North Carolina State University Athletics
First Official Practice - Complete
10/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 15, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. - No. 22 NC State women's basketball hit the court at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, to officially begin the 2005-06 season. The first day of practice was full of excited, anxious and nervous players, coaches and staff, all ready to get the first second of what will be 11,923,200 seconds of full-time basketball until March 2, 2006 - the first day of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. To get to that tournament, this year's squad will have 138 days from Oct. 15 until March 2, which includes 28 games to play.
This is what Coach Yow and her coaching staff had to say about the first official practice:
"There was a lot of enthusiasm and everyone was really excited to be back on the floor. This team always goes so hard. They just really get after it every second. By doing so they make each other better that's for sure. I thought it was a good practice and advanced at this stage."
The players felt the same way.
"I thought practice was very intense and competitive. Everyone pushes each other to be competitive and we really got after each other to get after it. I knew it was going to be this way, but I guess until I experienced it, I could not have imagined just how exciting it is to finally be practicing as a team." ~ Junior Transfer Danielle Wilhelm
 Senior co-captain Billie McDowell is back on the court after rehabbing her ACL injury from last April.  |
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"Practice was very intense. I thought the team came out with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. I was really happy to see that. We all went after it and played hard, pushed each other." ~ Senior co-captain Rachel Stockdale
"It was what I expected it to be - hard and intense. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I know that every time we go out there together, we want to push each other to work as hard as we possibly can, so that at the end of practice, we're tired. Today, I think we were tired - but it was a good tired." ~ Junior Ashley Key
The team now has 137 days, 3,288 hours, 197,280 minutes and 11,836,800 seconds to prepare itself for the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. Time is on its side now and the Wolfpack Women are going to work hard to make every second count.
Notes: The ESPN/USA Today coaches poll was released on Friday and NC State is ranked 22nd. Captains were announced on Saturday as well. Seniors Billie McDowell and Rachel Stockdale earned the distinction.
Complete Preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll
1. Duke
2. Tennessee
3. Ohio State
4. Georgia
5. Rutgers
6. LSU
7. Baylor
8. Connecticut
9. Texas
10. North Carolina
11. Texas Tech
12. Michigan State
13. Maryland
14. Vanderbilt
15. Stanford
16. Notre Dame
17. Arizona State
18. Utah
19. Purdue
20. DePaul
21. UCLA
22. NC State
23. Oklahoma
24. Minnesota
25. Southern California
