New Style Previewed In Old World 9/4/02

The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team went to the Old World to preview their new style. The early reviews are in and winning is always fashionable. In between sightseeing stops at several of Italy’s most notable spots, Vanderbilt racked up three lopsided victories on an exhibition tour.

Chantelle Anderson showed she could be as effective as ever under new Head Coach Melanie Balcomb’s uptempo approach to the game, yet several others looked lethal as well.

“I would definitely say this was successful trip,”Anderson said. “We’ve grown closer as a team. We now know the coaching staff a little better and we’re getting use to the things they want us to do.”

Anderson and junior Hillary Hager combined for 55 points in a 116-65 victory over Boscreale in Pompeii, shooting 20-28 from the field and 11-11 from the line. Junior Jenni Benningfield added 15 points and nine rebounds, while senior Ashley McElhiney totaled 11 points and six assists. In the second game, VU defeated Selezione Lombarda 103-58 in Venice, behind a 33-point, 10-rebound performance from Anderson who went 16-18 from the field (88.9). Benningfield added 15 points in that contest, followed by Hager with 12 and sophomore Abi Ramsey with 11. The following day, the Commodores defeated the same team, 86-25, in Como, Italy. Benningfield led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Hager with 17.

“This trip has been a great learning experience,” Balcomb said. “In the third game, we saw a sense of confidence and comfort level in doing the things we practiced prior to the trip. We have a lot to work on, but the effort to execute a new philosophy is there. I am very pleased with the attitude, effort and desire.”

During the eight-day trip, the Commodores visited many historic sites such as the Colosseum, the Arch of Titus, the Vatican, and the sistine Chapel in Rome. The tour then headed south to Pompeii for a visit to the ruined city dug out from the ashes of Vesuvius in 79 AD. The team spent a day in Sorrento before heading to Florence to see Michelangelo’s David, the Ponte Vecchio and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The team was treated to a gondola ride in Venice and a visit to a Venetian glass factory. The tour ended in Lake Como.

“This has been a great bonding experience off the floor,” McElhiney said. “We were able to see the coaching staff’s personalities away from the gym. The ice is now broken. We now know what to expect in October.”