With the return of several experienced players, Grinnell College women's basketball coach Andy Hamilton is hoping for an improved record in the 2007-2008 campaign.

Leading the list of returnees is Hannah Wolf '08, a 5-foot-8 guard who was a first-team All-Midwest Conference selection while leading the league in both scoring and 3-pointers for the second year in a row. A three-time all-league performer, Wolf poured in 22.3 points a game last season and had 80 treys.

Other returnees include 5-5 guard Jodi Watkins '09, 5-7 guard Laura Burton '08, 5-5 guard Miki Nakamura '10, 5-10 forward Jessica Shotts '10, 5-9 forward Emma Peterson '10 and 5-4 guard Alison Nelson '09.

Hamilton points to a talented group of newcomers to help round out the team. They include 5-10 forward Mallory Scharf '11, 5-10 center Kate Norton '11, 5-9 center Jessica Vaverka '11, 5-4 guard Brianna Gallo '11 and 5-8 forward Candyce Jones '10.

"Mallory will make an impact immediately," said Hamilton. "She's from a strong program in the Chicago area and can score from a lot of different angles. Kate started for three years in high school and will vie for post time, and Jessica is another post who should see significant action. Brianna is a multi-talented athlete, as is Candyce who can help us, too.

The coach said his squad has a variety of strengths. "I think one is our ability to shoot the 3-pointer," he explained. "We are the nation's leader in terms of 3-point makes per game - we've had that title two of the last three years. I look for us to shoot a better percentage this season. Other strengths are a nice veteran guard group. We should be able to pressure our opponents and break pressure with this core group. I expect this group to have more balance with the addition of our new posts, which will ultimately give us a stronger overall look."

Hamilton does have a concern or two, though. "One area of concern heading into this season is, with some players off-campus and some injuries, this is the least deep group I've had since my first year," he said. "However, this team has a good two-deep at every position, which is what solid programs require."

The Pioneers are looking to improve on last season's marks of 9-14 overall and 5-11 in the MWC. "Over the last three seasons our team has shown improvement in both record and play, and we expect that to continue this season," said Hamilton. "Last year we moved into the middle third of the conference standings, and our hope is to climb a few more rungs up the ladder. It's always our goal to play over .500 basketball."