First-Year Spartan Laura Mummey

Hello everyone! My name is Laura Mummey and I have officially survived my first month at Case! I’m from Hudson, OH, which is about 45 minutes south of Cleveland. I may not be too far from home, but living on my own has still taken some getting used to! Sharing a bathroom with twenty other girls, surviving without air conditioning, doing my own laundry, and climbing (literally) into my lofted bed are finally starting to seem normal. I can now comfortably and happily call Case my new home!

Since I’ve been on campus, I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been asked about my intended major. While it’s tempting to answer with “biomedical engineering” just to avoid any further questions (only at Case is this a typical response), I’m actually planning on majoring in Psychology. Ultimately I want to go into business and use my psychology background to get people’s money rather than to help them (I guess the politically correct term for this would be Marketing). I’m also interested in Spanish and am considering a Spanish minor.

I’ve officially started a mental countdown to October 15th—the first day of basketball practice! I’m so excited for basketball season to start so I can stop playing against my teammates (in open gyms) and start playing with them! Everyone in the Spartan basketball program is so supportive and their enthusiasm for basketball is infectious. They’re the only group of girls I know who would start a 6 AM workout fifteen minutes early! Even though the coaches aren’t allowed to supervise our workouts or open gyms, everyone works hard, stays focused, and supports each other. I’m thrilled to have the honor of playing with such hardworking individuals and such a close-knit team.

My first month on campus has been full of new faces, challenges, and experiences but I’m so excited for what’s to come. I can’t wait for practices to start, for more opportunities to get to know my fellow Spartans, and to experience all that Case has in store for me.
Go Spartans!

Summer in the City

Photo Caption: Evy, Erica, Marissa at the Parade at the Circle with our roomate Archana

There's been hippies hula-hooping in the middle of the street, live music on Wednesday nights, golfing (ask Erica who lost),a parade of peculiar costumes and floats, rocking chairs on the front porch, and entirely too much delcious food being grilled up in the backyard.

Through all the craziness that has become our summer in Cleveland, we may never have imagined that our days on Hessler Road could be this much fun. Pack up the books and bring out the sunshine, and the campus completely transforms... well kind of, considering Erica and Evy spend most of their days at the library studying for
their exams, (Erica takes the MCAT and Evy takes the GRE in July--nerds).

As my dorky roommates studiously flip through flash cards and practice exams I, (yes this is Marissa writing most of this, sorry its past 9:30 PM which means that the other two are pretty much useless at this point) spend my days sporting a cute high-waisted engineering uniform and safety glasses. Don't worry, Evy's vet scrubs aren't much better (yes, she spends her afternoons feeding kittens and walking puppies).

Our summer started off on the right note with the celebration of the annual Hessler Street Fair. Vendors lined our little one-way brick road with food trucks, jewlery makers, and a pottery lady named Beth (our new friend). We got henna tattoos, visited the drum circle, and danced under the stars as Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band took the stage with ragae music that "touched Erica's soul."

We spend most of our evenings hanging out on the front porch, working out, and making delicious dinner together (Evy would like to have a shout-out as "Grill Master" so out of pitty I will give it to her). With too many annoying "Call Me Maybe" repeats and a few water fights, it may be a surprise that we have not yet killed each other. However, there's much more to cross off of the summer bucket list ... swimming in Lake Erie, taking a trip to Cedar Point, and going to an Indians game.

I think I have seen more sun here in the last month than I have in the last three years here... and not complaining, but with 4th of July quickly approaching, there is much more fun to be had.

I'd like to take this time to quickly point out the fact that Erica and I have successfully influenced a taste for country music upon our good friend Evy.

That being said, it's probably about time to wrap this up, some of us (just me actually) have internships worth waking up at 5:30 AM for. If you find yourself
in the area in the coming months, be sure to stop by and visit us.. please, I could really use a break from these two!!

Enjoy the rest of your summer, friends!
With Much Love,
Marissa, Erica, and Evy

Bloggin' it up--on the road to Boston and NYC. By Chelsea Steen '15

The calendar read January 26. The travelers were the feared Spartans. The destination was Boston. And the mission was to destroy our enemies on the basketball courts of battle.

The journey began at the airport of Akron, Ohio. Penelope (pictured below, left), a loyal minion to the Spartans, slyly made her way through security. The rest of the Spartans promptly followed. However, what airport security did not know is that the Spartans, including Penelope (don’t let her fluffy exterior deceive you), each possessed a deadly weapon that no body scan would ever be able to detect – inner fight. Upon arrival to Boston, Massachusetts, the Spartans departed for the gym to prepare for battle against the Judges of Brandeis University. They practiced hard and left the gym feeling inspired, filled with combative energy and growling stomachs.

The Spartans’ loyal trolley ventured through the streets of Boston and dropped them off near the heart of downtown. It was now up to the girls to find food and secure the nutrients that they possess, in order to reach their optimal performance conditions. Some found themselves in fancy seafood restaurants, while others made their way into an Irish Pub. After devouring platters of fish and chips, the girls trekked back to their mobile bus, bellies full and rain streaking down their faces. They now set off to engage in the practice of beauty sleep, upon the heavenly white pillows of the Embassy Suites.

The next morning consisted of a large breakfast and a productive shoot around. The Spartans then devoured their pre-game feast at an establishment referred to as Bertucci’s. After mounds of pasta, salad, and rolls made with nicotine, they set out for the gym. The ladies had been in a bit of a rough patch on the battlefield of basketball, but that was all to end on this day. An inspiring recorded speech from a teammate back home motivated the Spartans to come out of the gates swinging. In fact, the ladies were swinging so hard that one Spartan swiftly knocked an official onto his hindquarters, where he then laid his head upon a metal bar and prepared to face his death. However, our talented trainers were there in a second to revive him back to life. The official eventually stood up, despite his beliefs that he may never walk again. Although an innocent man had just been injured in the course of battle, the Spartans did not let down. When the dust cleared, the Spartans had reigned victorious over Brandeis University. Case closed, Judges.


The next morning, the Lady Spartans embarked on a strenuous bus ride to the Big Apple. After checking into the lovely La Quinta hotel, the Spartans headed to the gym of NYU. **Please take a moment of silence to reflect on the boys whom were late for the charter bus, and therefore were left to run through the treacherous city in efforts to catch it. New York City has them now.. God rest their souls.** After a great practice, the Spartans washed in the showers of the tiny people at New York University. They then returned to their humble abode and put on their hot girl disguises.

Set free to roam the city, one group of Spartans navigated the streets with hopes of finding delectable food. One talented food-finding Spartan (me) discovered a hole in the wall Chinese restaurant. Inside, customers were given chopsticks in place of forks and knives, and the pale Spartans found that they were the minority. The grub was authentic, as well as delightful. With full tummies, the Spartans continued on to the district of big TVs and bright lights – Times Square. It is here that Destinee Henton’s dreams came true. You see, Destinee was able to meet the real Spongebob (pictured above, left to right, Erin Reynolds '15, Destinee Henton '15, Spongebob, Chelsea Steen '15, Amanda Germer '15). After a quick snapshot, Spongebob proceeded to ask us for money (he needed the money to renovate his pineapple home). The Spartans explored, shopped, and stuffed their faces with frozen yogurt. Upon returning to the palace of La Quinta, the Spartans fell asleep as the scent of brussel sprouts and old people filled their nostrils... Delicious.

Morning arrived. Again, the Spartans prepared for battle and headed to the gym. They had won the first game and were determined to finish off the weekend 2-0. Long story short, they did just that. The Spartans defeated the Violets of NYU and headed home, heads held high. However, before they arrived at the airport, their wonderful bus driver gave them a brief tour of the city, Statue of Liberty included. Just as Ms. Liberty holds a torch high above her head, burning bright with flames, the Spartans of Case Western hold a fire inside their hearts, burning all of the time. Burning with desire. Burning with fight.

The End.

First Road Trip for Erin Reynolds '15 and The Spartans!

Pictured left, Erin Reynolds is a first-year member of the women's basketball team at Case Western Reserve University.

The journey started out like any other, just the men's & women's teams on their way to show their appreciation for the hallowed game that we call basketball. Thought the four hour bus ride was long, the ten mile hikes to our individual chateaus once we arrived in Rochester seemed even longer. The comfy beds, full kitchen, and free popcorn helped mend our weary bones. The next day we set off for the gym to prepare for our game against Rochester. Shoot-around started off rough, but with brilliant fight the team pulled together and ended the practice on a high note.

That evening we faced the Yellow Jackets of Rochester. The first half of the game, to put it politely, was streaky. We had our good moments, we had our moments, and we ended the half trailing by 14. We rallied at half time, and did what we do best; come together and play as a team. We came within three, but ended up losing the game by 12 due to some sharp free throw shooting by Rochester.

The next day we headed to the airport with our sights set on Atlanta and defeating Emory. Our progress was slowed by a two hour delay at the Rochester airport, but we found ways to fill the time. Some, being the studious Case students we are, worked on homework, others played card games, and some passed out on the floor of the airport (see Rachel Beaty '15 sleeping in the picture below.) Due to the delay, our Saturday’s practice time was cut in half but we worked hard on preparing to face Emory the next day and left the gym tired and hungry.

That evening, while some team members left for dinner with their families, the rest of the team went to a nice pizza place in downtown Atlanta, where we were serenaded by a swarthy man with a guitar and entertained by old women trying to hit on the musician. We completed the evening by returning to the hotel and stuffing our faces with some delicious Double Tree cookies (and if you have ever had a Double Tree cookie, you know you can’t eat only one).

Sunday brought warmth and hope to the team as we prepared for our game further by watching film and eating the hotel’s 5-star breakfast. We then went to support our men’s team, who gave it their all but unfortunately lost to the Emory Eagles. Next it was our turn, and once again we came out of the gate slow. After trailing by ten at half time, we once again rallied to gain the lead by three points. We couldn’t hold on to the lead, and had another disappointing loss.

We have had a rough few weekends, but I am so proud of the team’s fight. We refuse to say, “Hey, we just played some of the best teams in the country and competed with them; that’s good enough.” We are constantly striving for perfection and can’t wait to catch these teams the second time around.

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best.” – Tim Duncan

Meet the first-year Spartans!--Amanda Germer '15

Hello! My name is Amanda Germer (pictured middle with Destinee Henton '15 on the left and Sarah Milligan '12 on the right) and I am a first year Spartan! I am from Malvern, PA, which is right outside of Philadelphia! (Cheese-stakes YUM!) And my intended major is communication sciences!

The past month and a half here on campus has been absolutely amazing! New faces, community showers (still adjusting to those), and grueling, yet inspiring professors, but most exciting has been being welcomed into the Case women’s basketball family!

It's been a month and a half of waiting for the big day...the first practice! A new system to adapt to, new teammates to learn to play with, but most importantly a new opportunity to let yourself shine and begin this priceless journey that I am already beginning to experience as a student-athlete here at Case! It was like waiting for the first day of school all over again, but this time our parents won't be the ones putting us on the bus!

Instead we were thrown into the open arms of our fearless leader Coach Reimer, who inspired us through her intensity, passion, and love for the game. The first practices were filled with fundamentals, DEFENSE, and learning how to play basketball the Case way! Which means doing the little things, not cutting corners, supporting our teammates, and most importantly not forgetting to put all the balls in the ball cart!

These practices have been intense, focused, and demanding. But it has been nothing but rewarding and inspiring to know that I am now officially a part of something bigger than myself. As a member of this team we have all given up our free time, social lives, and a little bit of extra time in the library, but these all seem like small sacrifices when you know, “we’re all in it TOGETHER!”

The past three practices have made it evident that we are all here for the same common goals, and we each have an equal part in making these dreams our reality. It has only reassured me that Case is the only place for me. I cannot wait to see the places we will go as we continue to come together as a basketball program. I see great things in our future!

Meet the first-year Spartans!--Brooke Orcutt '15

Hey everyone! My name is Brooke Orcutt '15 (pictured on right with Berit Eppard '15, left) and I am from a small town in Colorado, so yes I am a Denver Bronco fan, more specifically a Tebow fan, and yes I do ski and snowboard. I am a freshman here at Case Western Reserve University, and let me just say that I LOVE IT!

To be completely honest I was scared out of my mind to go to school so far away from home, but I have found Case to be my second home. While it took some time to adjust to college life, I have finally gotten into a routine of things and feel like I know what I’m doing; I no longer get lost walking to class, forget to lock my door when I leave for the day, and am now completely confident in my ability to do my own laundry.

For me, the college selection process was not easy. I visited over ten college campuses, evaluated their academics, location, size, and basketball programs and when it came down to it, Case was by far the best choice for me. When I visited the campus it was snowy, overcast, and cold, actually cold is an understatement….it was freezing. However, the unfortunate weather wasn't even a factor after I met the basketball team. They were the nicest, most welcoming people I ever met. They made me feel so comfortable and assured me that I could handle Case. They answered all of my questions honestly-at least I hope- and from then on I could see myself being a student at this university.


I am extremely excited to see where the next four years will take me, and I am even more excited for October 15th to come (the date of our first official basketball practice). Case is one of the top ranked universities in the nation and I am lucky to be here; I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else! (Pictured left to right, Sarah Mayer '15, Brooke Orcutt '15, Erin Reynolds '15, Berit Eppard '15, Amanda Germer '15 and Rachel Beaty 15.)

Home Sweet Home --- Marissa Miles, Chelsea Lasky and Lauren Elkin

It’s hard to believe that these last 11 days are over already and that we are finally back on American soil. It feels like only yesterday that we were boarding the plane to Italy, with fat wallets and a ton of excitement.

Picking up where Chelsea and Erica (not really Erica, though) left off, we now bring you to the first day of our tournament, or as they called it “The Flanders Trophy.” We had three games to play Saturday, and for some reason it seemed to be a little more agonizing than the AAU tournaments that we could handle at the young and agile age of 16. The Case Spartans of “Cleverland” Ohio came ready to play and swept the day with three victories to bring us out of pool play to the championship bracket. Over the course of the day, we defeated teams from Canada, France, and Belgium.
Between games, we were lucky enough to avoid the carnival food which we had the previous night for dinner and enjoy a good between-game lunch consisting of 3 sandwiches: cheese, tuna, and turkey (just turkey) or as coach called them, “cramp sandwiches.” Thankfully, Julie Mooney was able to digest these… unlike her breakfast which she lost in the locker room toilet mid-way thru our first game. As a celebration of our solid start to the tournament, we enjoyed another great Italian meal (as if we hadn’t had enough in Italy - where’s the schnitzel!?) Our ride home would not be complete without the serenading voices and rockin’ dance moves that Yan and Marissa shared from the front seat of the bubble van—love at first sight <3

The next morning we arose ready for day two of the trophy… or tournament, or whatever they call it here. Our first game we faced another tough French team. Although it seemed like some of their players may have been older than our parents, these ladies were no joke. Unfortunately we fell short of a win, mainly because their game plan was not as transparent as the team from Spain, “Pick and Roll Madrid.” A few cramp sandwiches and waffles later, we hit the floor again to face the Canadians in the semifinal game. Four quarters later, we came out victorious and were ready to claim our third place trophy…but we played in the trophy, so maybe we won a tournament? Still not sure how that works.

After the awards were presented, we headed back to the hotel to shower up and catch the tram to dinner; Italian again—so much for becoming cultured.
Summary from dinner: Lauren learned to twirl her spaghetti without using her fingers as a utensil; Sarah joined the “clean-plate club” because “when I rolled it and it got so big on my fork, I felt like I had to put it in my mouth!”; water was still not free; and Mr. Peck tried to steal Yan from Marissa. As always, ice cream followed dinner – who said America had a problem with obesity?

Monday was our final day in Europe and became a celebration for our wins. We started with sleeping in until lunch and then hopped on the tram to spend the day in downtown Gent. There was much to see and many shops to prowl in for the team to spend our final Euros. Thankfully we weren’t stuck again searching the stores all day for a single pair of colored pants for Evy Iacono—worst experience ever! Lunch for us was, we’ll give you one guess…Italian. As the day winded down, we had a few more waffles and helpings of ice cream before heading to our farewell dinner at a waterfront restaurant overlooking the canal. After enjoying a few undercooked steaks, and the best tomato soup of our lives, we settled down at the water’s edge to spend our final hours bidding goodbye to Europe.

Looking back on our ten day tour of Europe, we made a lot of memories, experienced some awesome cities, and learned some valuable lessons that we will now share with you. Think of it as your virtual souvenir. :)

• Practice is much more enjoyable with a good view of the alps (note to self: sunscreen for Erin next time)
• We have a newfound appreciation for deodorant, washing machines, water fountains, ice, and toll-free restrooms.
• Don’t get confused if you hear our new nickname for Coach Halicki—sorry Coach, but “Donna Stinky” is just too catchy.
• Attention men of Case: If you are looking to pick up any member of our team this year, there are a few things you should know—we now have a thing for man-purses, capri pants and button down shirts that are two sizes too small.

Thank you to everyone who supported our trip in any way and for following us on our European adventure. You helped to give us an experience we will never forget.

Until next time,
Marissa, Lauren and Chelsea Lasky

Where Are We??? --- Chelsea Peck and Erica Iafelice

Ciao! Bonjour! Guttentaug?! Halo pronounced ALO!

After we discovered that we were not actually in Berlin, Brazil, or any other word beginning with B… it was time to leave! We loaded up our Fiat Minibubble vans (dirty laundry and all… including no air conditioning… you could only imagine) and began our three hour journey through the hills of wherever we were to Brussels. Let us take a minute to explain our journey aka perilous, dangerous, excursion like we've never experienced. First, Yams, whose glasses are as thick as Evy Iaccono’s hair after and before being brushed (which we discovered… actually never happens), literally ran into our other minibubble van driver Henrick. Henrick who uses GPS through his homeland (not reassuring) decided he needed to Reverse down a one way to park backwards and in turn ran over a stationary TALL … LARGE .. Easily spotted barrel. Luckily after sleeping with one eye open… (unlike Marrissa Miles… whose mouth was wide open), we arrived in Brussels.

After much deliberation, we finally found out that Brussels is actually in Belgium and that Belgium is not actually a city (Thank you Erin Hollinger). As many of you know (except us), Belgium is known for only two things in this world: Beer and Waffles (According to Sarah Miligan). Sarah gleefully (get it sarah?) sang us the Waffles girl Youtube video song… over and over and over… until she finally was able to sit down and enjoy a Belgian waffle. Our lunch consisted of: a Waffle with ice cream, with chocolate sauce, with strawberry sauce, and with whippit cream.
Lets just say, we rolled on out of that restaurant and waddled through the fabulous, gothic, city of Brussels.

“Hey Yams (minivan driver), how far are we from the hotel?”
“O it should only take us 45 minutes to get home… we will have plenty of time for dinner before your game!” Needless to say, the GPS had wrongly informed us of the ETA and one and a half hours later, we finally arrived with only an hour to spare before our big match (match is what they say here… Erica). Quite worried and starving, we decided that it was completely necessary to eat a little, quick, snack before the game (apparently waffles just don’t do it). In the famous words of Coach Reimer, “Hey guys, remember when we had Mcdonalds before our practice and Marissa threw up?... yes, well… this is worse than that!” Before we knew it, Yams and Hendrick were serving us fried tacos and Belgian fries. As we force fed ourselves the unique flavoring of euro tacos… Erica serenaded us to the tune of Grease. It follows as: “Grease is the word, it’s the food, that we’re eating.” After consuming the most heavily frowned upon pre-game meal, we arrived at this, odd looking, gothic, building surrounded by large walls and barb wire. Yes, our game was played in the local jail gymnasium. Hilarious. During this match, we discovered that Lauren Elkin, is once again our MVP and Emily Mueller has more moves than when Chelsea Peck was trying to speak to Italian men. (this actually didn’t happen… they tried to speak to me). To put the cherry on top of this amazing day, we ate Chinese food but not just any ordinary Chinese food… “Americanized” Chinese food at 11:00 PM for our post game meal. We need a diet.

Day 2:

We woke up this morning with severe abdominal muscle pains from what seems to have been caused by over eating. However, that did not put a damper on our indulgence of salami sandwiches (plural) with eggs and espresso. We loaded the minibuses and headed to Brugge. Once arriving in Brugge, we took a boat with friendly Asians (we felt right at home CWRU) and viewed the lovely, gothic, architecture dating back to when Erica believes to be the 1600’s. (we have no idea).

We were set free to explore the city so we decided (Erica and Chelsea) that we would take a bike ride through the glamorous, and over crowded streets of Brugge. This was no ordinary bike ride. Erica would only agree to rent a bike if it was TANDEM. Let me say that we have NEVER driven a tandem bicycle ever yet alone in an overpopulated, dangerous, cars zooming, area. When we first boarded this oversized bike, Erica could not get her handles straight and we immediately almost rode straight into a on coming traffic… for which a Police officer pulled us over and said, “Seriously? You girls should walk… seriously!” (Erica claims that it was the road… “which it was”). Therefore, we seriously walked our bike to a non crowded alleyway to practice… pretty much all day. We decided that we were lucky to escape the treacherous streets of Brugge… (however we may have been the ones to make it so dangerous).

We had a little down time after the city so we took a much needed nap. Erica woke up delusional and confused as to where we were… (but I don’t think she knew in the first place). (She doesn’t know that I am writing this). However, back to the day, we left for the opening ceremony where we were in for the biggest surprise of our lives. We are going to summarize in simple terms: Carnival food stations, ½ hour Glow stick dance show, and scantily clad Brazilian flamingo dancers? Hilarious. Pictures to come including one titled “Danna does Brazilian robot.” (Picture and/or videos are worth 1000 words).

So far, this experience has been out of control. We can’t wait for the next couple of days and to share our stories with you all once we return.

I apologize for this being so long, (ERICAAAA!!!! Yelled at me (Chelsea))) but it was sooooo worth it!

Ciao, Au’revoir, bye, finitto (erica’s version of Italian).

Ciao, Ciao, Ciao --- Erin Hollinger and Kathryn Huber

On Tuesday morning, after departing from our humble abode in Como, we had the pleasure of a three hour bus ride to the splendid floating city of legend, a.k.a Venice. Upon our arrival, we were once again awoken to Flavio’s melodious signature greeting “Wakey wakey geerls! Sleeping beauties! And Brave knight!” (Brave knight referring to Julie Mooney’s father). We then made the trek across the lagoon by way of yacht (and by yacht we mean: boat). Stepping off the “yacht” we were greeted by picaresque Venetian houses, mansions and cathedrals with whitewashed walls, marble columns and orange tile roofs…and a multitude of noisy, dirty, smelly tourists. Once again, we were treated to another delectable authentic Italian lunch, followed by our first experience of getting lost in the winding maze of Venice. No worries, we found our way back just in time for a two hour walking tour of the streets and canals of the city, which actually became a history lesson instead. On this tour, we were educated on everything from the façade of St. Mark’s Duomo (Cathedral), to the construction of the gondolas, and finally to the “peegeon sheet” of the city’s public drinking supply.

After that, we were then turned loose upon the city to get lost to an even greater extent than before, where we could deplete the remainder of our Euros. With tired feet and a heavy heart, we returned not so empty handed to our “yacht” with souvenirs ranging from stockpiles of Venetian glass jewelry (the entire Mooney family and Chelsea Lasky) to enormously oversized sunglasses (Emily Mueller) and fabulous semi-authentic Prada handbags (Sarah Milligan). With such goods in hand, we then made our way to the illustrious and extremely unfamiliar Holiday Inn where we served a dinner of pork parmesan, an endless supply of ham pasta and French fries.

Entirely too early the next morning, we were bussed over to the Venetian airport to say our final farewells to Flavio and his brightly colored and super tight pants. By some miracle, Erica Iafelice’s bag was able to pass the weight limit and make it onto our plane (by the way, the miracle was Kathryn Huber). This plane was no ordinary plane, however, it was a plane of tiny yellow and blue plastic seats supplemented with a one of a kind in-plane outlet mall selling everything from Hello Kitty perfume to men’s tailored business suits. This plane also contained specific instructions to remove all our high heels and dentures in the case of an emergency (keep in mind that we are college basketball players and of course make use of both in our everyday lives).


Even though no one actually knew were we were going (Chelsea Peck and Erica Iafelice definitely didn’t even know which country we were in), we made it to Belgium safely and rendezvoused with our new tour guides Yon and Hendrich. They then took us by Fiat minivan on a three hour trip through the winding hills to our homey hotel in Saarbroken. Here we were treated to our first German meal consisting of delicious schnitzel. Following this meal, we headed off to play a semi-friendly game against a semi-German team. Even if it wasn’t the prettiest of matches, Lauren Elkin proved to be the team’s MVP and Erin Hollinger became the team’s first player to foul out, only to make a huge comeback by returning to play the entire second half with six fouls.


All in all, even though in these countries lavatory breaks come with a monetary fee, and gas stations come with their very own Pizza Huts (with slogan reading “Done the American Way”), we have found Italy, Germany, and Brussels (and whatever other country Erica and Chelsea think they are in) to be beautiful, friendly and very good at basketball.

Signing off,

Two very well gelato fed, ankle swollen, and recently smashed by huge German/American/14-year old ballers:

Erin Hollinger and Kathryn Huber

Marble Churches and George Clooney--by Evy Iacono & Julie Mooney

Day Two-

After a good nights rest we were ready for our first full day in Italy. We woke up and had our first Italian breakfast consisting of fresh breads, meats and cheeses, croissants, and the team favorite, cappuccinos. After breakfast, we got on the bus en route to Milan, the fashion capital of the world. Needless to say, we were all extremely excited. Once arriving in Milan, we met up with our tour guide, Alessandro. She gave us a tour of "The Last Supper", the famous painting by Leonardo di Vinici. It is in a special room that helps to preserve the masterpiece.

After seeing the Last Supper, we went to the castle, which was gigantic and extremely beautiful. Alessandro filled us in on much of the history of Milan as we walked around the castle, the famous Scala Opera House, and the Galleria. The Galleria was amazing, with ornate glass ceilings, and shopping that none of us could come close to affording. In the center of the Galleria was a superstitious bull painted on the floor that you could spin around on in order to receive good luck, and become reenergized. Once we became reenergized, we walked to the Duomo, the largest marble structure in the world, and the fourth largest gothic building. We then had free time to walk around the city and go shopping, but because it was a holiday most of the shops were closed. This was probably a good thing or else we would have ended up very broke. After our time in Milan we returned to the bus to head back to Como for practice. We were all exhausted and passed out on the ride home, waking up every once in awhile to the obnoxious singing of Flavio.

Because we were all reenergized from spinning on the bull, we had a productive practice, but this time indoors. After practice, we all cleaned up for our second dinner in Como which consisted of the best lasagna we had ever had. After dinner we had the rest of the night to explore the city of Como and eat as much gelato as possible.

Day Three-

After another fabulous Italian breakfast with multiple cappuccinos, we were ready to board the boat to travel to Belaggio. The whole team sat on the open deck to get a prime view of the picturesque scenery. We were surrounded by the foothills of the alps with villages scattered on the hillside. As we went along on our two hour ride, Flavio pointed out George Clooney’s villas while we took A LOT of pictures. When we got there we shopped, had lunch, and explored the city of Belaggio. The city was quaint and on a huge hill, with narrow streets on a steep incline. After a full day of shopping and eating, we returned to Como to go home and get changed for practice. We had our third and final practice to get ready for our first game, which we’re excited for, but not quite sure what to expect.

After practice we had a delicious dinner and a free night to relax in the city. We are headed to Venice tomorrow to experience the most romantic city in the world!

We Made It!!! --- Emily Mueller and Sarah Milligan

After several neckpillows, two airplane meals, and 8 hours of watching Julie Mooney contort her body in every possible position to get comfortable, we arrived in Milan at 7:30 am. We were completely exhausted, but started to get excited when we met our tour guide, Flavio (aka Flava Flave!). We loaded all the luggage onto our Mercedes Benz tour bus where Sergio (the Lion of Como) took us to our hotel in the heart of Como. On the way, we asked important questions like, "Are there squirrels in Italy?" ~ Erin Hollinger.

We dropped off our luggage at Hotel Plinius and set off on a tour of Como. The views were amazing, from the Alps in the background to the architecture in the streets. Flavio directed us through the town to the Saturday Flea Market. We were left on our own to shop and Lauren Elkin taught us all how to barter. All that shopping made us hungry, so we stopped by an outdoor cafe where we ate the greatest sandwich we've ever had. The fresh mozzarella and the tasty cappuccinos definitely helped us re-energize for more shopping.

Jet lag started taking its toll right around the time we were leaving for practice, so to wake us all up we practiced outside on a turf basketball court with the Alps in view (a very European way to start our basketball "training sessions"). After practice, we came back to the hotel, got dressed and went to dinner. We were served pasta, veal, and coffee ice cream. It was fantastico!! Despite having had dessert at the restaurant, we stopped for some gelato (our second time that day). We walked around Como for a little while longer before we returned to our hotel and slept like we've never slept before. So far, our trip to Italy has been great!

The Spartans Make Me Smile--Coach Jennifer Reimer

The Spartans are amazing! Anytime someone asks me about our basketball team at Case, that's what I tell them. The women on our team are first and foremost great people; they are caring, hard-working, bright, self-motivated young women. They are the greatest!

So you can only imagine how thrilled I was to see all of our hard work recognized. Our team GPA of 3.609 earned us the #1 ranking in all of Division III on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Academic Honor Roll. This group of biology, chemistry, engineering, nursing, computer science, accounting, management and world literature majors knocked it out of the park!!! (And if you are one of our alumnae reading this, you're the greatest, too and you really understand classes here are no joke!!! :) Not only did our team GPA rank as the best in all of NCAA Division III, but we finished #6 in all the divisions combined.

And it doesn't stop there!!! 6 of our players received All-Academic Recognition from the UAA this season. Erin Hollinger was named to the Capital One Academic All-America team and was a finalist for the prestigious Jostens' Award.

BUT WAIT! It just keeps coming!!! These Spartans are taking summer classes and working hard in the gym this summer while also working at places like The Cincinnati Zoo, Swaglok, Consol Energy, 84 Lumber and Nordstrom!


And let's not forget...we're pretty good when we take the court. Our 13-12 record (7-7 in the UAAa 4th-place finish in the league) was the best conference finish for a Case women's basketball team since 2002. Whoo hoo!!!

The blog title says it all...each and every day, the Spartans make me smile. The women who are part, have been part, and will be part of our Case women's basketball program are special. We'll continue to work hard, continue to support one another, and continue to raise the bar higher. Think beyond the possible...GO SPARTANS!

P.S. Stay tuned to our facebook page and this blog page August 12-23. The team will be traveling and playing in Italy and Belgium. We'll be sure to update you on all of our adventures!

Spartan Buddies! by Chelsea Lasky

This year, the Spartans began a new program to get in touch with Case Women’s Basketball alumae for networking and friendship purposes—if not just to share in the perils of running 5 suicides in a row because no one opened their mouth to call out a switch.

In August, we anxiously awaited the email from coach announcing our Spartan Buddy matches so we could introduce ourselves and get the alums reconnected to the program. Some players were matched with recent grads like Ashleigh Tondo, Anna Taylor and Mary Herendeen, while others received matches who matriculated before Coach Reimer’s time at Case.

I got my Spartan Buddy’s name, Tracy Roessner (pictured in purple with members of the women's basketball team above,) I sent an email and immediately got a response from a more-than-enthusiastic Tracy. Very quickly we formed a friendship which shares a love for basketball and a present/past not only as a student at Case, but an assistant coach here as well (for those of you who didn’t already know, I am student coaching this year).

Tracy lives in Chicago, so we shoot each other emails every so often; me to update Tracy on the season and see if anything is new with her, and her to give encouragement and just to talk about anything and everything.

One exciting thing about this whole match-up was getting to meet Tracy for the first time when we traveled to Chicago for conference play a couple weeks ago. We knew well in advance the date of the game, and we were both looking forward to meeting one another. In an email reminder of the date, Tracy responded, “I have been looking forward to it all month!” After the game, I got the chance to meet my Spartan Buddy and we talked through most of the guys’ game which followed.

I learned so much about what Case was like a few years ago, and I shared so much about how Case has changed and how we do things these days. Tracy and I do not share a major—she graduated with a social sciences degree and I am on track in the engineering school—but that didn’t stop us from talking about so much.

The Spartan Buddy program may just be in its inaugural year, but it is doing great things for past and present players at Case. Tracy shares the same love I have for the Case Basketball program and she hopes to see us succeed more and more each and every year. I think it’s safe to say the whole team, as well as Tracy, hope to repeat her senior year appearance in the NCAA Tournament back in 2002.

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

By Marissa Miles, Class of 2013


Ahh... another semester of college down. I can't decide what about this makes me happier, the thought of finally having time to sleep at night, or the fact that I won't be seeing the inside of the library for at least a solid month. It's refreshing to know that every time coach pulls us into a huddle to talk about increasing our energy, I won't automatically think of the thermodynamics behind it. And when she draws up an inbounds play at a timeout, I won't accidentally mistake the arrows for the movement of electrons across a bond rather than the movement of the ball across the floor. So you caught me, I'm a certified nerd. I guess that’s something that one should expect once they've found friendship with the afterhours security guard at the library and is on first name basis with the Safe Ride driver that brings you home after a long night hidden away in the stacks studying.


Finals week at Case is officially OVER! Now, I don't know if you've ever experienced anything like it before, but finals week here is without a doubt the craziest time of the year. Campus immediately becomes the walking grounds for a few thousand exhausted, zombie-like individuals making the trek to a horrifying 3 hour final, giant cup of coffee in hand. I'm trying to decide what about finals week was more entertaining, witnessing teammate Caitlin Rudge take a 5 Hour Energy and then fall asleep an hour later or watching Chelsea Lasky nap face first into her open Physics book. Despite all the late nights and hard work, all that matters now is that it's over, and somehow we made it out alive.

So now we're on to one of the most fun times of the year, winter break. A few days ago, campus shut down, and the majority of Case Western students made their ways home for the holidays. We however, just relocated to a different part of campus. For a few days now, and then for quite a few more after Christmas, our team all moves in together while we're here for winter practice and a few games. Sure, there's moments when being the only people on campus and spending entirely too much time together makes us want to kill each other, but for the most part we have a ton of fun. Who wouldn't enjoy a day full of basketball, food, movies, and NO class. It's spectacular. Although it's true that some mornings when I wake up in this different living situation I miss the sounds of Erica obnoxiously blowing her nose, I now know that Lauren's right downstairs ready at any moment to spit a rap for us. Living with my other teammates over Winter Break is definitely a bonding experience, and you really get the opportunity to learn more about each other than we already knew. For example, today I saw an old photo of Sarah Milligan dressed as a nun (we'll leave it at that).

I'm excited to beat Wooster on Sunday, head home for a few days with the family, and then get right back here to Cleveland to prepare for our Holiday tournament. A few great basketball games, a team holiday party, and a whole lot of bonding... they don't call it the most wonderful time of the year for nothing. Happy holidays!

Marissa

Here we go!

Basketball Season Begins--Sarah Milligan '12, Team Captain

On October 15, the Case Women’s Basketball team prepared for our first day of practice. It was a day we had been anticipating since the end of last season. After last season ended, we hit the weight room and focused on improving our skills on the court. But on October 15, all of our hard work in the offseason was over and it was time to start practicing. We were all so excited to get started, but also nervous to see what Coach would throw at us during practice. The first practice was challenging and physically demanding, but we worked hard and pushed ourselves to get better. One of the best things about our team is that we are all so supportive of each other—we are always there to pick each other up. We came together during the first practice, and it was a great feeling. (Sarah is pictured above, far right)

The first week of practice as a whole has been great. We have done a lot of conditioning, started to work on our offense, and of course we have focused on our team’s pride—our defense! It is exciting to see how our team is shaping up, what our strengths are and what we need to improve upon. I am so excited for this season. We have so much talent, great unity and a lot of enthusiasm. We have set high goals for our team, and we are working hard every day to reach those goals!

Meet the Spartan Class of 2014--Kathryn Huber!

From Tyler, Texas I send yall all a southern drawled- 'howdy'.
As I begin my freshman year in the dreary Cleveland, cold and cloudy,
I plan on majoring in the wildly popular world literature (totally the norm)
And am therefore writing my short biography in poetic form.
When I first began my inquiry into the wildly unknown world of college,
I originally hoped to find a great school of nerdy knowledge,
As well as a great team of awesome talent and skill,
A place where the odds of failure were slim to nil.
Luckily, I found myself finally on the doorstep of Case,
Unwanting of a home in any other colliegent place.

My summer (unlike this poem) in detail, would make you want to sob,
As my time was spent trying to balance three terribly boring jobs.
The first, and most entertaining, was a job at the Mexican Resturante El Chico,
Where my tasks included waiting tables, cleaning kitchens, and making pico.
The second, and most boring, was a job at the local Willowbrook Country Club,
Where these tasks included serving food, making drinks, and cleaning the hot tub.
Thirdly, and lastly, was a job coaching a middle school basketball team,
Which is entirely much more difficult than it would seem.
So yes, besides this much strung out - work - filled summer,
I'm sorry to say, that recently my life was largely uneventful...bummer.

And now as I conclude this brief biography,
About my summer, hopes and recent drastic change in geography,
I'll take this time to express my excitement for the coming season this fall,
and am ready to go the NCAA III Tournament and take it all!

Meet our First-Year Spartans--Julie Mooney!

Hi everyone! My name is Julie Mooney (pictured left; Caitlin Henry, middle; Evy Iacono, right.) I am from Dublin, Ohio, which is two hours south of Case Western. I am extremely excited to be here, and I am looking forward to a great first year of college. I chose Case Western mainly because of their outstanding nursing program. I knew Case had a great reputation, and after the first week of classes I can easily understand why. The combination of demanding classes and clinicals, and faculty members who are very knowledgable and supportive, makes me feel confident I will receve a great education. I also loved the basketball team and the coaches when I visited them in January. They have all been very welcoming and nice.

This summer, I spent most of my time with friends and family. I also spent four days a week babysitting in order to make a little money for school. I did manage to fit in a couple of great vacations. For my graduation present, my parents rented a house on an island in Florida. I took 6 friends and we had a great time. Then, since I recently took up playing golf with my family and friends, my Dad took me to the Greenbrier Resort for a weekend of golf in July. It was awesome! During my free time, I enjoy running and hanging out with my friends. I had a great summer, and am now ready to buckle down and get ready for school.

I am really looking forward to this school year and the basketball season! I am going to miss everyone from home but I will have plenty of time to see them when I go home for breaks. These next four years should be a great experience at Case Western

Meet the Spartan Class of 2014--Lauren Elkin!

Hi! My name is Lauren Elkin, and I am from Reisterstown, Maryland. After applying to 12 schools and typing up many essays, I am very happy that I ended up at Case Western Reserve University!

I chose this school for several reasons. Most obviously, I chose this school for its awesome academic reputation. What sealed the deal was when I met Coach Reimer at an open house. After taking a tour of Veale and learning about the basketball program, I knew that this place would provide me with the perfect balance between academics and sports. I sent my deposit in that same day. I was officially a Spartan!

My summer has been fun. It started off with a day at Ocean City. Later on, my grandfather had surgery, so I spent a lot of time helping him and my grandmother. After all that was over, we focused on the playoffs for this coed adult softball team that my uncle, my sister, my dad, and I were all apart of. This was the first year that my sister and I joined the team, so the playoffs were super intense for us. In the end, we came out on top in the championship game! That was a blast! After that, I saw one last Ravens game live before I entered the Browns town…GO RAVENS! I concluded this awesome summer with a big family dinner. It was super fun!

So, I finally made it to Case after a 6 1/2 hour drive. I am going to miss my family a lot, and it will be hard for me to not see my twin sister every day (she's the one in the photo on the right), but I am so excited to be a Spartan!! These next four years will be absolutely awesome!!

The Shield--Issue 2

THE KEY TO SUCCESS
by Coach Freeman Blade

There are literally hundreds of books, articles, papers, seminars and audio/video tapes on the topic of success.

I want to take a 30 second time out and share with you what I believe is a key to your success—preparedness.

Consider this:

1. Preparation is the key to success.

2. Luck favors a mind that is prepared.

3. If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

Allow me to ask you a few questions:

1. How are you preparing now for your future success?

2. What has been your attitude in these summer months toward preparing for the fall or winter?

3. Are you developing your strengths and improving your weaknesses?

4. Are you improving your fitness level so you are able to work on your skills at game speed?

5. How much introspection (checking in on yourself daily) are you doing?

6. Will you have learned more about who you are as a person and as a player by the end of the summer?

Keep this in mind throughout August—how you prepare, the level of your commitment to preparedness will determine the level of your success. It will determine the quality of your success and the longevity of your success.

The best preparation for tomorrow is in doing your best today. Your will to prepare must be greater than your will to succeed.

Go Spartans!

The Shield: Issue 1

THOUGHTS FROM THE CASE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL OFFICE
by Coach Freeman Blade

There is an ebb and flow to every game, there are times when the offense is just not clicking and there are moments when you think you can't do anything right. The ball is not falling, the officials are not making the calls and fans (parents and friends) are not sure what to think.

There is, however, one thing that you have absolute control over. It is your relentless pursuit for excellence. It is your hustle, your hard work and your never-say-die-attitude. It is the hustle, the hard work and the never give up attitude that makes the difference between winning a ball game by one or losing by one.

Always work with this thought in mind: I will work harder than you, I will hustle more than you and I will be more efficient than you. It is about getting the most out of the moment that we have.

Go Spartans!