ECC Large

East Lyme

Coach: Colleen Hardison (4th year)

Key returnees: Sr. G Hannah LeBeau, Sr. F Maggy Powers, Sr. G Jordan Venditto, Jr. F Gabi Murphy.

Top newcomers: Sr. F Katie Blackwood, Jr. G Allie Christensen, Jr. G Annie Walker, So. F Jamie Foster, So. G Karlie Rowe, Fr. G Megan Bauman.

Outlook: Hardison has an excellent blend of experience and youth, led by captains Powers and LeBeau, and a deep bench, key components that should allow the Vikings to earn spots in the ECC and state tournaments after going 4-16 a year ago. Hardison is "looking forward to incorporating the newcomers into our program," and will rely on her captains to help ease that burden.

Fitch

Coach: Rocco Sansone (1st year)

Key returnees: Sr. G Mae Sefransky, Sr. G Mackenzie Aldridge, Sr. C Summer Mills, Sr. G Brianna Robinson.

Top newcomer: Jr. Taylor Wolfgang.

Outlook: The Falcons will be playing for their third coach in as many seasons, but Sansone does have three returning starters to lean on and welcomes back Wolfgang, who missed her sophomore season with a knee injury. Sefransky, Aldridge and Robinson don't lack in confidence after enjoying success for the ECC's best volleyball team in the fall, so expect Fitch, which went 8-14 last season. to be competitive in the division and challenge for postseason berths for the second straight year.

Ledyard

Coach: Peter Vincent (2nd year)

Key returnees: Sr. F Rebecca Ahlborn, So G Sarah Serbascewicz, So. G Julia Lavin, Jr. F Johnay Burns.

Top newcomers: So. G Georgia Paul, Fr. F Katie Krupansky, Jr. G Kayla Kassim, Fr. C Miranda Chesnut.

Outlook: The Colonels are young ... really young ... but Serbascewicz and Lavin started as freshmen and join Ahlborn, the program's only senior, as returning starters. The majority of Vincent's second varsity roster is dominated by freshmen and sophomores, but there is also plenty of untapped talent. "It will take time to learn how to play together," said Vincent, who is confident his experienced players can help make the transition easier for the newcomers. Ledyard went 12-11 in Vincent's first season and won a playdown game in the ECC tournament.

NFA

Coach: Bill Scarlata (24th year)

Key returnees: Sr. F Cebria Outlow, Jr. G Mackenzie Burke, Jr. G Hailey Conley, Jr. G Alenni Rosado.

Top newcomers: Jr. G Sharon Bell, Jr. F Emily Williams, Jr. F Olivia Beaudreau, So. G Kaley Ericson, So. F Avanna Loftis.

Outlook: Scarlata, the architect of the ECC's most dominant program, starts another season with the conference's best team, despite losing starters Maya Bell and Olivia Lane from last year's ECC champions. But Outlow, The Day's All-Area Player of the Year in 2014-15, returns (she has committed to Division I Central Connecticut), along with talented guards Burke and Conley. NFA doesn't have tremendous size and Scarlata must develop some depth, but the Wildcats should be strong again. NFA opens the season ranked No. 5 in the New Haven Register state poll and has a juicy season opener on Tuesday against No. 4 Fairfield Warde in the Masuk Tip-Off tournament. NFA beat Warde in last year's Class LL quarterfinals en route to a 25-2 season (both losses coming to South Windsor).

ECC Medium

Montville

Coach: Sam Cheung (1st year)

Key returnees: Sr. G Naomi Clark, Sr. G Sabrina Gennotti, Sr. F Alex Clemons, Jr. G Brooke Lavallie, Jr. G Brianna Leone, So. F Emily Meigs.

Top newcomers: Fr. G Kara Beaupre, Fr. G Lauren Velazquez, Fr. G Mackenzie Ullrich, Fr. F Haley Kerwin.

Outlook: Cheung, who starred at Waterford and the Coast Guard Academy, replaces Derek Wainwright, the new Montville boys' coach, and will rely on captains Clark, Gennotti and Clemons to lead the way. Cheung expects the Indians, who went 10-13 a year ago and reached the second round of the Class M tournament, to be competitive within the division and believes his freshmen will make significant contributions along the way.

New London

Coach: Holly Misto (2nd year)

Key returnees: Jr. G Jada Lucas, Sr. F Charee Osborne, Jr. F India Pagan, Sr. F Kenya Capers, Jr. G Delaney McPhail, So. G Cora Sawyer, So. G Rosalee Nicholson, So. G Leilani Mclellan, So. F Maddison Keefe.

Top newcomers: Fr. F Spencer Roman, Fr. F Taina Pagan, Fr. F Xaryia Melendez.

Outlook: Just two years removed from the program's first state title, the Whalers return three key ingredients from that team – Lucas, Osborne and Pagan – as they prepare to remain one of the ECC's elite programs and challenge for conference and state titles. Osborne and Pagan are a formidable inside combination and Capers provides depth. Lucas will miss graduated backcourt mate Deanna McCarvell, but there is plenty of quality depth at guard for the Whalers, who went 22-4 a year ago, losing to NFA in the ECC tournament final and to St. Joseph in the Class M quarterfinals.

Stonington

Coach: Paulla Solar (24th year)

Key returnees: Sr. G/F Tatyana LaFrance Boyce, Jr. F Cameron Dreher, So. G Kate Hall.

Top newcomers: Fr. G Kate Johnson, So. F Halle Anderson.

Outlook: The Bears must replace center Margot Calmar, a member of The Day's All-Area team, but return another All-Area player in LaFrance Boyce, one of the ECC's best athletes. Solar admits there will be some growing pains, but expects Stonington to be competitive within the division and qualify for the conference and state tournaments. The Bears were 16-9 last season, reaching the ECC semfinals and the second round of the Class M tourney.

Waterford

Coach: Mark Capasso (1st year)

Key returnees: Jr. G Mia Brennan, Jr. F Kayla Jean-Pierre, Sr. G Jill Sykora, Sr. G/F Kazi Walker, Sr. G/F Shea Spellman, Sr. G Claire Hurley, Sr. F Vanessa Kobyluck, Sr. G Lauren Goldstein, Sr. G/F Mackenzie Merriman.

Top newcomers: Jr. G Bayleee Brackett, Jr. F Camille Walker, Fr. G/F Julianna Bonilla, So. G/F Ashley Goldstein.

Outlook: Capasso, the former boys' coach, takes off a Waterford team that has talent experience throughout the lineup and is poised to make another deep run into the Class M tournament (the Lancers reached the quarterfinals last year and finished 17-8). This group is used to success — some have won state championships in soccer and others were on the Class M championship volleyball team last month — so Waterford will contend for the Medium title and be a factor in both the conference and state tournaments.

ECC Small

St. Bernard

Coach: Mike Nystrom (33rd year)

Top returnees: Sr. G Courtney Rose, Jr. F Caitlyn Dittman, Jr. G Kara Bassett, So. G Brianna Beverly.

Top newcomers: Sr. G Alex Belisle, Sr. G Christina Lawton, Sr. F Sherry Sun, Fr. G Emily Nelson.

Outlook: The Saints must replace Kaitlyn Berkel, but have one of the ECC's top returning players in Dittman, who has the ability to dominate on both ends of the floor and will be counted upon to be Nystrom's top scorer and rebounder this winter. St. Bernard was 11-12 a year ago and reached the second round of the state tournament, but need to find other offensive options (Rose and Bassett are the most experienced returnees along with Dittman), to be a factor in the division again and qualify for the postseason.

Wheeler

Coach: Christine Corah (1st year)

Key returnees: Sr. Lexie Galluci, Sr. Madison Porter, Jr. Zoe Robert, So. Nikki Morgan, So. Emma Morgan.

Top newcomers: Sr. Kylie Garcia, Jr. Raina Haase, Jr. Emma Steele, Fr. Jessica Neddeau, Fr. Savannah Galluci, Fr. Daniella Roy, Fr. Lydia Roberts.

Outlook: It will be a year of transition as Corah takes over the Lions, but there is experience along with a group of newcomers that try to work their way into the rotation. "We have many high-energy girls that want to learn," Corah said. "And I will be using that to my advantage." Corah also said her team is "enthusiastic and eager" to learn and improve. Wheeler won its final two games of the regular season a year ago to qualify for the ECC and Class S tournaments, finishing 9-14 overall.

Others

Old Lyme

Coach: Don Bugbee (17th year)

Key returnees: Sr. G Silja Forstein, Sr. G Sloane Sweitzer, Jr. G Olivia Ellis, Jr. C Tessa Kroes, Jr. G Lauren Quaratella, So. F Audrey Gavin, So. G Jordan Lewis.

Top newcomers: Fr. G Catey Battalino, Jr. F Maggie Berger, Jr. F Abby Berger, Jr. G Sydney Cowell, So. G Una Barrett, So. G Kate Paterson, So. G Emily Rivera, Fr. G Claire Britton, Fr. G Paige Britton, Fr. G Ann Cote, Fr. G Britney DeRoehn, Fr. G Danielle McCarthy, Fr. C Julia Reynolds, Fr. G Colleen Walsh.

Outlook: The Wildcats were hit hard by graduation, then lost returning starting guard Maddie Zrenda to a season-ending knee injury during soccer. But Old Lyme has a pair of veteran guards in Forstein and Seitzer to lean on as some of his young players gain experience. "At this point all players are competing for their spots," Bugbee said. "There are plenty of opportunities for everyone to work hard, step up their game and help make this a successful season."

Williams

Coach: Eliza Smith (4th year)

Key returnees: So. C Claudia Pagnozzi-Schwam, Sr. F Amy Burzin.

Top newcomers: Sr. G Bea Mills, So. G Katia Bourganos, 8th-grader G Audrey Matson.

Outlook: The Blues head into the holiday break 0-3 as Smith searches for another capable scorer behind Pagnozzi-Schwam, who consistently puts up double-doubles. Williams is inexperienced in the backcourt, but as the young players mature Smith believes the Blues have the potential to finish .500 this winter.