With as much height and post skill as near any team in the state of Illinois, the Corsairs stand poised to make a run the program hasn’t seen the likes of in years. 

Michigan State commit Jordan Wood, a junior, has nearly every intangible a college coach would want. She’s joined by fellow D-I signee Grace Sullivan, a senior, who will head to Bucknell next year. 

“Jordan is a better three-point shooter,” Carmel Catholic coach Ben Berg said. “Her perimeter game has improved that much more. She’s always seen the floor real well. She’s always had great vision for someone who is 6-5. But I just think her offensive game, her mind has slowed down. She reads things so much better now.”

The Corsairs kicked off their season with a blistering 64-13 win over Grayslake North at the Mundelein Tournament on Monday. Sullivan put her skills on display with eight first-quarter points, controlling the boards and displaying her basketball IQ.

In the game, Carmel grabbed defensive rebounds and pushed the ball in the open court — something they’ll look to do all season. Forward Mia Gillis, a 6-1 junior, gobbled up rebounds and steals, and distributed assists. She looked capable of doing anything that was needed, while the Corsairs look quick, big and comfortable deep into the bench. Both Gillis and Wood are three-year starters, while Sullivan has started four years. 

And while height is one thing, Sullivan says her team may catch opponents off guard with their physicality. 

‘We have such a tall roster people just look at that as height and think ‘They can reach above everyone’s head,’ but I feel like if we’re physical down low, using our hips using our feet more, I feel like that will really set us apart from a lot of the competition,” Sullivan said. 

Berg says his team’s younger, less-experienced guards are energetic and bring strong defense to the table for the team. 

“We’ve definitely been working on keeping it quick in practice, running it up the floor, getting the passes up the floor,” Sullivan said. “We’ve also been focusing on getting our guards to shoot a little bit more, bringing up their confidence and getting some threes up and getting looks into the post as well.”

While Berg did not name a specific end goal, Sullivan said she has her eyes first on a regional title, then on state. The Corsairs have never reached the state final four. She said she feels relieved to be playing worry-free basketball with her college recruitment completed. 

“We’re really looking forward to going to state this year,” Sullivan said. “We really think we have a really good chance. This is probably the best chance we’ve had in a long time to make it down to Redbird Arena. I really think we can if our guards improve, if our posts improve, everyone improves as a group, I feel like we can definitely make it as a group.”