By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
The Hun School girls’ basketball program appears to be on the way back.
Just two years removed from a one-victory season, the Raiders are off to a 2-3 start this year and have given veteran head coach Bill Holup plenty of reason for optimism.
“Two years ago we had one win and then last year we won 10,” recalled Holup, whose team dropped a 49-38 decision on Wednesday against Baldwin School (Pa.). “Last year Anna (Maguire) missed 11 games with an injury and that hurt us. This year we have had some hard luck with the injury bug.
“We have actually been battling injuries most of this season. Two girls are out until January and two more have been missing practice due to injury but played in the last game.”
The Raiders have been without freshman Kennedy Jardine, who played in the season-opener but has missed the last four games, as well as junior Leah Sutphen. Holup expects both players to return to the lineup in January.
“We have some nice, talented players and it is a good group of girls and that helps,” said Holup, whose team will compete in the Westtown School Tournament this weekend in Pennsylvania. “But it is tough to get through practice with six girls that are healthy.”
Those players who have been healthy enough to play have helped Hun get off to a nice start. The Raiders opened the season with a 49-27 win over Germantown Friends, and after losses to Padua Academy and Lawrenceville, bounced back with a 52-35 victory over Agnes Irwin.
In the win over Agnes Irwin, junior Jada Jones filled the stat sheet with 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists. senior Kai Volcy had 12 points and 13 rebounds, while sophomore Alexis Harvell had 10 points and eight rebounds.
“Jada is our leading returning scorer and she has been off to a terrific start,” Holup said of Jones, who is averaging 18.2 points per game through the first five games of the season.”She has been doing very well. Alexis Harvell is back a sophomore who plays center and with some girls out I have asked her to play some diff positions. She has played wing, forward, posted up. She has been multi-tasking and has stepped up to the challenge.
“Nicole Angelini is another sophomore who stepped in last year. She ran the point last year and has been doing that this year. She is a year older and our team is completely different when she is out on the floor. She is a great kid to have on the team.”
The Raiders added a pair of talented newcomers in Jardine and Volcy. Jardine had seven points and four rebounds in the opener, but has missed the last four games. Volcy is a post-graduate from Bloomfield and has given the Raiders a strong inside presence. She had 19 points and 19 rebounds in the loss to Baldwin.
“Kennedy is a freshman who played in the first game and has been out so we miss her ball handling,” Holup said. “Kai Volcy is a post-graduate who is 6-foot-4. She gives us a good inside presence and frees Alexis Harvell up to play more of her natural position of power forward. Kai has terrific hands and excellent footwork. We have to look to pound the ball into her. She has terrific interior moves and will kick it out when she doesn’t have a shot inside.”
The Raiders will once again face some huge challenges on their schedule. Blair Academy is the favorite in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League, which also includes a strong Lawrenceville team.
“For is it is a matter of keeping everybody healthy,” said Holup, who is in his 19th season as the Raiders’ head coach. “When everyone is healthy we are a good, solid team. When we’re missing players it takes its toll on the ones who are healthy and the depth is lacking.”
