KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown women's basketball has a majority of its roster back from a team last year that set a new program record for wins in a season, played in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference final four and also qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament for just the second time in program history.
 
The Golden Bears return 10 of 12 players that saw action in at least 25 games last season, for a squad that finished 26-7 overall, the most wins in program history, and won the PSAC East for the second time in three seasons, while reaching NCAAs for the first time since 1996.
 
"We have goals that we want to achieve again this year in winning the East again," said Malouf, entering her 28th season in charge and the reigning PSAC East Coach of the Year. "But we also want to make it to and win the PSAC championship game and return to the NCAA Tournament."
 
Rylee Derr, Kutztown's all-time leading scorer, exhausted eligibility after the 2021-22 campaign, but remains with the program as an assistant coach. Derr, along with Alexis Smith, graduated after starting in at least 88-percent of the team's games last season. They have huge shoes to fill and head coach Janet Malouf knows it.
 
"We graduated two of our scoring guards last year and one of our most decorated players all-time," said Malouf. "It's going to be hard to replace them. This is going to be a collaborative effort. We have a lot of talented, younger players. We have kids that can do many different things on the court well. It's going to take a collective effort, but we have the players to do it."
 
KU was selected first in the PSAC East Preseason Poll, receiving eight-of-nine first-place votes. It is the second time in the last three seasons that the Golden Bears were picked atop the division at the start of the season, last coming before 2019-20. Last season, KU was third. The Maroon and Gold led the NCAA in defensive field goal % (32.9) and blocked shots (197).
 
Two all-conference players are back in All-PSAC East Second Teamer Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and PSAC East Rookie of the Year Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen).
 
"Casey is one of the best defenders in the country and has an all-around great game," Malouf said. "Abbey will be in her second season with us and we're just excited to see how much she's gotten better after having a great, breakout year as a freshman."
 
Others back this season that will be relied upon include Zara Zerman (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon), who started all 33 games at point guard last season. Sydney Pierson (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown), Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) and Annie Whalen (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) were also key contributors last year and are back.
 
"We're excited about this core group back for us," said Malouf. "They were major contributors last year and we'll ask for even more out of them this year."
 
Bella Arcuri (Fallsington, Pa./Pennsbury) and Noelle Baxter (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood) both played in at least 25 games last season and will have some experience under their belts. Shannon Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) is expected to be back following an injury that kept her out all of last year as a freshman. Malouf is also excited about three freshmen in Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe), Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) and Sofia Coleman (Dresher, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy Academy).
 
Kutztown found itself in the national spotlight, voted 23rd in the preseason D2SIDA national poll.
 
Kutztown's season opener is against Bowie State on Friday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m., in the CIAA/PSAC Challenge at Shippensburg. KU follows that up with a matchup against Fayetteville State on Saturday. The home opener is set for Tuesday, Nov. 22, against Chestnut Hill at 5:30 p.m., from Keystone Arena. The PSAC schedule begins vs. Gannon on Friday, Dec. 2.