UTRGV Women’s Basketball Team Kicks Off Summer Workouts with High-Energy Session

Vaqueros women’s basketball team begins summer workouts

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s basketball team kicked off their summer workout schedule with a high-energy session on Tuesday. The team, consisting of eight returners and eight newcomers, participated in active, fast-paced drills designed to test fitness, ball control, court vision, and teamwork.

“It was awesome. We had great energy today,” said women’s basketball head coach Lane Lord. “We didn’t do anything half court today. We wanted to see everybody get up and down, so we did a lot of full court drills, shooting drills, got to see what kind of shape we’re in. It was a really beneficial day for us.”

The coaching staff is taking a proactive approach to injury prevention this year, starting each workout with 30 minutes of tailored exercises designed to get the Vaqueros ready for attack practice.

The next eight weeks will focus on improving offensive efficiency, with an emphasis on shooting and scoring. The Vaqueros will work on taking care of the basketball, making the right reads, and taking open shots.

“We really want to improve offensively. We have to be more efficient. Our focus all summer is going to be offense. Defensively we’ll sprinkle a little bit in over these eight weeks, but it’s really going to be an offensive summer,” Lord said.

During the workout, newcomers made strong first impressions. Graduate student forward Chynell Mitchell, a transfer from Alabama A&M, brought positivity and effort to the gym. Sophomore guard Madison Huhn, a transfer from Miami (OH), showcased her knowledge of the game. The three freshmen in action impressed with their hustle and tenacity, with Sophie Zufelt standing out during a three-point shooting drill.

“We really have some talented newcomers that we’re excited about,” Lord said. “Chynell Mitchell really showed a lot of athleticism today, but not only that, just her energy, you could tell she’s a fifth-year player. She’s experienced and I really like the way she carries herself with her teammates and the way she plays the game.”

The Vaqueros will continue to learn from each other and themselves throughout the summer workouts, determined to keep the energy high and the vibes positive as they set the foundation for a turnaround season.

Vaqueros women’s basketball team in action

“Our returners did a great job leading. We can talk a lot about the freshmen and the newcomers, but our returners are going to give us a lot of leadership this year and I was proud of them today,” Lord said. “Tierra Trotter was a really good player for us today. She’s a veteran player, senior point guard. She got a lot of experience starting last year and I thought her leadership today was really good.”

The Vaqueros will continue to work together, learning each other’s personalities and strengths as they set the tone for a successful season.

Vaqueros women’s basketball team huddle