MIDWAY, Ky. -- After a lengthy offseason of getting ready for the 2019-20 season, the Midway University women's basketball team hits the road for their season opener on Tuesday night at Indiana University South Bend.
Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. ET in the Student Activities Center on the campus of IU South Bend in South Bend, Indiana. Live stats and live video will be provided for the game.
Tuesday also marks the beginning of year No. 2 for head coach, Alan Foster. After being hired in June 2018, Foster led the Eagles to a 16-14 mark last season overall and a 9-9 record in River States Conference play. They also make their third consecutive trip to the RSC Tournament before losing to eventual tournament champion, West Virginia Tech.
"There's more of a comfort level now entering year two," said Foster. "I've now been through the league once, so I have a better understanding of what it takes night in and night out both in conference play and our schedule overall."
One luxury that Foster does have is returning plenty of familiar faces from last year's squad including the top-three leading scorers – all of which averaged above double figures.
Haleigh Yazell (Paris, Ky.) – a Second Team All-Conference performer from a year ago – is back for her senior season. As a junior, Yazell averaged 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She was also selected to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Conference Team.
Jill Enix (Pineville, Ky.) is back for her sophomore season, while Allyson Callahan (Morehead, Ky.) is back for her junior campaign. Enix averaged 11.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a freshman, while Callahan added 11.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last year.
Senior, Destiny Chaidez (Dry Ridge, Ky.) and sophomores, Kindall Talley (Frankfort, Ky.), Leah Shelly (Paducah, Ky.) and Sierra Graham (Shepherdsville, Ky.) are also back after appearing in 20 plus games last season.
Foster also has plenty of new faces which not only includes freshman who could step in right away, but also a couple of junior and senior transfers. Seniors, Leisa Butler (Spring Hill, Tenn.) and Bailey Foote (Clarksville, Tenn.) are joined by junior, Tykesha Vaughn (Union City, Tenn.) as three transfers from Hiwassee (Tenn.), while Maddy Gray (Banning, Calif.) is another junior transfer from Mt. San Jacinto College. Senior, Whitney Evans (Hazard, Ky.) – who is in her second year with the program – could also see minutes after missing the 2018-19 campaign.
"We really wanted to add to the junior class in the offseason and fill in some of the things we were missing," said Foster. "One of our goals was to try and get more athletic and some of the players we brought in can bring that."
Foster added, "I think fans can expect us to play a bit more up tempo and extend our defense and I expect us to give a great effort night in and night out."
Following their trip to South Bend, Ind., the Eagles return home for their home opener to begin a three-game homestand inside Marshall Gymnasium. Midway plays host to Simmons College of Kentucky in their home opener on November 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
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