Despite losing all five starters and its head coach Aubree Lawrence, the girls basketball team is keeping its hopes up for a successful season.

“I think that with a lot of hard work and an emphasis on the importance of defense, the team will do very well this year,” new coach Katelyn McMahon said.

The team spent the off-season together to prepare, making it to the playoffs in its fall league, conditioning three times a week and scrimmaging against one another.

“We are a very young team with a new coach and the returners have to get used to the system [McMahon] will put into place,” junior Giulia Giannangeli said. “It will take some adjusting, but hopefully the team can be on the same page.”

Juniors Ashley Nelson, Leeda Jawayni and Giannangeli are back this season and each has played on varsity since freshman year.

“We want to be a good challenge in our conference and we must be at least a .500 team,” Giannangeli said.

The team opens the season playing a home game against Kennedy High School Dec. 4.