By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Ava Lady Bears have become one of the area’s top programs, winning back-to-back district titles the last two years and surpassing the 20-win mark both times.
The best may be yet to come.
With a veteran roster and stacked schedule, Ava hopes the third time is the charm. The Lady Bears enter the 2022-23 season hoping to become the first team to reach the state final four in program history.
“We’re an experienced team who is hungry to achieve more than what we accomplished last season,” said Ava coach Nathan Houk. “We’re excited about what we can achieve as a team this season.
“Our overall goals are to have a winning season, win the SCA, learn and improve each game, and be playing our best basketball when the district tournament arrives.”
Five seniors lead the way for Ava, and it’s a group that has played on varsity since they were freshmen.
“They have been the nucleus of our team the last three years and they’re a lot of fun to coach,” Houk said.
Olivia Gastineau returns for her fourth season as Ava’s starting point guard. The three-time All-SCA selection missed the first half of last season with a knee injury, but returned in time for Ava’s postseason run.
Gastineau averaged 12 points, four rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while being named to the All-SCA second team.
Her best trait, Houk said, might be her competitive spirit.
“She is one of the most determined, competitive players I have ever coached,” Houk said. “She’s a great leader, one of our best shooters behind the arc and a great passer.
“She handles the ball well, can finish at the basket and makes her teammates better by getting them involved.”
Senior forward Sara Mendel is a two-time all-state selection who hasn’t rested on her past accolades, Houk said.
Mendel has led Ava in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots the last two seasons. She recently committed to play collegiately at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar.
In her junior season at Ava, Mendel averaged 16.5 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game.
“Sara has put in a lot of time and worked really hard at improving her game and it continues to pay off,” Houk said. “Her length and athletic ability allow her to score well in the post. She hits the boards hard on offense and defense and alters shots in the paint.”
Senior guard Lexie Gastineau brings speed, hustle and a twin connection to Ava’s backcourt. She’s a capable scorer who’s had a knack for making clutch shots the past two seasons.
“Lexie defends well. Her hustle and aggressiveness make it hard for opposing guards,” Houk said. “She gives us a lot of energy and intensity.”
Celia Fossett is one of the team’s best athletes and has the size (5’8”) to be a big factor on defense. Fossett, who averaged 5.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season, expanded her offensive game during the offseason, too.
“She is becoming more consistent on the perimeter, and she rebounds and scores well in the paint,” Houk said. “Celia is an all-around great athlete and has really improved her ball skills over the summer.”
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Post player Keeley Akers gives Ava another athletic presence. She’s shown steady improvement on both ends of the floor.
“Keeley has worked really hard to improve her perimeter game over the summer and has become a much more versatile player for our team,” Houk said.
Ava will again lean on its defense after allowing just 39 points per game last season.
“We should be a very strong, defensive-minded team,” Houk said. “Our defense should generate our offense through different parts of the game.
“We are also strong at the guard and post positions, so we should have a balanced scoring attack.”
Elsewhere, Ava returns a large sophomore class who all played occasional varsity minutes as freshmen.
Emma Smith, Alexis Emrick, Hannah Forrest and Mati Goss give Ava plenty of options in the backcourt. Natalie Jenkins gives Ava another post presence off the bench.
Sophomore Paris Henry is a newcomer to watch amongst an experienced Ava squad. She displayed shooting range and versatility during Ava’s summer league competition, Houk said.
“Paris is a good shooter and an athletic player on both ends of the floor,” Houk said. “She has great court awareness and will help solidify us at the guard and forward positions.”
Ava finished 22-6 overall last season, falling one win shy of the state final four with a seven-point loss to Helias Catholic in the Class 4 quarterfinals.
Before last season, Ava hadn’t won back-to-back district titles and 20+ games since the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.
“I would like to say it’s just great coaching, but we’ve had a really good run of players the last few years that have been highly motivated to play hard for each other,” Houk said. “They have worked hard to get better individually and as a team.”
Ava graduated three seniors from its 2022 squad, most notably guard Hannah Evans. The three-time All-SCA selection finished with 1,257 points for her high school career, which ranks fourth on Ava’s all-time list for girls’ basketball.
“Hannah was a very explosive player who could do a little bit of everything,” Houk said. “She was an excellent leader, defender and could score lots of different ways.”
Evans now plays for College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout.
Also gone are Baylan Alexandar and Sam Keyes. Alexander was a part-time starter who exceled as a bench player during her career. Keyes, a guard, had a similar role as a reserve.
“Baylan made her teammates around her better and was a good post defender,” Houk said. “Sam was an excellent defender who gave us a lot of energy off the bench.”
The Lady Bears open the regular season Nov. 21 at Hollister. Ava will also play in a jamboree at Spokane on Nov. 14.
Ava’s regular season tournaments include the Fair Grove Invitational (Nov. 28 to Dec. 2) and the Pink and White Lady Classic (Dec. 26-29).
“Playing that level of competition will help prepare us for our conference and district games,” Houk said.
