The Guilford College women’s basketball team has made it to the final game of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament each of the past three years, winning it twice.

But will the Quakers continue to be championship material?

“I think we’ll be competitive,” said senior guard Alex Payne. “We did lose three seniors last year, but we have a lot of good young players.

“It’s going to be interesting because we have no junior class, which hasn’t happened since I’ve been here. We’re really young, we’re really fast and I think we’ll be contenders.”

The team is currently ranked fourth in the ODAC preseason poll.

“We’re preseason top five, but it’s going to be a challenge for us each and every day to keep working our way back up to the top,” said Payne.

Last season ended with a loss to Randolph-Macon College in the final game of the ODAC tournament.

“The season went pretty well, but it didn’t end up like we wanted it to,” said senior guard Brittany Drew.

“People didn’t think we could go back three times in a row, and people still don’t think we can go back now since our leading scorers are gone. I think we can. We’re always the underdog team, but we keep working.”

The team has nine new players: three transfer students and six first-year players. Though this might worry some teams, women’s basketball head coach Stephanie Flamini still likes their chances.

“I think it’s just a learning curve, and it’s not every first-year that comes in and struggles their first year,” said Flamini.

“I have some first-years that may very well start this season. All the first-years are going to contribute. It’s just a matter of how quickly.

“I’m hoping that by January, everyone’s playing and everyone’s contributing and everyone’s helping us win.”

With the loss of last year’s seniors, the team lost key players in the post position, critical defenders in the battle under the basket, so the players will have to adjust and develop replacements.

However, every team member has their eyes on the prize.

“We all have a common goal and that’s to win the ODAC championship and win a ring,” said senior guard Jennette Taylor, a recent transfer.

Drew believes the team has the heart to do it and sends an important reminder to sports fans across Guilford.

“You have to either want it or you don’t,” said Drew. “Since I was a first-year, we’ve always had players that want to win, and they’ve worked hard to win.

“On top of that, I want everybody to come out to our games. I know that it’s women’s basketball, but I think we should get the same respect that the boys do.”