Record-Setting Enger Wants USD to Make Its Mark

Chris Enger said she hopes that every team record she sets during her career as a basketball player at the University of San Diego translates to a lot of Toreras victories. How about something like 10 to one.

That wouldn’t be a bad ratio, considering the 6-foot-4 center from Vista is on a pace to break all of the school’s scoring and rebounding standards. She already owns all the marks for blocked shots.

Enger is only a junior and Coach Kathy Marpe says she actually has kept a harness on USD’s first preseason All-American (Enger received honorable mention) until now. Marpe said Enger is ready to emerge as the West Coast Conference’s dominant player.

“I think at this point she’s mentally ready,” said Marpe of Enger, an All-WCC selection last year. “She’s now more mature. She knows how to handle the pressure.”

Said Enger, “I think the first two years was to kind of get the feel of college basketball. Now it’s time to put everything together.

“I’m not really going for records, but to help the team win games. It’s great to be at a school where I can break records. But really, I feel that I’m just now putting my game together.”

The timing couldn’t be better because Enger may have to carry the Toreras, who lost to San Diego State 72-68. USD, 14-13 in 1990-91 and third in the WCC at 9-4, has experience and returns three starters. But Enger, the former section player of the year at Vista, must help fill a big hole left by Christi English in the low post. English, USD’s third all-time rebounder and fifth all-time scorer, graduated and now plays professionally in Israel.

“I’m going to be playing a lot more minutes and doing a lot more things,” Enger said. “I’m going to have to get more rebounds, look for more scoring opportunities and try to be the dominant person in the middle.”

Marpe expects the Toreras to challenge Santa Clara, defending champion, and Pepperdine for the WCC title, but a lot depends on how the team develops.

“I’m really pleased about the schedule,” Marpe said, “because it gives us the opportunity to play the kind of teams that we aspire to be without having the pressure to win.”

Guards Angie Straub (at point) and Julie Doria (San Pasqual) are returning starters and have a combined five years of varsity experience. The Toreras have two new starters at forward, with Lynda Jones (Mt. Carmel), a senior who averaged about 20 minutes per game last year, and sophomore Jill Shaver, an All-American at Eldorado High School in Albuquerque.

USD also has experienced backups at guard in senior Debbie Gollnick and former starter Melissa Sortino, and at forward with seniors Chato Platero and Julie Lemery, who sat out last season. Freshmen Vicki de Jesus (Mt. Carmel) and Detra Young (Pomona Banning) add to the Toreras’ depth at forward.