Since she started playing basketball, freshman Kim Moynihan has admired Tennessee Lady Volunteer head coach Pat Summit and the way she inspires her players. For coach Carla Berube, who played for the arch-rival University of Connecticut Huskies, having an avid Tennessee fan around could incite some playful rivalry between the two during practice. But during games Berube is going to need to her freshman point guard all on her side.
Moynihan, who has been dribbling a basketball since the age of three and played four years of varsity basketball at her high school in West Hartford, Conn., is the only freshman recruit on the women's basketball team this year. The rookie will be called upon by Berube to make a difference. There are three other first-years on the squad, but all are walk-ons.
"I think Kim is going to be the freshman that's going to have the most impact on our team," Berube said. "Kim is learning on the fly, it's all new to her. It's a whole new system, and being a point guard is even harder. She has to run the team and be the leader and she's only been with the team for a couple months and that's really difficult."
Berube may depend on the freshman for more minutes than she had originally anticipated. Senior tri-captain Julia Verplank, the team's starting point guard, underwent knee and ankle surgery during the off-season and it is unclear when or if she will return. Moynihan and junior Marilyn Duffy-Cabana are both in line for the point guard position. Moynihan is watching the junior closely, trying to emulate her teammate and transition smoothly into the collegiate game.
"The college game is a quicker, more physical game," Moynihan said. "I look to Marilyn for her composure and decision-making during games. She's so much more experienced than me. I just want to do everything I can to help the upperclassmen reach what they have been working so hard to achieve."
With only 11 players on the team, Moynihan will play a larger role than most first-years.
"It always takes a little while for freshmen to adjust," said junior forward Laura Jasinski. "This year, with a smaller team, Kim had to make the big jump quickly. She's done a good job so far, though."
