Under New Coach, Monomoy Girls Basketball Excited About Potential

HARWICH – With a new head coach, the Monomoy girls basketball team is looking to tap into their talent and mount a return to the playoffs. 

First-year head coach Carley Stauffer takes over a program that has an entirely new coaching staff from top to bottom, she said. Under Craig Andrews the past two years, Monomoy went 17-23, last reaching the MIAA Division 4 state tournament in 2023.

If the Sharks play the way they did in a preseason scrimmage Monday against Sturgis East, a trip to the playoffs for the first time in a few seasons could be imminent. Monomoy thoroughly controlled the practice game to a 68-7 final, utilizing swarming defensive effort that created easy baskets on the other end of the court.

“We have a really deep bench at all levels, so we're really excited about the potential of this program,” Stauffer said.

Monomoy started the scrimmage 18-0 and led 36-2 after two quarters. They generated steals and turnovers on defense essentially on repeat. 

The defensive energy continued into the final two quarters, with players like senior Kiley Mawn diving to the floor in pursuit of the ball even in the game’s last minutes.

“We’re looking to be a defense-creates-offense kind of team, so they had great intuition tonight when they were off the ball and ready to intercept those passes,” Stauffer said.

Stauffer previously served as an assistant coach in Barnstable. She played basketball at Endicott College. The 2025 season will be her first leading a varsity team.

The team has been learning different defensive options while also playing around with their offensive approach, according to Stauffer. It’s early for everyone, however. After tryouts and a few practices last week, they all were finally able to take a deep breath, she said.

“We now know that we're all in it together and really looking forward to a lot of team camaraderie this year,” Stauffer said. “That's the key for us, is all coming together.”

Mawn, a Cape and Islands League All-Star, will be one of many core players for Monomoy. Stauffer said she was “really looking forward to her leadership this year.”

“Tonight, she was incredible on the back of our defense, communicating to the players,” Stauffer said.

Other important contributors include younger talent like freshman Emma Ayer and sophomore Ava Pina. 

Individual skill and work ethic is abundant throughout the roster. The next step is figuring out what works as a group and putting it all together as a collective.

“They all have the basis and the skill,” Stauffer said. “It's just piecing all the individuals together and making a team.”