USD Women's Basketball 2007-2008

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Player of the Year in 2006 and first team All-Conference in 2005 and 2006 while averaging 22.3 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. This past season at CSU, she played in 25 games, averaging 4.1 points per games, 2.2 rebounds per game and recorded 14 blocks on the season. With all of this talent in coach Fisher's arsenal, the Toreros will look to have a challenging sched– ule ahead of them. Games that highlight the Toreros' schedule are home contests against UCLA and a possible rematch with ' Texas in the Maggie Dixon Surf N Slam Classic. USO will also square against an always strong Appala– chian State team in the first game of the Maggie Dixon Surf 'N Slam Classic and will take an east coast road swing to a tournament held by Seton Hall. After aJanuary 6 game against UC Irvine, the Toreros will open West Coast Conference play. For the first time in program history, USO was tabbed as the favorite to win the conference in a preseason coaches poll. Coach Fisher feels her non-conference schedule will help prepare the Toreros for wee play. After a two-year stint in the Pacific Northwest, San Diego will once again play host to the WCC's biggest event of the year, the wee Basketball Championships. "I am ecstatic that the wee

fered a season-ending injury. Van– derHorst averaged 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds per game in 2006-07. Morgenstern used her redshirt last season and VanderHorst will use her redshirt season this year. The coaching staff is excited about this recruiting class. High– lighting the freshman is forward Sam Child from Portland, Ore. Child was tabbed as the Oregonian's Class 6A girls State Player of the Year as a senior. During her senior season, she set eight school records, includ– ing the single-season records for points (526), field goals made (212) and steals (96) and she finished her career as the second leading scorer in school history with 1,139 points. Another newcomer expected to see time on the court is Brianna Es– tell from Perris, Calif. Estell comes to USO after a stand-out career at Per– ris High School. As a senior, she av– eraged 15 points and 10 assists per game en route to an AII-CIF distinc– t ion. She was also nominated as a McDonald's All-American during her senior season. "Brianna Estell and Sam Child are going to be asked to play right away as freshman and probably play a lot of minutes," stated Fish-

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er. "They are both very talented and athletic players, who love the game, love the sport and are in here all the time getting extra shots. They understand that this is a big opportunity for them and they are willing to do what ever it takes to get in that spot." Another freshman who the coaches are excited about is Emily Hatch from Portland, Ore. Hatch earned an All-State honorable mention as both a junior and se– nior and also earned a McDonald's All-American nomination as a se– nior. "Emily Hatch is just a warrior.

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She is one of the strongest, fastest players I have ever coached,"stated Fisher. "She has a big strong body and she is very fast. She is great in the low paint and can really shoot championships will be held on the three." our home court this year," stat- The final newcomer to the To- ed Fisher. "We couldn't ask for a

better situation for our seniors Amanda Rego and Alcha Strane. This is a great opportunity for our seniors to closeout their senior campaign on their home floor.

reros will be a sophomore transfer from Colorado State University, Nya Mason. Torero fans will have to wait until the 2008-09 season to see her in action per NCAA trans– fer rules. Mason was a stand-out high school player at St. Mary's Academy in Portland, Ore. Mason was named Mt. Hood Conference

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