Vanessa Nobrega and Jen Coens plunk themselves on the gym floor in front of me as they lace up their basketball shoes. The graduating students and co-captains of the women’s basketball team could, in theory, be sisters: they think along the same wavelength, get along with each other, and are genuinely proud of the team they have played on for five years.

“It’s awesome,” Nobrega instantly replied in response to a question about the team this season. “It’s the best year we’ve had.”

Coens agreed with her teammate. The Blues have a nice mix of young and old, with a few transfers thrown in to shake things up. The girls realistically think they can win the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) crown, and said that a national title is not out of reach.

“We’ll match up better over the year and continue to improve so we should have a shot,” said Nobrega.

In terms of making improvements Coens said that the girls want to win every home game and dominate defensively. Putting more effort into working on their defence is something the girls have worked very hard on and it’s really starting to show up in game play.

The team is coming off a successful weekend, in which they defeated the Ryerson Rams twice, and remain optimistic about achieving their goals. Home play has definitely been their forte so far and it’s likely their record will improve, as they have a slew of home games coming up in January.

In the gym on a cool weekday evening it is easy to see how much passion and drive the girls have. These are traits that come through even in a regular practice. While casually decked out in out in basketball shorts, blue and white jerseys, and Converse shoes, they yell constantly, cheer and, more importantly, encourage each other.

Tall and lanky with their hair pulled back in ponytails and messy buns, these women don’t need cheerleaders; they generate enough spirit amongst themselves.

When one speaks with head coach Michèle Bélanger they begin to understand where at least some of the passion comes from. Bélanger has been coaching the Blues for 25 years, a feat that belies her youthful appearance.

A trim and fit figure, Bélanger spoke fondly of the team. She echoed the same goals that Nobrega and Coens did: to win every home game, dominate defensively and make a run for an OUA title.

“We want to win OUA and by default we’ll make it to nationals. So far our strategy has paid off, as we are limiting teams in their scoring ability. But the consequence of that is we’re not getting as many points, so we need to make our offence a little stronger.”

When asked about star players, Bélanger said that she isn’t relying on one person to carry the team: “Last year we had Nikki Doucet and she [carried us] at times. But this year, everyone is contributing equally. I want to play twelve girls, that’s my goal.”

Bélanger noted that a lack of confidence is a challenge her players will have to overcome, but also said that all the girls support each other. They are forgiving, but willing to push each other without overstepping their boundaries.

As Bélanger got ready to lead her players through a series of drills, she was asked why she keeps coming back to coach the Blues. She smiles. “Being in the gym is the best part of the day for me. These are wonderful young women. I care about them and I love the sport.” She paused and then added, “I tell them that if they work hard then success is sure to follow them. If not on the court then at least off the court.”