GAME 1: KENNESAW STATE AT VANDERBILT Nov. 11 | 8 P.M. (ET) | Memorial Coliseum SEC Network+ | Live Stats | KSU Notes Twitter: @KSUOwlsWBB

GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Kennesaw state begins its 35th season of women's basketball and 12th at the NCAA Division I level.
• The 2016-17 season begins a new era in Kennesaw State women's basketball history as highly-respected head coach Agnus Berenato takes over the reins of the Owls' program.
• Berenato makes her KSU coaching debut after a successful 29-year head coaching career that includes tenures at Rider (1981-85), Georgia Tech (1988-2003) and Pitt (2003-13). During that time, she posted a 444-413 (.518) record and guided her teams to 11 postseason appearances (5 NCAA, 6 WNIT).
• Kennesaw State and Vanderbilt will be meeting for the first time.
• The Owls-Commodores match-up features two head coaches in their first year with their respective teams. In addition to KSU's Agnus Berenato, Vanderbilt head coach Stephanie White enters her first year on the bench for the Commodores after serving two seasons as the head coach for the WNBA's Indiana Fever.
• Vanderbilt marks the third SEC opponent Kennesaw State has played in its history, and is one two SEC opponents on the Owls' 2016-17 schedule. KSU will also play at Georgia on Nov. 29.
 
CASH FOR CANCER
Fifth Third Bank is donating $53 for every 3-pointer that the Kennesaw State women's basketball team makes during the season to Stand up to Cancer.
 
EXHIBITION RECAP
The Owls made their debut under first-year head coach Agnus Berenato on Sunday (Nov. 6) and posted a 92-56 victory over Coastal Georgia. Senior Aareon Smith led a quartet of players in double figures with 25 points. Freshman Carlotta Gianolla recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Kelly Dulkoski contributed 17 points and fellow classmate Clara Young totaled 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
 
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
The Commodores begin the 2016-17 season under new leadership as Stephanie White begins her first year guiding the program after two seasons as head coach of the WNBA's Indiana Fever. Vanderbilt is coming off an 18-14 record, including a 5-11 mark and 11th-place finish in the SEC. Seniors Marqu'es Webb (7.3 ppg., 5.7 rpg.) and Minta Spears (6.6 ppg., 2.6 rpg.) highlight the roster that also includes five freshmen that form a group that was ranked No. 6 by Blue Star Basketball.
 
SERIES VERSUS VANDERBILT
Friday's contest will mark the first meeting between Kennesaw State and Vanderbilt. The Owls are 0-4 all all-time against SEC opponents, posting and 0-2 mark against both Florida and Georgia.
 
UP NEXT
Following Friday's season opener, Kennesaw State will return to the KSU Convocation Center to host Jacksonville State its home opener on Monday, Nov. 14 at 4:30 p.m. It will mark the first of two consecutive home contests as the Owls will host Georgia Tech on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
 
HOME COOKING
The Nov. 16 game against Georgia Tech will mark the first of five straight contests against schools in the state of Georgia. The Owls will play at Georgia State (Nov. 22), host Savannah State (Nov. 26) and travel to Georgia (Nov. 29) and Mercer (Dec. 3).
 
COACHING CONNECTIONS
First-year head coach Agnus Berenato will coach against two teams that are led former assistants. Machelle Joseph, who was an assistant under Berenato at Georgia Tech, is now leading the Yellow Jackets' program, while her former assistant at Pitt, Yolett McPhee-McCuin, is guiding the Jacksonville program.
 
GUEST COACHES
New head coach Agnus Berenato has started a guest coaches program this season. Mallory Fischer, KSU alumnae and Department of Athletics donor, will serve as a guest during the Owls' season-opener at Vanderbilt. Legendary football coach and former Georgia Tech athletic director Home Rice and his wife, Karen, will serve as guest coaches when the Owls open their home season versus Jacksonville State on Nov. 14. Former KSU Interim President Houston Davis be on the bench when the Owls welcome Georgia Tech to the KSU Convocation Center on Nov. 14.
 
THE COACHING STAFF
Head coach Agnus Berenato has assembled an experienced and well-respected coaching staff. Including Berenato's 29 years as a Division I head coach, the KSU coaching staff has a combined 55 years of experience coaching at the Division I level. The staff is comprised of Khadija Head (8), Sherill Baker (4) and Lisa Pace (14).
 
BEHIND THE ARC
Kennesaw State had significant success from behind the arc during the 2015-16 season, finishing second in the ASUN Conference, shooting 33.0 percent from beyond the three-point line. The Owls had two players finish in the top five as Kelly Dulkoski (38.1) and Aareon Smith (36.8) ranked second and fifth, respectively.
 
KSU showed that three-point shooting will likely be a strength again during the 2016-17 campaign as it converted 37.5 percent (12-for-32) of its attempts during a 92-56 victory over Coastal Georgia on Sunday (Nov. 6).

WELCOME TO THE NEST
Head coach Agnus Berenato announced her first signing class on Thursday as the coaching staff inked four players to National Letters-of-Intent and one individual to a Grant-In-Aid. Brianna Dixon (Duluth, Ga. / Duluth High School), Breanna Hoover (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Blackhawk High School), Lexi Mann (Stone Mountain, Ga. / Greater Atlanta Christian) and Alexis Poole (Ellenwood, Ga. / Stockbridge High School) have signed National Letters-of-Intent and will enroll at Kennesaw State next fall. Caroline Dan (Copenhagen, Denmark / Falkonergaarden Gymnasium) has signed a Grant-In-Aid and will join the program in January.

OWLS 6TH IN ASUN COACHES POLL
Kennesaw State, coming off an 11-19 season and fifth-place finish a year ago, was picked sixth in the ASUN Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Jacksonville, which captured last season's conference tournament, was picked first in the poll after receiving 60 points and five first-place votes. Regular-season champion Florida Gulf Coast was voted second, after collecting two first-place votes and 55 points. Kennesaw State garnered 23 points.
 
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State women's basketball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook. Follow Coach Berenato on Twitter @KSUCoachB.   
 

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