Sultana of swat

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If Katie White’s freshman year at Coastal Carolina was about getting off to a quick start, her sophomore campaign is focused on seeing a season through to the end.

White, a St. Charles East graduate, broke into the starting lineup early last year while her team jumped out to a 7-0 start, but things certainly dipped as the year wore on. White saw her minutes fall slightly in the second half of the season while the team went 9-12 in its remaining games to cap off a 16-win season.

“We thought we should have gone further in our conference tournament, and we were just kind of disappointed overall,” White said. “We’re looking for more of a redemption-type thing this year and having people looking out for us next year – being the school to beat rather than the school that’s passed over.”

This year, White missed the Chanticleers’ first three games with mononucleosis and has been easing back into the swing of things. She feels now like she’s playing at about 90 percent, which was enough to set a single-game school record for blocked shots on Dec. 18 against North Carolina Wilmington.

The sophomore rejected seven shots in the Chanticleers’ five-point loss to set the mark a season after setting the school’s freshman single-season record at 41 blocks.

With 25 already this year in 11 games, White is on pace to improve on that number as a sophomore, further cementing her status as an asset in the paint on the defensive end of the court.

“That’s always been what I’ve taken my role to be, just to be a strong defensive presence on the court,” White said. “If the other team can’t score, then I’m doing my job. That’s a big thing for me, and then also getting a couple points here and there.”

What she’s most concerned with, however, is figuring out the late-season slump that occurred a year ago, which included a 4-8 conference mark that Coastal Carolina will have to exceed to do any damage in the Big South Conference.

White thinks a top four finish in the league could be in order this year, and after beginning conference play with a win against North Carolina Asheville Saturday to improve to 9-5 overall, the Chanticleers appear to be headed in the right direction.

White is optimistic this year because of the experience she and her teammates gained last year as underclassmen. Now mostly sophomores and juniors rather than freshmen and sophomores, White thinks the team’s strength has improved greatly, which is something she knew she needed to improve on when she started into the college game.

“I think I’ve gotten a lot stronger, mentally and physically,” White said. “I’ve put on 20 pounds since I was a freshman. You might not be able to see it, but I feel a whole lot stronger out there.

“It’s one of those games where you have to be strong and have to work out and put on muscle. If you don’t, you’re just going to get pushed around.”

It’s also something she feels will only help them through the wear and tear of an NCAA Division I basketball season.

“Basketball season’s one of the longest of any sport,” White said. “To play for four months, it takes a lot on your body. And in conference at the end of the season, that’s when you’ve got to be your toughest.”