The Penn State Altoona women's basketball program will feature many new faces in the 2022-23 season. Of its roster's 15 players, the team returns just five from last season's squad that went 6-10 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and 7-18 overall.

To find success this year, head coach Halee Adams, who enters her second full season with the program, will depend on her returners to set positive examples – both on and off of the court – for the first-year players.

"I have relied greatly on all the returners so far this season to help lead the freshmen," said Adams. "Because there are so many newcomers, it's important for them to feel welcomed and that they are a part of the team, and I think the upperclassmen have done a great job with that."

Two seniors, guards Sarah Huston (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) and Emma Kitko (Houtzdale, PA/Moshannon Valley), lead the Lions' group of returners. Huston was a third team All-AMCC selection last season and ranked second in the conference in steals (64) and free throw percentage (79.5), third in steals per game (2.6), assists (108), and assists per game (4.3), ninth in free throws made (58), and 10th in three-point field goal percentage (30.3). Kitko had the third-best three-point field goal percentage in the conference (38.6) while also finishing 11th in the AMCC in three-pointers made (32).

"Emma and Sarah have been amazing leaders for me, on and off the court, for the past couple years. Now that they are seniors and they know my coaching style better, I rely on them to push the freshmen to be their best every day," Adams explained. "There's always a sense of urgency that comes with being a senior, and I think they do a great job of setting the standard for the underclassmen."

In addition to the two senior returners, Penn State Altoona also brings back a trio of sophomores: guards Jordan Bisignani (Pittsburgh, PA/Peters Township) and Emily Marines (Nanty Glo, PA/Blacklick Valley) and forward/center Emily Munson (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Regional).

The team's 10 newcomers are comprised of senior guard Brooke Colledge (Everett, PA/Everett), freshmen guards Sydney Barnett (Suwanee, GA/North Gwinnett), Jess Burns (South Fayette, PA/South Fayette), Katheryn Longenecker (Williamsburg, PA/Central), and Lainie Treece (Everett, PA/Everett), freshman guard/forwards Infiniti Lewis (Richmond, VA/J.R. Tucker), Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis), and Jordyn Travis (Penn Run, PA/United), and freshmen forwards Destiny Riley (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Christian School) and Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township).

"With 10 newcomers outnumbering the returners, it can be hard to create culture, because there isn't as much tradition," said Adams. "But all of my freshmen and my senior Brooke have done a great job of coming in and competing. These are the most competitive practices I have had since I got the job, and everyone pushing each other will bring out the best."

Adams believes that the newcomers have the talent to complement the returners and make positive contributions to the team this season.

"This is a special group. They have all, at one time or another, proven to me why they deserve a spot on the team. Avana and Jordyn bring us some length in the small forward position, and they can both score from all over and could be disruptive on defense. Jaidyn's work ethic has been a huge highlight in both scrimmages, especially in offensive rebounding," Adams stated. "Jess and Lainie bring us two more great ballhandlers that are always looking for that open person, and I also expect Jess to be a lockdown defender. Kat can score from anywhere on the court and is tough, and Syd has impressed us with her ability to knock down the three. Infiniti puts pressure on our defense by consistently going for offensive rebounds, and Destiny is going to be a force in the paint this year. We're all learning to play with each other, and every day it gets better."

After finishing sixth in the AMCC standings last season, Penn State Altoona was predicted to again place sixth this season, according to the results of this year's edition of the conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll. To improve upon last season's finish, Adams knows that her squad will need to improve in several key areas.

"I think it will be important this season to stay consistent each game," she said. "Defense is going to be big for us this year. Also, we no longer have Lex [graduated forward Alexis Cannistraci, the program's all-time leading scorer], so finding scoring options and looking to score every game is going to be important."

Penn State Altoona women's basketball opens its 2022-23 season with non-conference games on back-to-back days, as the Lions travel to face Chatham University on Tuesday, November 8 at 7:00 p.m. before returning home to face Eastern Mennonite University on Wednesday, November 9 at 5:00 p.m.

The team's non-conference schedule is also highlighted by the second annual Mountain Valley Tip-Off Classic, a two-day, four-team classic that Penn State Altoona co-hosts with nearby AMCC school Mount Aloysius College. This season's edition of the Classic includes the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Keuka College, with Penn State Altoona hosting the first day of games on Saturday, November 19 before the action moves to Mount Aloysius for day two on Sunday, November 20.

In total, Penn State Altoona will play 10 non-conference games in November and December before embarking on its 14-date AMCC schedule that tips off in early January.

"Our Mountain Valley Tip-Off Classic with Mount Aloysius is always fun, because we essentially get two games right away that are close to home," said Adams. "We also always look forward to conference games, because anyone can beat anyone on any given night, which is why basketball is so fun."