PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Coming off its 30th season with at least 20 wins, the St. John Fisher College women's basketball is set to begin its 2018-19 season with unfinished business as the Cardinals look to make their return to the Empire 8 Championship and beyond as the season begins at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at The College at Brockport.

Fisher, which posted a 21-6 overall record last season, was a force to be reckoned with in the Empire 8 as the Cardinals went 15-1 in the conference standings and secured a regular season crown and the right to host the Empire 8 Championship.  Fisher's .778 winning percentage was the team's highest since 2015-16 as the Cardinals strung together 14 consecutive wins, which matched its longest winning streak since 2005.

Despite the team's success last year, head coach Melissa Kuberka, who enters her second season at the helm, has higher expectations for her team entering the new campaign.
"We really improved during the second half of our season last year and while it didn't end the way we wanted in terms of a championship, we were able to play, we were able to host and learn a lot from that.  It was an offseason of growth and we've brought in a very special freshman class so I'd say overall, year one was good, but there's a lot to build on."

Kuberka will head into her second season on Fisher's sidelines with a talented, experienced and deep lineup that features five players from last year's squad and one of the more accomplished incoming classes in team history.

Overall, the Cardinals were among the Empire 8's leaders in numerous categories.  On the offensive end of the floor, Fisher's 63.1 points per game and .395 field goal percentage ranked second while its 41.2 rebounds per game were the third-highest total of any Empire 8 program.

The Cardinals' defense, however, proved to be its strength all season as Fisher was among the national leaders in steals per game with 10 on average.  The Cardinals allowed just 55.1 points per game to their opposition, which paced the conference as did their 34.9 defensive rebounds per game.

Senior guard Erin Hulbert is set to suit up for her final season after being named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year in 2017-18.  Hulbert, who started every game last season, had a breakout junior season in which the guard ranked third overall among all conference players with 2.2 steals on average.  Hulbert routinely wreaked havoc in the passing lanes as the Ballston Lake native had five games with four steals or more including a career-high six swipes against Medaille College. 

Hulbert, who was also named Second-Team All-Conference, proved to be one of the Empire 8's top players all season after posting career-highs across the board as her 11.5 points per game ranked second on the team while her 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists led Fisher.  Fisher's floor leader finished the season with a team-leading seven double-doubles. 

Alex Reigle will begin her junior season on Tuesday after a successful sophomore year that saw her start 20 of Fisher's 27 games.  Reigle, who ranked second on the team with 18 made 3-pointers, played significant minutes down the stretch as the Batavia native averaged 4.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and over a steal per game.

Liga Astra Kalnina will clog up the middle for the Cardinals' defense as the junior made great strides in the offseason after being selected to play for the Latvian National Team in the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship.  One of the taller players in the conference, Kalnina produced 3.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in 14.5 minutes of action on average last year.  In 26 appearances, Kalnina pulled down 11 rebounds or more in a game seven times including a career-high 15 boards in a win over Utica College.

Sophomores Sydney Masna and Olivia Baumann will also don the Cardinal and Gold this season after the duo combined to average nearly 13 points and six boards per game.  Masna made an immediate impact as the Hebron, Conn. native started 24 games last season and was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Week on February 5th.

Along with the team's veteran leadership, Kuberka is excited at the potential of her incoming class as the Cardinals will suit up 13 newcomers to the roster this season.

"We're going to be young, but the talent that's there – with time, I think we're going to be alright," commented Kuberka who guided Fisher to the Empire 8 title game last year for the first time since 2015.

Fisher will boast a wealth on young talent including Ella Eckert and Leah Koonmen who are expected to have an immediate impact on the team's success.  An All-State guard in high school, Miranda Lynch should see significant minutes while Kuberka will also turn to Lauren Robbins, Amy Gardner, Taylor Perry, Alyssa Ballou, Kylie Schlagenhauf, Maisy Booth, Elle Lazore, Lauren Bell, Sam Fischer and Mallory Wood.

"Just the idea of so many freshmen coming in has elevated the game of our returners," added Kuberka.  "Seeing them come back and want to be in the weight room and want to be in the gym, I think the level of competition has been raised with this group."

Following its season-opener at Brockport, Fisher will open the home portion of its lineup with the first annual Woodcliff Hotel and Spa Tournament.  On Friday, November 16th, the team hosts Hilbert College before taking on either SUNY Poly or Anna Maria on Saturday.

On November 20th, the Cardinals begin a six-game road trip at Buffalo State.  Four days later, Fisher heads to Schenectady to battle Union College before stopping at Keuka College on November 27th.  Alfred State is next on the docket as Fisher looks for another non-conference win on November 20th.

The Cardinals will play two games during the month of December as part of the second annual Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout.  On December 6th, the team faces a tough University of Rochester squad that is coming off an appearance in the Elite 8 last season.  Following that bout, Fisher duels Rochester Institute of Technology, which posted a 23-7 mark and reached the Sweet 16 before falling to Rochester.

Fisher begins the New Year on January 4th when the Cardinals host their first conference weekend as Houghton takes the floor.  The next afternoon, Fisher dukes it out with Hartwick College.

The four-game home stand continues on January 11th against The Sage Colleges before being closed out less than 24 hours later as Fisher hosts Stevens inside Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on January 12th.

Three days later, the Cardinals head to the Southern Tier to take on host Elmira in what will start a three-game road trip.  On Friday, January 18th, Fisher squares off with Utica College followed by a Saturday contest against Hartwick.

Fisher will return home on January 22nd to host East Avenue rival and defending Empire 8 Champion Nazareth College in what will be one of the more highly anticipated contests of the season.  From there, the team continues play at home with a weekday showdown against Utica on Tuesday, January 29th.

The Cardinals will begin the new month on the road starting with a bout at Stevens on February 1st before stopping in Troy to face Sage the next afternoon.

On February 5th, Fisher faces Alfred for the first time before making the short trek to Kidera Gymnasium for a rematch with the Golden Flyers on February 8th.

One week later, the Cardinals host Elmira and close out the home portion of their regular season schedule on February 16th against the Saxons.

Fisher is set to cap its regular season slate on Tuesday, February 19th at Houghton.  The Empire 8 Championship is set to begin on Friday, February 22nd and will be played at the highest seed.  

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