When the Whitehall girls basketball team hits the hardwood this season, expect some hard-nosed defense and transition buckets.

That’s the underlying philosophy of new head coach Josh Madas, who says they’ll be aggressive defensively, while offensively they’ll be looking to push the ball in transition.

Madas has spent the summer with the team after getting hired last spring. They’ve played 23 games over the summer where they got to learn about one another. They also convened this fall, with about half of their varsity players participating in those sessions.

During those interactions, Madas firmly believes he has a talented roster that will only get better as they grasp the style he wants them to play.

“We have high expectations for the year,” said Madas.

Those expectations include a district berth. The Zephyrs finished 8-14 last season, and Madas sees them capturing those four or five wins that prevented them from making the tournament last season.

Once they begin understanding the offense a little better, things will be clicking and they’ll be ready to challenge for one of those eight spots.

Madas said that he wants them to be one of those pesky teams that opposing coaches have to worry about. They want teams to know that they’ll be in for a battle when they see Whitehall on their schedule.

“We really truly believe we’re going to be competitive,” said Madas. “We’re a team that they’re going to have to prepare for.”

That means preparing for frontcourt players Grace Clary, Olivia Hines, Kristin Laky and Jaraye Jackson, all of whom will see time in the post this season.

Clary, a junior, is a returning starter, and brings with her a lot of experience among the frontcourt players. She’ll be paired with newcomer Hines, a freshman, who gives the Zephs some good length in their interior.

“We’re really excited about both of them,” said Madas.

Kristin Laky, a junior, who saw varsity action last season, will be another important part of their frontcourt mix. She’ll share time with Jackson, a junior, who will also be part of their post rotation.

Madas said that their off-guard positions will feature Olivia George and Taryn Sayre. Both George and Sayre are seniors, and will be counted on to provide leadership since both players have plenty of varsity experience. George and Sayre played integral parts last season until injuries sidelined them both at about the same time last year, handing the team a significant blow as they mounted a playoff push.

At the point, Madas will look to Cassie Due and Brianna Smith to give them direction. Due and Smith are both juniors and they also enter the 2018 campaign with a wealth of varsity experience.

Madas likes what they provide on the floor, giving the Zephs two talented offensive orchestrators who can both facilitate and shoot.

“They really know how to run an offense,” said Madas.

He said that they’ve really embraced pushing the ball up the floor, allowing them to create in transition.

“They’re really having fun with it,” he said.

Also returning is junior Katie Kelly who saw extended minutes last season in the wake of their injuries.

The Zephs will also feature newcomer Ella Laky, a freshman who will be in their rotation as well. Madas expects Kelly and Ella Laky to be among their off-ball substitutions this season.

Also on the varsity squad are sophomores Joey Shaul and Meghan Hutter, and freshman Amaya Alvarez.

While they’ve spent a lot of time with one another in the offseason, Madas understands that there’s still a learning curve. They’ve been used to doing things a certain way, and now a new coach comes along and things are different. It’s a period of adjustment.

He said they’re doing an excellent job of executing what he’s trying to incorporate and that stems from leadership. George, Sayre, Clary, Due and Smith have been through the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference battles and their guidance will prove invaluable.