Entering its second year in its transition toward full NCAA Division II membership in 2013-14, the McMurry University women's basketball team is looking to continue to build upon the upward trend begun last season.

As McM head coach Veronica Snow begins her seventh campaign, she will welcome back nine roster players from the 2012-13 season. Included among that number are three starters.

"We've had a great pre-season," Snow said. "The girls have worked hard and we are real excited. I think we have some new talent, that will really elevate our ability to be successful.

"The girls will tell you that they have a lot of fun with each other; the chemistry is really good. We are just trying to bring the inexperienced kids up to a level where they can compete and sustain that."

Last season, the War Hawks (12-15 overall) got off to a slow start, going 0-5 against tough competition that included ranked foes, before finding its footing. By the time the dust of the season had settled, the McM women had proven themselves against Heartland Conference foes – McM would have finished fourth and qualified for the HC post-season tournament had it been eligible for the title – and advanced to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Central Region semifinals before seeing the season come to a close.

"The biggest change I've seen this year is that the girls who played last year have a better understanding," Snow explained about her team's second season on the road to NCAA II. "(The girls) have done a real great job of elevating the practices this year, because they understand what we are about to face. I can tell the difference in the pre-season last year to the pre-season this year in regards to our leadership; going from the 'unknown' to the 'known'."

Heading the cast of returnees are seniors Keshia Collins (Midland, Texas/Midland HS), Tory Salazar (Houston, Texas/Jersey Village HS) and Jaryn Koenig (Cisco, Texas/Weatherford CC).

Collins has been the War Hawks' go-to player all three seasons, leading the team in scoring, rebounding and steals over that period. Collins returns for her senior season after earning All-Heartland Conference honors in 2012-13, the third-consecutive all-conference award of her McM career. Over her 80-career games, she has averaged 12.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

Salazar, who started all 27 contests last season, has been a stabilizing force in the War Hawks' backcourt. Averaging better than 22 minutes per game, Salazar averaged 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and was a Heartland Conference Scholar-Athlete.

Conversely, Koening – who also played in all 27 games – came off the bench as Snow's "sixth player" to contribute 3.9 points and 1.8 boards per game after coming to McMurry as a junior transfer last season. Koenig was also a Heartland Scholar-Athlete in 2012-13.

Sophomore Ana Dominguez (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak HS) is the team's third returning starter, after missing half the season due to an ankle injury. Playing in 13 games, Dominguez had an outstanding frosh season at 7.3 p.p.g. and 6.8 r.p.g. Despite her limited action, she also led the team in total blocked shots (22) and shot a nifty 40.4-percent from the field.

Other veteran players include junior guard Katlyn Tarbet (Vega, Texas/Vega HS) – another Heartland Scholar Athlete – along with sophomores Sierra Maykus (Southlake, Texas/Carroll HS), Taylor Russell (Liberty Hill, Texas/Liberty Hill HS) and Angela Snow (Abilene, Texas/Cooper HS). Shelby Dixon (Austin, Texas/Bowie HS), a 6'4 post player, is a redshirt freshman this year after appearing in just four contests last year before her season was shut down.

Snow's newcomers include a good blend of transfers and freshmen. Adijatu Disu (Chicago, Ill./Texas Southern University) and Tineka Lawson (Houston, Texas/Texas Southern University/Hill CC) are both junior transfers who bring NCAA Division I experience to the squad, not to mention good size to the McM inside game.

"They just 'fit'," Snow said of her pair of transfers. "A perfect fit. I don't know how else to say it. They work hard and they are outstanding basketball player, and they 'fit' in the locker room."

The freshman faces on the War Hawks include guard Tessa Ramirez (San Antonio, Texas/Reagan HS), guard Katy Boren (Lubbock, Texas/Lubbock Cooper HS) and forward Nicolette Erkman (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak HS), who was a high school teammate with Dominguez.

Not unlike the previous year, the 2013-14 War Hawks will play another tough schedule which will, no doubt, test the unit. In addition to the annually-challenging Heartland Conference slate of games, the War Hawks will be participating in the St. Mary's and Colorado State-Pueblo Tournaments to open the season, to go along with single games versus Midwestern State and Our Lady of the Lake.

"We're going to have to hit the floor running to compete," Snow surmised. "Our young people and our inexperienced people are just going to have to step up. Our goal is to win Conference and pre-season is to prepare us for that."

The War Hawks will open matters for the 2013-14 season on Friday (Nov. 8; 5 p.m.) versus Angelo State in the first round game of the St. Mary's Classic in San Antonio. McM take on Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday in the second game of the tourney.