For every pro there is always a con—so it seems.

As the 1988-89 edition of Huskie women’s basketball gets underway, there have been changes made in the North Star Conference since last season.

The NSC, a conference for NCAA women’s athletics, has witnessed the departure of two quality schools from the league, and one school scheduled to leave next year. Both Notre Dame and Dayton have hooked up with the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, while Marquette will remain a member of the NSC for one more season before leaving.

New arrivals to the NSC this year are Akron, Cleveland State, Illinois-Chicago and Wisconsin-Green Bay. Losing two teams and getting four might seem like a deal, but some believe the loss of Notre Dame hurts.

“Anytime you lose a team like Notre Dame, you can’t be happy,” Albright said. “We’re sorry to lose them. They’re an excellent natural rival.”

The loss of Notre Dame takes out one of NIU’s target teams, leaving the Huskies to challenge DePaul for the top spot in the NSC. The Lady Blue Demons are led by senior Diana Vines. Head coach Jim Izard led his team to the NSC championship last year and has the team to beat this year.

“DePaul is a great team,” Albright said. “You can be looking at an NCAA contending team there. However, making a run at the top spot (in the NSC) will be one of our goals.

Last year, the Huskies finished fourth in the NSC with a 6-4 record. The only team to beat the Huskies in both NSC meetings last year was DePaul, with the other two losses coming from Notre Dame and Dayton. However, the Huskies returned what the Fighting Irish and the Lady Flyers dished out. A 99-61 win over Dayton and a 95-74 trouncing of Notre Dame the second time around let the Huskies feel how sweet revenge can be.

Besides DePaul, Marquette, NIU and the new arrivals to the NSC, Valparaiso gives the NSC eight affiliated members to match up for the 1988-89 basketball season.