By Jacob Heid

Sports Editor

STEVENS POINT — With the Pacelli girls’ basketball on its fourth coach in four years, the team is still bringing energy to the floor.

Defensive potential is something that Pacelli shows this season and hopes that leads to competing for a CWC-South title after a third-place finish a season ago.  

Allison Smaglik is the new head coach for the Cardinals. She is a former two-time first-team all-conference player for SPASH.

She also played college basketball at D2 UW-Parkside from 2006-10.

“I’ve been coaching for a while, probably about eight years, I think I’m at,” Smaglik told the Gazette at a Nov. 9 practice. “Not just at the high school level but also doing a lot of AAU programs. I also do individual training as well.”

Smaglik is a defensive coach and hopes to instill that competitiveness on that side of the ball now and in the future, especially with the guards that Pacelli has returned.

“I’m a defensive-minded person. That kind of was my specialty when I was in college,” Smaglik explained. “I’m planning on doing a lot of full-court pressure. Our guards are really quick this year, so I’m really excited about that.”

She wants to be known as a strong defensive team within the conference, so the first few days of practice were full of competitive drills. 

 Even with another new coach, the fourth in four years for the seniors, the goal remains the same after coming close to a conference championship last year. 

“We have our eyes set on winning conference this year. I’m really happy to see that their love for the game is continuing, even with a fourth new coach. They’ve been working extremely hard.”

Pacelli opens the season on the road at Manawa on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m.