Several factors contribute to what veteran Colby College of Waterville Coach Gene DeLorenzo considers a “different year” for his White Mule women’s basketball team.

Colby was 15-8 last season and, as the No. 2 seed in the Division III Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament, was upset 65-61 by No. 3 Wesleyan.

Colby graduated four seniors, among them regional and conference all-stars. So Colby is young, but a team of good size and strength.

“We have some inexperience, and we’ve got some shoes to fill, but I think we have a solid starting five,” DeLorenzo said. “We need to have people emerge from the bench and I think that will happen.”

One plus is a full coaching staff with Kevin Withee, formerly of Messalonskee in Oakland, joining DeLorenzo and assistant Jane Lee. “The best part is we really have a staff in place,” DeLorenzo said. “Having both of them makes things go more smoothly. That in itself will be worth some points.”

This year, Colby has five former Maine high school players on the squad, a new flavor for the White Mules. “We’re pleased to have them to get that special work ethic and the qualities of the Maine young women I believe in,” DeLorenzo said. “I think we can be very successful. I have a very positive feeling. This is all part of the Colby tradition: we may not have the greatest talent in the world, but we have a lot of people pulling for each other.”

Colby played a very competitive schedule last year and it’s even more so this year as the White Mules open Friday in the Eastern Connecticut State University Tipoff Tournament.

“We’re happy to be in a tournament with three top regional Div. III teams,” DeLorenzo said of Eastern, Salem (Mass.) State and the University of Scranton, Pa. “I’m excited about it. It’s nice to be asked to a premier tournament. This is an excellent way to start the season – the way it should be. We’re looking forward to getting right into a quality season siR

Senior co-captains are 3-year returning starter Kim Derrington, a 5-foot-10 forward from Bethlehem, N.H., who averaged 13 points per game and was second team All-New England, and Deanne Newton, a 5-6 guard from Macon, Ga., who played sparingly a year ago.

Junior Liz Cimino of Portland, a 5-8 forward/guard who averaged 13 points a game, returns as a starter. Cimino was named to the All-CBB (Colby-Bates-Bowdoin) team last year. Beth Montgomery of Rockland, last year’s CBB Rookie of the Year, returns to a starting role as a 6-1 center. She averaged 6.6 rebounds per game and recorded 68 blocked shots.

Sophomore guard Maria Kim is in good playing shape after being bothered with tendinitis. Kim is a returning guard and is the team assist leader. “Maria is a very fine, exciting player,” DeLorenzo said. “She’s a creator.” Six-foot center Heather Belanger of Caribou, a reserve who averaged four points a game off the bench, is expected to be a factor when she returns in January from Australia.

Out for the team for the first time as juniors are 5-10 forward Kendra Smith, Danvers, Mass., and Adria Lowell of Bridgton, a 5-7 guard, who is one of Colby’s top field hockey players. Sophomore Sally Zimmerli, Harvard, Mass., a 5-11 center, and classmate Karyn Rimas, a 5-11 forward from Methuen, Mass., were both reserve players last year.

Two more sophomores joining the squad for the first time are Laura Schuler, a 5-9 forward from Buckfield, and 5-8 guard Angela Tennett of Bangor. The only first-year players are 5-8 forward/guard Josette Huntress of Limestone High School, and 5-10 forward Kathy Pooler of Fort Kent.