After starting 18 of the team's 24 games and finishing third in scoring a year ago, Amber Strodthoff '11 has taken her game to a new level this season. The senior forward has increased her scoring average to 9.3 points per game, raised her shooting percentage from 40.9 percent last season to 44.4 percent this season, leads the team in rebounding and already has four more blocks and three more steals this year than she had all of last season.Strodthoff was also instrumental in the team's victory over Carnegie Mellon University last Friday, scoring 10 of the team's 26 points in the first half and pulling down one quarter of the team's 44 rebounds on the game. In the squad's loss to Case Western Reserve University last Sunday, Strodthoff scored 6 points in just five shots, easily the most efficient result for a Judges team that shot just 27.3 percent. Strodthoff also grabbed 10 of the team's 34 rebounds, twice that of anyone else on the team.

Yet Strodthoff feels that her most important role on the team this season is her role as a co-captain. The senior's leadership both on and off the court has been instrumental for a team with just two seniors and seven first-years, many of whom see significant playing time.

"Being captain has absolutely changed [my] perspective of the game and even the world around me," Strodthoff said. "It has inspired in me a new sense of commitment, and encouraged me to think of others on a more frequent basis. I've really enjoyed this more active role and am glad to be able to impart knowledge to my fellow teammates."

Asked about the team's focus so far this season, Strodthoff said that she was proud of the team's effort. "I feel that our team this year [is] doing a lot right," she said. "We practice every day and work as hard as we can-putting out our best every game. Basketball is truly a rollercoaster, and I think I and the team have done a great job of staying focused on the next game and the task at hand.