As the Whitehall girls basketball team gets ready to embark on a new season, head coach Dwight Repsher believes in one overriding principle.

"We're going to be better," he said.

They finished 7-14 last season and missed the playoffs. They played better in the second-half of the season, and that improvement serves as the foundation for Repsher's declaration.

He saw them battle a tough Northampton team down to the wire, losing by one point 48-47, which was followed by a four-point loss to Nazareth the following game.

Now, with a strong nucleus returning, Repsher sees them turning the corner and has been encouraged by their practices as well as their play during the summer basketball season.

"Things are going well," said Repsher. "The girls are working hard. They're picking things up and we're further along than we were last year at this time."

Their growth was reflected in a busy offseason schedule that saw them stay competitive in both the Stellar "Catch A Rising Star" and Patti Heffner Memorial tournaments.

"With what I saw in the summer, I thought we were where we needed to be," said Repsher.

As they gear up for this season, they'll have a good mix of vets who logged a lot of playing time last season. Absent from that group will be Ashley Barber, their center, who transferred to Upper Dublin High School.

The returning starters include leading scorer Taylor George, who orchestrates the offense from the point. She averaged 8.4 points last season, connecting on 32 threes to lead the Zephs.

Another key returnee is senior Karly Klein. Klein (5.2 ppg ) will be part of their frontcourt and will give them valuable interior experience. In addition to Klein, the Zephs will count on senior Kelsey Munn, as well as juniors Jillian Kreglow and Ivanna Jones to give them good depth and some seasoned personnel in the frontcourt.

They're hampered a bit by their size, in the backcourt as well as the frontcourt. That leaves Repsher defining roles in terms of perimeter and interior players. Last year Jones was one of the perimeter players, but this year Repsher moved her inside, using her superior athleticism to handle the demands of man-to-man defense as well as the nuances of a zone. Additionally, Jones can put the ball in the hoop, utilizing screens to get an open shot.

"In my mind, she's really taken to that," said Repsher. "That will be a good move for her. She's a talented athlete."

Repsher said that without a true center, they'll rely on the entire frontcourt to generate points, taking defenders away from the paint if need be.

"Were not a team that's going to pound it inside," said Repsher. "We should get inside scoring if we execute our screen game. If we execute, we're capable of scoring."

Still, the athleticism of this year's team should help them to stay competitive in the Skyline Division of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.

The perimeter players also include sophomore Kylee Cunningham whose speed can create match-up problems. That's an attribute she shares with George who can also give defenders fits. They'll be joined by senior LeAnna Cruz and junior Jillian Rex who will be counted on for point production as well.

The Zephs will also feature some newcomers this season who will provide depth as they look to make it into the postseason.

That list includes freshman Alix Buskirk who is expected to contribute this season. Repsher said that Buskirk "has a good sense for the game," something that will help her adjust to varsity action in the EPC.

They'll also have perimeter players Rachel Spanitz and Kiernan Frankenfield, both juniors, who will give them additional scoring options from the outside.

Finally, junior Caylin Munn will see some action in the frontcourt for the Zephs, giving them another player to count on inside.

As they begin a tough season in the EPC, Repsher said that leadership is something that will be vital for a successful season. He said he doesn't want one player to assume the responsibility of handling that role, but believes at least six or seven players should assume that role.

"We want it from them all, not just one player," said Repsher.

Repsher said that least year was characterized by a young team that that was adjusting to a new coach and a new system, especially at the outset.

"We ere so young early in the year last year," said Repsher. "We really made nice progress over the course of the season."

They showed progress throughout the year and that's a reason for optimism heading into this season. It's a reflection of getting more comfortable with what Repsher has installed since becoming the head coach.

"I'm interested in seeing how year one translates into year two," said Repsher.