Kittanning's girls basketball team will have a new head coach this season, but the Lady Wildcats don't have to worry about learning a new system.
Janelle Kotyk took over the team in April after John Odrechowski stepped down. Unlike Kittanning's boys basketball team, which got a new head coach this year in William Henry, the Lady Wildcats are familiar with Kotyk.
She played for Odrechowski in high school and was his assistant for eight years.
"I'm not changing things that have been working," Kotyk said. "The system we have in place, I feel comfortable with. I've been involved with it for 16 years of my life."
The biggest question mark surrounding Kittanning's girls basketball team this season seems to revolve around how it will replace Jill Emberg, who is playing at Seton Hill this season.
Emberg became the school's all-time leading scorer last season, and she broke the record for career blocks. Her 18 points a game last season was nearly half of Kittanning's average output of 46.5 per contest.
"We're going to have a more balanced attack than in the past," Kotyk said. "We need all five starters, all six or seven players (who see significant minutes) to contribute."
Emberg graduating also means there is a void underneath the basket. Emberg averaged 12.5 rebounds per game last year, and Kotyk admits Kittanning has a lack of height this season.
"We need to do a nice job of blocking out and getting in position," Kotyk said. "The players know what they're good at and what they need to continue working on."
Kotyk described this year's team as "scrappy" and "unselfish."
"They give 100 percent, and that can translate into wins," she said.
Kittanning will start four seniors -- Liz Lambert, who is the team's top returning scorer, Hillary Jackson, Carly Ochs and Meaghan Volek -- and the fifth spot has not been filled.
Kotyk said she is going to rotate different players into the fifth starting spot for a while to see which combination gives the team the best chance to win.
Players who will be competing for that fifth starting spot include freshman Brittanny Adams, sophomore Ann Colligan, who saw minutes last year, Britta Emberg, Sara Ohm and Leah McCelvey.
"I'm looking to all four seniors who will be starting for leadership, and they are doing that, and the younger kids are looking up to them," Kotyk said.
