KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown women's basketball enters the 2024-25 regular season with some new and old faces, but the talent up-and-down the roster is evident.
 
The Golden Bears finished the 2023-24 season with a 15-15 overall record and 12-10 mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, earning the three seed in the PSAC Tournament. They won a postseason game for the third straight season, defeating Mansfield in the First Round. KU was tabbed third in the PSAC East preseason poll.
 
"This season is going to be an interesting one for us," said head coach Janet Malouf, entering her 30th season at the helm. "We graduated four really great players, return seven and added seven this year. It's an interesting mix, but they're a great group of kids. They work very hard and are talented."
 
Last season, the KU defense ranked fourth in the PSAC, third in the East, allowing just 56.1 points per game; they were second in blocked shots at 4.67 bpg (140 overall). Once again, defense will be a key point of emphasis on the court. Kutztown will also be able to put a ton of scoring on the offensive side of the floor and will be threatening with some good shooters up-and-down the lineup.
 
The Maroon and Gold's top returners include three student-athletes that have achieved PSAC postseason accolades during their careers. Senior Naia Pulliam (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) has earned All-PSAC East First Team honors the last two seasons, junior Olivia Smelas (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) received All-PSAC East Second Team recognition last season and graduate student Abbey Hearn (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) was the PSAC East Rookie of the Year in 2021-22 and was Second Team All-PSAC East as a junior.
 
"We're looking forward to this season and are very excited about that," Malouf said. "The good thing is that the seven returners are all experienced and that's really important for us. We have three All-PSAC players back in Abbey, Olivia and Naia. Those are our leaders that will be on the court to help the younger group."
 
Bella Arcuri (Fallsington, Pa./Pennsbury), Shannon Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) and Leila Hurley (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe) all saw plenty of action last season and will be leaders of the team. Then there are seven freshmen that will try to make their mark in their first collegiate season in Maroon and Gold.
 
"These underclassmen, there's talent there, they just have to get acclimated to the college game and our system and the PSAC," said Malouf. "We are expecting several of them to make impacts for us."
 
The Maroon and Gold will begin the season down south in Texas against some quality competition they don't normally see. It's something Malouf is excited about.
 
"We did this a couple years ago when we went out to Montana and had a big freshmen group as well," Malouf said. "I think playing more games will be very beneficial for them. It will get us more seasoned and ready for PSAC play. These are going to be some good tests down there against some quality teams.
 
Kutztown's 2024-25 regular season campaign opens this weekend at the D2 CCA Tipoff Classic at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. KU first takes on Adams State on Friday, Nov. 1, at 12 p.m., and then plays Lubbock Christian on Saturday at noon.