Two seniors will return to the starting lineup – Sawyer Althoff and Meredith Schaefer.

Althoff is a guard that led the team in assists a year ago. In fact, had it not been for the shortened season, she was on track to possibly set a new school record for assists in a year.

“She’s our energy. She makes us go,” Schafer said. “She a great leader and a great teammate.”

The coach describes Schaefer as a “flat out pure shooter.”

“But she’s even more than that now,” Coach Shafer explained. “She’s tougher and a better rebounder. She can also take the ball to the basket better this year. She’s still a great shooter, but her overall game has come a long way.”

The other three starters figure to be juniors – Madison Mapes, Ella Niebrugge and Marissa Allie.

“Madison, along with Sawyer, gives us two point guards,” Schafer said. “She has good vision, especially in the full court. She can score and has also become a better defender. I look for her to take a big step forward this year.”

Niebrugge is another good shooter, but Shafer also noted “she attacks the basket well, too. Ella can score in different ways and is playing with a lot of confidence. She’s a nice, solid player.”

Allie might be one of the shortest post players around, but Shafer isn’t worried about that.

“She’s very smart,” he explained. “She has good post moves, knows how to create space inside and has the ability to get off shots against taller players. She’s also a very good passer for a post player.”

The “sixth man” right now appears to be sophomore Olivia Moser. She’s a 5’10” post player.

“She gives us some size in the post,” Shafer said. “She’s worked very hard and improved her game. She can catch the ball and score in a variety of ways. She really came on this summer.”

Two more seniors – Coralin Ohnesorge and Krista Phillips – also figure to be valuable contributors.

“They give us some flexibility,” Shafer noted. “They can score and they are both good defenders. And neither of them makes many mistakes. I look for them to help us a lot this year off the bench.”

The team’s overall size and ability to rebound is a concern for Shafer, but he’s hoping the team speed will offset that.

“I’m blessed with a bunch of really good kids right now,” Shafer admitted. “These are some of the most competitive practices we’ve ever had. There is good competition every night.”

The coach believes the Apollo Conference will be strong again. He sees Lincoln, Mattoon and Mahomet-Seymour as being the league favorites and predicts Taylorville will be improved.

“The last few possessions in most of these conference games will be very important,” Schafer said. “This league is so strong and these games are hard. You better come ready to play every night.”

The schedule this year is quite a bit different. In the past, the girls mostly played on Monday and Thursday nights. Not this year. Games are scattered over Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“I’m not a fan of this,” Schafer admitted. “I liked our regular routine. It gave you better opportunities to be prepared.”

The Lady Hearts open their season in the Bob Kerans Thanksgiving Tournament in Newton. It begins Monday, Nov. 22. Effingham will play four games, culminating with a matchup against standout Grace Nelson and Altamont at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25. Their home opener will be Thursday, Dec. 9, against Mattoon.

What are his expectations for this team?

“I don’t know that wins and losses will define our season,” Shafer explained. “I know I won’t have to worry about them playing together or giving 100 percent. But with our schedule, I don’t know what that will mean as far as wins and losses are concerned.”

But one thing he is sure of.

“I’m excited about our team.”