Despite a short power outage inside Hulman Center on Wednesday evening, energy was high as the Indiana State women's basketball team opened up their preseason practice schedule with a two-hour practice.

Indiana State will have 30 practices throughout October and early November, all leading to the regular season opener against Eastern Illinois on Friday, Nov. 9, in Terre Haute. Along the way, the Sycamores will be hosting their Big Blue Block Party next Friday, Oct. 12, and an exhibition contest with Bellarmine on Friday, Nov. 2.

Third-year head coach Teri Moren not only put several student-athletes through their first Indiana State practice, but also welcomed four new members of the coaching staff. A trio of assistant coaches, in John Marcum, Sara Riedeman and Joey Wells, and graduate manager Andrea Jones will join head coach Moren on the ISU bench this season.

Five Sycamores went through their first practice in ISU blue on Wednesday, in freshmen Kalliste Haskins (Indianapolis, Ind. / Warren Central HS), Kasey Johnson (Plainfield, Ind. / Plainfield HS), Marina Laramie (O'Fallon, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt West HS) and Makenzi Reasor (Fortville, Ind. / Mount Vernon HS) and sophomore transfer Jasmine Harris (Toronto, Ontario, Canada / Cal Poly).

Indiana State returns a pair of starters from last year's team, as senior guard Taylor Whitley and junior guard Anna Munn highlight the returnees. Redshirt junior Andrea Rademacher and sophomores Travecia Franklin, Racheal Mahan, Jessica Valley and Natasha Zurek are also back this season for the Sycamores.

Make sure to check back to GoSycamores.com throughout the preseason for updates on the 2012-13 Indiana State women's basketball team.