The girls varsity basketball team is going to be a dominate force this year. The team is ran by head coach Bob Delzer. The girls are excited for for 2016-2017 season. In previous years the team has had a downfall in wins but the girls have a different feeling about this year. They are all confident that the losing streak is over and they will be bringing back nothing but wins. The team consists over 13 girls. There are five seniors on the team this year. Three out of five of the seniors have been on the varsity team since the 9th grade. Seniors Sara Augustine and Cookie Altieri have been apart of the Alden basketball program sice the 7th grade. Both of the were moved up to JV 8th grade year and then moved up to varsity freshamn year. These two girls have been on the staring line up since sophmore year. Both of them play a huge role in being on the team. Sara Augustine is the starting point guard and the magic to what makes the team fuction. Sara calls out key plays for the team and is the glue to what holds them together when the girls starts to fall behind. Every year Augustine finishes top 3 in section six basketball for leading assists. Cookie Altieri is a starting center. She is a power house who plays down low and is always getting the rough end of it. Altieri said “Im so excited to lead this team to victory this year.” Cookie is curently 186 points away from being on the leading point board of all time in the gymnasium. Another key to success on this team is senior Anne Kocher. Anne has been on the team for four years now. She is a shooting guard who can sink three point shots all day. Anne is the best three point shooter on the team and you can always count on her to make that game winning shot. Kocher is extremely competitive and puts her heart out on the court everytime shes out there. Our last senoir who is too important to forget is Olivia Palizay. Olivia joined the varsity team her sophmore year and proved that she belonged on this team. Her aggressivness and hustle is crucial to the team. Oliva has been on the starting line up since junior year. You can always count on her to be the first one back on defense or offense and to snatch all of the rebounds. These players are the key to sucess for the girls basketball team this year. They are excited to start the season this weekend starting off with the annual Alden State Bank tournement. Please come out and support your lady bulldogs and get a taste of whats to come later in the season.