is a returning starter who provides a very steady presence on the floor for us. She is a very capable ball-handler and an aggressive scorer. Her athleticism on defense will cause problems for other teams.”
Others competing for starting roles and playing time include seniors Ava Budzar (5-7, guard), Olivia Budzar (5-7, guard), and Marisol Feliciano (5-6, guard), junior Maddie Eckert (5-6, guard), sophomore Emily Larkin (5-11, post), and freshmen Ivy Budzar (6-0, post), Claire Dahler (5-7, guard), and Ryane Kerrigan (5-8, guard/forward).
“Our keys to victory will be really locking down on defense as well as capitalizing on opportunities to score,” Swanson Haan said. “Our goal is to set a new standard of play for our program.”
