Upper Perkiomen's girls basketball team will have a new head coach and a different feel. Shelli Petsch replaces Matthew Bowe, who took a similar job at Daniel Boone.

Players dribble while new head coach Shelli Petsch, center, leads an Upper Perk- iomen practice.

            The Indians won't have Grace Galbavy, who led last year's team to the Pioneer Athletic Conference and District One playoffs as a freshman. Galbavy transferred to Perkiomen Valley.  "If Grace believes that's a better option for her, I wish her best," Petsch said.

            Petsch, who served as an assistant coach on last year's team, believes the Tribe can be competitive in the Frontier Division with a more balanced attack. She says the addition of two transfers, along with the continued improvement of junior forward Erin States and senior guard Abby Pfander, should make an impact.  "Abby put in some serious work on her game over the summer," the new coach said.

            She identified the transfer students as Azzlyne Thyberg and Jo Benensky.

            Thyberg, a sophomore, played last season for Faith Christian Academy, which captured the District One Class 1A title and reached the quarterfinal round of the PIAA playoffs.

            "Getting Azzlyne was a nice surprise," said Petsch, whose team is scheduled to open the 2022-23 season this weekend at the Tulpehocken Tip-Off Tournament. "She's got some talent."

            Benensky, a senior transfer from Pope John Paul II, returns to the district. She played on the middle school's eighth grade team during the 2018-19 season.

            "The girls are working really hard trying to put a lot of things into place," the coach said. "I'm super excited to have the opportunity to do it. I'm excited to see that they can do."

            The new coach, in her first opportunity leading a high school varsity program, is implementing a spread, motion offense. Petsch said the team hopes to take advantage of some viable perimeter shooting options.

            "Hopefully, we have enough athletes to compete," said Petsch, who has coached several high school aged AAU teams in recent years. "Hopefully we'll be able to score a little bit more transition. We've got some speed."

            Last season, Galbavy and States both earned First Team All-Frontier Division honors.  Galbavy led the Indians to a 16-7 record and the District One Class 5A Tournament for the first time in nine seasons. The freshman served as the team's primary ball handler and averaged 19.7 points per game.

            Though the team lost four seniors to graduation, Petsch said she believes the Tribe's other key returning players – including junior guards Natalie Kearney and Dana Cahill, and forward Elena Fabian – benefitted from the experience of a 54-24 loss to Villa Maria Academy in the opening round of districts on Feb. 18.

            "Everyone has gotten better," said the coach, whose team is scheduled to open its conference schedule Dec. 16 at home against Phoenixville.

            Petsch says she expects to start the season with 10 players on varsity and 11 on the JV team, which will be buoyed by a talented freshman class.  Additionally, the new coach has been working with the middle school and youth coaches to develop a sense of continuity.