Women's basketball team preparing for a big season

The Eastern Florida State College women's basketball coach MJ Baker is excited about this year's team.

The Titans are coming off a 14-win season and second straight trip to the state tournament, but this year's group has a different look from year's past.

"We have an international flavor that we didn't have last year," said Baker during the women's basketball Media Day. "I have always had it in the past but last year we did not have that experience they bring along with our returning players, I just feel this team is very versatile. They have been working extremely hard and are on the same page already."

Baker has brought in Sara Solyom and Anja Knoflach from Austria as well as Natalia Beaumont and Victoria Lewis from Australia who all bring more experience to a team that returns nine players from last year including Skye Williams who made the first team all-conference and all-state teams last year averaging 14.1 points per game. Jacquelyn Levay is back after averaging 12.4 points per game and was named to the all-Suncoast Conference second team.

"I think our nine returners have set the tone and the new players have bought in and it is exciting to see them hungry to play and win," Baker said.

It won't be easy as the team has only nine games at home and plays four teams that went to the NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament last season.

"I believe in order to be the best you have to be able to win on the road, that is where championships are won, and we are going to have two gauntlets where we play two top 10 teams in three days. I feel that our team is built for that and will learn and get better from whatever happens," Baker said. "They are hungry, you can see that they want to get better every day. They have so much grit, so much want and we know that talent is the bloodstream of a team, but that extra heart, passion and loving each other is so important and they have that."

The Titans open the 2019-20 regular season Nov. 1 against Palm Beach State College at the Indian River Tip-Off Classic. The home opener will be Nov. 12 against the Florida State College at Jacksonville at 6 p.m.

You can check out the entire women's basketball schedule online at efsctitans.com