A week into practice and it’s so far, so good for a Vienna High School girls’ basketball squad that underwent an unexpected coaching change mid-week.

Interim head coach Taniya Corley has had a few practices with her new squad and has been pleased.

Corley took over as Lady Eagle interim head coach Wednesday, Nov. 4 when KC Curler resigned the position due to health concerns. Corley, in her first school year at Vienna, worked with the team during summer workouts and coached the girls’ middle school program this year.

Winter practice sessions for schools around Missouri began Monday, Nov. 2.

Corley, in her first season as a head coach, has hit the ground running...out of necessity. The Lady Eagles are to participate in the Crocker Jamboree Monday, Nov. 16. And Vienna is to then open the season at home Thursday, Nov. 19, hosting Russellville with a 7 p.m. tipoff.

With 10 players on the roster, there will again be no junior varsity schedule this season.

The Lady Eagles’ first six games of the season are scheduled to be played at home.

Vienna is coming off a season in which it finished 16-11 overall and was third in the Show-Me Central Conference race.

Back from that squad are four starters, including 5-5 senior Ella Hollis, 5-5 junior Delaney Schwartze, 5-5 sophomore Scarlett Weeks and 5-10 sophomore Lexi Curtis. Hollis, the team’s point guard, earned all-conference honors last season, averaging 15 points, five steals and five assists.

Among others on the squad are 5-5 junior Kenna Roberds, 5-11 sophomore Macie Rowden, 5-5 sophomore Liberty Rowden and freshmen Grace Barnhart, Marissa Fannon and Josie Stricklan.

Vienna must replace graduated leading scorer and rebounder Aubrey Schwartze, a forward/post who averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks last season while setting the Vienna school record for career rebounds.

Corley will use the preseason to see how much of her own offensive and defensive philosophies she will mesh into what the Lady Eagles have been running in recent years.

“It’s up to me if we keep the style of play the kids have been familiar with the last few years, or go to what I know like the back of my hand,” she said. “Whatever we do we have a lot of athletes to adjust.”

Corley said it may take a while before the squad is back into basketball mentality.

“Most of our players were softball players, so they hadn’t touched a basketball since the summer,” she said. “We put a lot of shots up the first week of practice and hit defense hard. The offense will come later. We’ll continue to get that skill development. There is no JV team, so the young girls will be stepping up.”

The fact that four starters return will be important, particularly early on.

“Hollis is an overall great teammate,” Corley said. “She is the motor to our team; we will play through her. She’s a good slasher, can shoot from the perimeter and defensively is very good off the ball. Weeks is a knock-down shooter. Our inside game, the post people are younger and I’m excited to see what they can do. Delaney probably won’t put up a lot of points, but her intensity level is unmatched. She’s the glue to the team. Liberty is young but can get up and play defense and has a good shot. Roberds is coming off a (knee) injury, but is very good on the defensive end. Barnhart is a talented freshman; defense will be her role, with transition buckets.”