VERMILLION, S.D.—The University of South Dakota women's basketball team opens the 1982-83 season this weekend, entertaining Morningside College at 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 19) in the DakotaDome. USD will then entertain Dakota State on Saturday (Nov. 20) at 6 p.m.
 
It looks to be an interesting year for the Coyotes, who feature a new coach in Chad Lavin, along with seven new faces on the roster. USD hopes to blend that new blood with seven talented returnees to improve on last year's 14-10 season and third-place finish in the North Central Conference.
 
Lavin is expected to employ 6-3 senior Pam Olerich (9.8 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game a year ago) at center and 5-9 junior Karrie Wallen (6.0 rpg), last year's leading scorer with a 13.8 average, at forward in Friday's starting lineup. Both earned NCC all-Tournament recognition last season.
 
Three sophomores comprise the remainder of the lineup. Power forward Robin Schmaber is a 5-11 leaper who saw action in 21 games as a rookie. Letterwinners Ann Pancoast (4.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Katie Dailey (4.5, 2.3) enjoyed banner initial campaigns and could well be the best guard tanem in the league. At 5-10, Pancoast has the ability to score from the inside, as well as outside. Dailey is a superb playmaker, totaling 56 assists last season. The top reserves figure to be 6-2 senior Carol Finley (6.0, 6.8), last year's leading rebounder and 5-6 junior transfer guard Michelle Woodard, another excellent playmaker. Freshmen Julie Ehret (5-9) an excellent shooting guard-forward from Yankton, S.D., and 6-0 post Mitzie Frericks, the leading scorer in Iowa last year with a 39.7 average, should also see action.
 
Morningside will bring a 0-1 record into Friday's contest, having lost 71-62 at Grand View last Saturday. The Chiefs went 16-8 a year ago, including a 12-0 mark en route to the Ia-KOTA Conference crown. Coach Bud Brockman relies heavily on 5-10 senior forward Sue Berens, who averaged 20 points and 8 boards per contest. Lerlean Johnson (14.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg), a 5-9 junior forward, is another key figure. And Morningside is deep, returning their ten best players from last year.
 
Dakota State finished 22-6 last year, winning the SDIC title. The Lady Trojans are spearheaded by guards Colleen Moran (13.0 ppg) and Lynne Warwick (12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) along with forward Denise Haugland (8.0, 5.0). Nine incoming freshmen should also bolster Coach Judy Dittman's troops.
 
USD owns an identical 4-1 advantage in the series with Dakota State and Morningside. The Coyotes have claimed three straight victories over the Lady Trojans (including an 85-45 win last year) and four in a row versus the Chiefs, posting 67-54 and 67-60 wins last season.