HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's basketball team will get their season underway this Friday when they host Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University of Arizona at McCabe Gymnasium. Tipoff is 5:30 p.m. It is the first of two meetings with the Eagles to open the weekend.
The Silverswords return 13 letterwinners from last year's squad including leading scorer and rebounder
Sameera Elmasri (Shawnee, Kan./Birmingham-Southern Univ./Saint Thomas Aquinas HS), who averaged 11.9 points and 6.4 boards. She is also the team's lone senior.
No. 3 scorer
Ashley Holen (Watford City, N.D./Minot State University/Watford City HS) at 8.3 ppg is also back as is point guard
Morgan Escobedo (Scottsdale, Ariz./Pinnacle) who ranked in the Pacific West Conference's top four in assists (3.2) and steals (2.2).
Escobedo is one of seven sophomores on the team. The others are:
Madison Gage (Broomfield, Colo./Legacy),
Libby Hein (Kennesaw, Ga./Harrison),
Julien Parado (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell),
Alyssa Schuetze (Temecula, Calif./Great Oak),
Kylie Squier (Branchville, N.J./Pope John XXIII Regional) and
Amaya Washington (Peoria, Ariz./Dream City Christian).
Another second-year player,
Ellasyn Matlak (Mineola, Fla./South Lake), did not play last year due to an injury and is reclassified as a redshirt freshman.
Joining Holen as juniors are
Selena Buttery (Brockway, Pa./Brockway) and
Dezaray Carter (Honolulu/Sacred Hearts Academy). Another junior is newcomer
Krislin Arjukese (Potomac, Md./Navy/The Bullis School), a guard who originally attended the Naval Academy.
Rounding out the 'Swords are freshman
Kali Jones (Hyrum, Utah/Mountain Crest) and
Maddy Weaver (Puyallup, Wash./Puyallup), a pair of 6-foot-2 posts who give the 'Swords much-needed height.
Following their series against Embry-Riddle, the Silveswords will host two other non-conference two-game series against the University of Alaska (Nov. 20, 22) and Arizona Christian (Nov. 29-30).
With Pacific West Conference expansion this year, the 20-game conference slate is unbalanced meaning the Silverswords will face six opponents just once this year. That includes the three conference newcomers Jessup University, Menlo College and Vanguard University.
Chaminade opens its PacWest schedule on Sunday, Dec. 8 with a home meeting against the University of Hawai'i Hilo. Their first game outside of O'ahu is on Dec. 17 when they open their three-game northern California road trip against Menlo.
Aloha Senior Night is Monday, Feb. 10 against Fresno Pacific.
