A more confident approach

Karla Vietinghoff, a senior guard for Hampshire's varsity basketball team, knocks her opponent's ball out of bounds during a summer camp dribbling drill Thursday at the high school. Last year, Vietinghoff helped Hampshire to a 29-2 record. (Lauren M. Anderson - landerson@nwherald.com)

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HAMPSHIRE – Karla Vietinghoff tucked three basketballs under her arms and carefully walked to a corner of Hampshire’s basketball court.

Slowly, Vietinghoff let the balls fall to the floor and dribbled all three, rotating from one to the other for as long as she could. The drill followed one in which the Hampshire senior guard maneuvered in and out of defenders across the length of the court, protecting the ball and laughing as her teammates tried to swipe it away.

A year ago, Vietinghoff was entering her first season with the Whip-Purs’ varsity girls basketball team, and the move intimidated her, making Vietinghoff take a tentative approach to the first half of the season despite starting on a team that would finish 29-2.

This year it’s Vietinghoff’s poise that stands out, her calm on the court that sets her apart from the player she started as last season.

“She was a little shy, not really sure of herself,” senior forward Alex Dumoulin said, “but she’s grown into her own and she’s already so much more confident than she was last season. She’s going to be a real leader for us this year.”

Vietinghoff became a floor leader last season, sharing time bringing the ball down the court with fellow senior guard Kelsey Anderson. After the first few games of the season and especially once Hampshire rolled into Christmas break undefeated, Vietinghoff started taking more chances.

She started shooting three-pointers. She started driving. She worked on her ball control and limited her turnovers.

The middle of the season proved to be Vietinghoff’s springboard toward a new approach to the game.

“The first time I ever shot a three in a game was during the Harlem [Holiday] Tournament, and I did it because I thought if I didn’t, I never would,” Vietinghoff said. “It ended up helping me because then I wasn’t afraid to shoot them in big games against Burlington and down the line in the playoffs.”

Being timid early might have helped Vietinghoff last year. Despite her starting status, opposing teams didn’t key onto her the way they did star forward Chrissy Heine or shooting guard Cassie Dumoulin.

Vietinghoff was truly a little-known weapon, but it is unlikely to be that way this year.

New coach Ed Haugens, normally wary of allowing players just to shoot from the arc, knows he has a superstar tandem in Class 3A three-point shooting state champion Jessie VanDorin and Vietinghoff, who have been shooting together all summer.

“Three-pointers to these girls are like layups,” Haugens said. “It’s very impressive.”

Vietinghoff wants to add a little more aggression and sharpen her ball handling skills since Anderson might not return until mid-December because of a knee injury and Vietinghoff might have to run the show.

“I feel a lot better this year, a lot more confident,” she said. “It’s going to be a good year.”