 In addition to graduating 2008-2009 All-District selection and undisputed team leader, Catherine Benoit, the Cubs suffered some major injuries to start the season. First, sophomore guard Cara Morgani went down with a season-ending ACL injury in the opening scrimmage. Then forward Stephanie Bodet incurred a knee injury that has kept her out of the line-up since November. As if that wasn't bad enough, junior guard Trish Speeg missed eight games because of an ankle sprain, while junior Meredith Martina sat out a four-game stretch in November to recover from a recurring foot injury.
First year coach Amanda Bordelon couldn't help but wonder if her team was snake bit. "It was just a long run of bad luck," she said. "All we could do was to stay positive and fight through it."
Fight through it they did, compiling an 11-12 record against a brutal pre-district schedule. And now, things appear to be looking up. "We're really starting to gel as a team," says Bordelon, who is optimistic that Bodet will soon return to the line-up, giving the team some much-needed depth. "The players have been great about focusing on what they can control, as opposed to what they can't."
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 During practices, Bordelon and assistant coach Stephanie Helgeson play complimentary roles. Bordelon, who played point guard in college at UNO, frequently breaks away to work with the guards while Helgeson, who played center during her college career at Purdue and Southern Miss, works with the forwards and centers.
The results are showing. Senior center Francesca Lawrence is playing the best basketball of her Mount Carmel career, displaying much improved footwork in the post. Guard Ashley Lala, meanwhile, has shown great leadership and improved composure at the point and has consistently been a top scorer for the team.
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 Although they are not a team of stars, each player contributes in their own way. "On any given night, we can have a different MVP," says Bordelon. Lindsay Green (a junior and pre-season Times-Picayune All-Metro selection) has greatly contributed on the boards and is a defensive catalyst. Martina (one of the team's major three-point shooting threats) and Erika Arceneaux (a senior forward who has led many games in rebounding and blocks) have also made big contributions.
Rounding out the Cubs' varsity roster are juniors Carlyn Franckiewicz and Harley Augustine, along with sophomore Madalyn Brown. "It's an awesome thing to have players that can come into the game off the bench and truly contribute." Augustine and Speeg get quality minutes in both the forward and guard positions. Brown is playing valuable minutes on JV, which has given her the confidence to make the most of her time on the court as a varsity player.
Franckiewicz, a transfer, recently gained her LHSAA eligibility after sitting out for the time required by the associations bylaws. Her addition gives the Cubs another three-point shooting threat.
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