The 2008-09 Irvine Valley women's basketball team might be young and somewhat inexperienced, but that doesn't mean the Lasers won't be successful this season.

IVC has a talented group that coach Julie Hanks expects, as the year progresses, will compete with the best teams around, challenge for one of the top spots in the Orange Empire Conference and make another trip to the Southern California Regional Playoffs.

"Right now we don't have a lot of expectations," Hanks said. "We just want to keep working. We want to work on our execution on both the offensive and defensive ends and just get better. With a young group, I don't want to set all kinds of expectations because they might get ahead of themselves. We just want to focus and play good basketball and then good things will happen."

Just three players from last year's team return this year. The lone returning starter is 5-8 sophomore forward Ashley Dunn. She averaged 7.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last year.

"Ashley will provide leadership," Hanks said. "We want her to continue to play the way she has for us and ever better."

Also back from last year's squad is 6-1 sophomore center Alleson Frampton. Frampton saw limited action last year, but will start for the Lasers in 2008-09.

"Alleson is doing a good job," Hanks said. "She has really improved from last year to this year and we expect even more from her. We want her to want the ball."

Two other sophomore players were set to join Dunn and Frampton on the roster. But the Lasers will be without center DJ Butler and guard/forward Raycie Haley, who are red-shirting this year because of injuries.

But IVC does get back a red-shirt player from last season.

Freshman Ivy Melo will handle the point guard duties. She played in just six games last year before having to sit out with an injury.

"Ivy is a team captain along with Ashley," Hanks said. "She is a real competitor out there. She wants to win."

Joining Melo in the backcourt in the starting lineup will be 5-6 freshman Erika Garcia.

"Erika is a basketball player," Hanks said. "She does everything well. I think we are even better at the guard spots this year than last year."

Also starting for IVC is 5-9 freshman forward Courtney Kollasch.

"Courtney is a great player," Hanks said. "She can really shoot the ball."

But IVC will need contributions from a host of players to be successful. They include freshmen Brittney Horton, Sydney Hughes and Lamija Silajdzic and 5-7 returning sophomore guard Tessa Ross.

Horton is a 5-5 guard from Bellflower High, Hughes is a 5-8 freshman forward from Esperanza and Silajdzic is a 5-10 forward from Irvine.

"We have some quality freshmen," Hanks said. "Erika, Sydney and Courtney and Brittney - all the freshmen work really hard."

Rounding out the roster and also expected to play and contribute throughout the season are 5-7 freshman forward Suellen Ferreira from Ocean View, 5-2 freshman guard Danielle Henderson from Fairmont and 5-7 freshman guard Krystle Bogdanoff from Pacifica.

"Yes, we are very young, but the kids play hard," Hanks said. "I think this will be a good defensive team and a good rebounding team. And they are willing to trust each other out there. That is something you like to see.

"It is going to be a learning experience for us at times. But I think by the time conference comes around in January we will be OK. We are going to compete and do the best we can. We will win some games."

Hanks will also have two new assistant coaches to help guide the team.

Former players Rachel Anderson and Brittney Crawford have been added to the staff.

"They both played here and understand what I am asking for," Hanks said. "They have given a lot of input and have made a big impact on the team so far."