Owls aim to be best of local teams

Drexel. With the return of junior Nicole Hester, Dragons coach Denise Dillon has a new but familiar face. Hester was sidelined last season while fighting Hodgkin's lymphoma.

However, a "real" new face who could make a difference is center Brooke Cornish, a former Archbishop Carroll star who transferred from Florida.

Gabriella Marginean was a scoring sensation as a freshman and an easy pick for the Colonial Athletic Association's preseason first team.

Narissa Suber, a senior guard, provides three-point firepower.

Senior guard Andrea Peterson, another former Archbishop Carroll star, became eligible at midseason after transferring from St. John's.

The Dragons will see three Big Five teams in Penn, St. Joseph's and La Salle, and a trip to Penn State is also a nonleague highlight.

Old Dominion is expected to dominate the Colonial, but Drexel could move to the upper half of the conference.