Ashland girls hoops look for more history in 25-26

ASHLAND – It’s been more than three decades since the Ashland girls basketball team was the hunted. After a transformational breakthrough for the program a year ago – including their first 20-win season and first district championship since 1979 – the Arrows are well aware of their new reality.

“If you would have talked to me at the beginning of the year last year, I wouldn’t have told you we would have had the season that we did,” sixth-year Ashland head coach Renee Holt said, “just because I think we were still climbing up that mountain and still figuring things out. This year, it’s almost like people expect us to be on top, and that’s something we have to keep telling the girls, ‘You’ve got to continue to work for it; you’ve got to train like you’re No. 2 if you want to be No. 1.’”

The Arrows return four starters from a season ago, including reigning Ohio Cardinal Conference Player of the Year Kennedy Lacey.

Holt had as many wins in her first four seasons combined leading the program as she had in last year’s 20-6 breakout. She was named Ohio’s Division III Coach of the Year.

The Arrows are not oblivious to the fact that there are no secrets after a year like that.

“We’ve been continuing to tell the girls to keep their head on their shoulders,” Holt said, “because people are after us.”

Ashland tips off Friday against Dalton in the Smithville Barn Ball Classic, then will have its first home game Monday, Dec. 1, against Willard.

And if the Arrows’ aim is to storm their way to even more success than they had last winter, there will be no time to ease into things. Lacey will be the kingpin.

The 5-foot-10 junior forward averaged 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game a season ago. An energizer on the floor, she was a third-team All-Ohioan.

“I think we’re definitely setting the standard even higher this year,” Lacey said. “I know what we can accomplish as a team, but I think just giving 100 percent effort on everything will build things even more.

“We’ve definitely been working on our weaknesses a ton, so we’re getting better.”

Lacey said she spent her entire offseason fine-tuning her deep-shooting and dribbling skills. If she has indeed tightened up those portions of her game, opposing teams will have their hands plenty full.

Holt said between that and the leadership of her three starting senior returners, Ashland’s momentum is easy to sense. Senior 5-10 guard and returning All-Ohioan Madison Hoffman (10.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg) became a much more consistent perimeter threat a year ago while 6-1 post Camryn Cox (7.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg) has been a double-double threat each of the last two seasons.

Add in 5-4 guard Grace Tobias and Holt said she has a go-to defender who also has blossomed more as a scorer.

“This senior class is special and I see them really stepping up,” Holt said. “Kennedy was our go-to (last year), but I see girls around her now that could have a breakout night any night.

“With our starting five on the floor, anyone could go off. … Having five out there at all times that will be a threat is easier on me as a coach.”

Holt believes 5-5 junior Cici Steury is evolving into more of a dual-threat point guard. She averaged 6.7 points a year ago and already has netted 60 3-pointers through her first two high school seasons.

Then the first player off the bench – 5-4 junior guard Josie Vantilburg – figures to be an even bigger scorer after hitting half of her 24 treys a year ago. It’s a team that should have no problem finding a hot hand one season after finishing 16-0 when scoring at least 45 points in games.

Lacey (718 career points), Hoffman (559) and Cox (554) actually give the Arrows three players who already are inside the Top 20 all-time scorers in AHS history.

“With my older girls now, I can laugh and joke with them one minute and then I’m on their case the next minute,” Holt said. “They’ve been really good about when to turn it on and when to joke around. “The cool thing now is it’s not from me all the time; they’re pushing each other – verbally, physically. They’re speaking my language almost, and this coaching staff’s language.”

The coach said this team is picking up things much faster than her teams of the past, which she said is to be expected from a roster loaded with returners from last season’s run to the Sweet 16.

Memorably, Ashland beat Norwalk for its district crown a year ago, 58-44 – a massive turnaround from the Arrows’ 59-25 season-opening loss to the Truckers.

Holt said that win was the pinnacle of her coaching career thus far, but she doesn’t want this year’s team to be living in past successes.

Ashland is back in Division III, so a rematch with Norwalk could pop up again along the tournament trail. But the Arrows won’t be looking ahead. They have an OCC title to defend after going 11-1 in the league a year ago (AHS hasn’t had repeat league crowns since 1994-95). Dover has joined the conference this season, and Holt likes the challenges on her team’s non-league slate as well. Put everything together and a ton of eyes are on the squad inside Arrow Arena.

“It’s a lot of pressure; I think I’m kind of nervous,” Holt admitted. “This is a year where I’m almost thinking, ‘I better show them what I’ve got as a coach.’ Show what I know and see if I can continue to push the girls, see how much farther we can go.”