VIDEO: Kaitlyn Cupples Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Prior to the start of the 2015-16 Carson-Newman women's basketball season, a two-part series will look at the Lady Eagles position groups. The final installment of the series focuses on the frontcourt with junior forward Kaitlyn Cupples (Clinton, Tenn.).

The forward position will have to replace a pair of players that graduated last spring. Whitney Kyle, the team's best individual defender over the last two years, had her best year starting 29 games for the Lady Eagles. Kyle averaged 7.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a senior. Franklin was a role player also known for her defense. In 28 games as a senior, Franklin notched 16 blocks while pulling in roughly three rebounds per night.

The 2015-16 unit returns five players to the program while adding a transfer from High Point. Three of the players are six-feet tall while three others have the ability to play on the perimeter.

Cupples has nearly 500 points and 350 rebounds in her career after her first two years in the Orange and Blue. The forward came off of the bench the majority of the 2014-15 season while averaging 18 minutes per night. Cupples was fourth in the South Atlantic Conference with 1.2 blocks per night and has 71 in her career.

"I think after two years you kind of understand what the competition is going to be like and what you are going against, the people you are going against and each team's diversity in what they bring to the table," Cupples said. "The collegiate level is much different than high school and you just get more basketball-smart as you go."

The Clinton, Tenn. native led the team in rebounding nine times while scoring in double figures on five occasions. Cupples was the SAC Freshman of the Year two seasons ago averaging 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per night.

Sophomore forward Jecca Simerly (Talbott, Tenn) was an All-Freshman team pick last year and earned a spot on the second-team preseason All-SAC squad heading into her sophomore campaign. Simerly finished second on last year's team with 10 points per game and 24 total blocks while leading the squad with 5.6 rebounds per contest. She led the conference by shooting 59 percent from the floor and the team with three double-doubles.

Entering the fray on the block this year is sophomore center Abby Tinsley (Charlottesville, Va.), a transfer from High Point seeing time in three games for the Panthers. Tinsley played at IMG Academy in Florida putting up 13 points and eight rebounds per game as a senior.

"As we get more centers like Abby as a transfer and Jecca moving into her sophomore year," Cupples said. "Myself and Taylor Peterson are more three/four positions and that requires more shooting from my end. Working on that and my 15-foot to three-point shots."

Peterson (Mount Juliet, Tenn.), a senior, started the final eight games of 2015 playing nearly 30 minutes per night and scoring in double figures in six of those contests. Two times in that span Peterson notched career-high evenings going for 21 points against Anderson on February 18 and Newberry on 10 days later.

"All of us bring different roles," Cupples said. "Some of us, like myself are more of a role player. [Peterson] is there to shoot. Jecca is there to post-up and we are going to see what Abby has to bring to the table."

Another All-Freshman team pick from a year ago, Allison Hodge (Blaine, Tenn.), averaged 20 minutes per game in the 30 games she competed in during her first season at Carson-Newman. Hodge averaged 6.2 points per game while scoring in double figures eight times.

The final returner of the group is Katie Stubblefield (Alcoa, Tenn.), a redshirt-sophomore, who missed the 2014-15 year. As a freshman, Stubblefield played in 24 games with her best night coming against Lincoln Memorial on February 5, 2014 as the forward poured in seven points on 3 of 5 shooting.

The Lady Eagles begin their season with an exhibition contest at Thompson-Boling Arena against the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers on November 9. The start time is set for 7 p.m. with broadcast coverage beginning 15 minutes prior to the opening tip on the Eagle Sports Network's flagship station Mountain Country 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.

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