ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAY

October 11, 2022

Megan Gebbia

Jewel Spear

Olivia Summiel

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We already welcomed one new member to the ACC with Coach Maks at UVA, and now we have to say congratulations are in order once again for you, Megan Gebbia, at Wake Forest.

This is really exciting, because long story short, I remember you at Marist and your upset there, because I was at Florida State. I remember that moment watching your team celebrate in the locker room, celebrate at the hotel, and I was like, what an amazing energy.

To see how that's going to transfer over to Wake Forest, they couldn't ask for a better person in your shoes. I'm really excited.

MEGAN GEBBIA: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: We have some amazing women up here as well. We have Jewel Spear, who led the league in scoring last season. That's just a nice little toss there.

And Olivia Summiel also with this team.

We're just going to jump right into things. I know it's probably been a whirlwind for you taking this job, but the things that have gone into it and why you feel this is the right fit for you.

MEGAN GEBBIA: As a coach -- as a mid-major coach you're always looking to make that next step. I think for me I had my eyes set on not necessarily Wake Forest, but a school like Wake Forest. When the job became available I just felt like it would be a terrific fit because of the academic, just terrific opportunities that you have with the ACC.

Playing in the best conference in the country, coaching young ladies that care so much about both. You're always trying to find the right fit, and for me, Wake Forest just seemed like the right fit because of all those things.

And then on top of it, I just feel like the area, Tobacco Road, being in North Carolina, that's kind of anyone's dream. For me, it just made a lot of sense.

Then when I got a chance to meet the team, it just kind of made me feel like I was home.

THE MODERATOR: I loved when you had your presser joining Wake Forest and Curry said, just a relationship, a renowned relationship builder that's created a positive team culture and consistent identity.

Those are three things that are not very easy to do within a culture. What goes into that, and what do you see and what that can be for Wake Forest?

MEGAN GEBBIA: I think for us it's really the entire staff, hiring the right people. Obviously I have to do my job and get to know these young ladies, and we're trying. That has been what this summer has been about.

I'm so thankful that I had June, July, and August with them because that's really what you get to be able to sit down with them. They're not quite as stressed at that point in time even though they're still taking classes. And just kind of get to hang out with them and understand what they're about, what their needs and wants are.

Once you do that, then you've got to hire the right people that also know how to build relationships. I feel like I'm just a consistent person in general. I'm not trying to be too high or too low with anything and just understanding what needs to change.

Obviously any place you go, there's things that need to get better, and that's what I learned about myself when we took our strengths test was that I'm very restorative and that I like to fix what's broken.

So to me, that was kind of my focus coming in. What does it take to get this team moving in the right direction? We're working towards that. I'm excited.

The kids are great in practice. They've done a terrific job with learning new, and I think that's hard because you're coming into a situation where it's not just one true freshman, it's like 14 freshmen because it's all new to what we're doing.

I'm just really thankful we have a lot of seniors and juniors on the team.

THE MODERATOR: They're all shaking their head like yeah, that's a good point, Coach. But also when you can have the amount of talent and depth that you have with this group, too. Jewel is pretty good. I just joked with her. She's good. She's a walking bucket. You would want that on your roster.

Jewel, when you accomplished such an amazing previous season and all the accolades you won, but what's next for you? What goes into just continuing to build off of that?

JEWEL SPEAR: Yeah, I think accolades at the end of the day are great. Personal accolades, team accolades. But at the end of the day, we want to win. We want to win as a team.

Personal accolades can only get you so far, so that's really not my focus this year at all. Really just buying in with the team. New team, new coaching staff. So just like Coach said, building a good relationship and just leaning on my teammates.

I got Liv here. She's a bucket too. I got a bunch of buckets on my team.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned just having different pieces with you now and the depth as well. What are you most excited about playing alongside Olivia?

JEWEL SPEAR: Most excited about she sets great screens. I'm going to set great screens. I'm going to get her open. I know I can rely on her. She can make shots. She can make tough shots.

Like I said with anybody on the roster, just really just relying on each other and believing in each other, and I think we really do trust each other, and I think we can do some special things this year.

THE MODERATOR: I just wanted to go to you as well, and I know this is something new with this group. With the amount of time that you've already spent with this team and just the team bonding and what goes into establishing what you want to be on the court but off the court, what makes this team special? What can people get excited about looking to cheer on the Deacons?

OLIVIA SUMMIEL: Yeah, I think this year we have a really great opportunity in front of us. A clean slate, right? We keep telling each other that in practice. Coach has given us a clean slate. We need to continue to give each other that same clean slate. We're really looking forward to jumping into this season with this brand new opportunity in front of us.

Like Jewel said, our core group is coming back this year. We're looking forward to leaning on that and using it to our advantage. We have a lot of talent. We're looking forward to putting it together with the new offense and the new system that's here with us.

So we are really looking forward to this season and looking forward to seeing Jewel shine this year too.

THE MODERATOR: I just want to build on this too. Obviously when you have players that represent your university well, one of the coolest things I saw even from your bio, one of the things you represent for the SAC board, knowing that you can be a voice, not just for your team, but also in your community and for athletes, how important is that for you?

OLIVIA SUMMIEL: It is extremely important. The opportunities I've been given at the conference level for ACC SAC, and now at the national level for Division I SAC, it's been an awesome experience.

What a time in athletics. There's so much going on. It's really crucial to have the student-athlete voice being represented across all sports. I'm biased to women's basketball. I love being a part of the conversations when it comes to basketball, but just being able to have that opportunity to make a difference there, it is just so special.

It's been a really cool opportunity and experience.

THE MODERATOR: Now getting back to the ACC, wow. I mean, this is a conference where every single day you have to show up. Some things that you have prioritized for this group that you definitely want to make sure that they handle going into not just the non-conference schedule, but ACC play as well.

MEGAN GEBBIA: I think the thing we're focusing on a lot is transition defense. I know the conference is athletic. They run. We worked a lot on that in practice, and just half-court defense in general.

I think there's going to be days where we're not going to shoot the ball as well as we'd like, so we've got to find a way to stay in the game.

I think listening to them speak about what it was like last year, and rebounding is a big part of it too. We're a little bit undersized apparently. So focusing on just making sure that we're boxing out and getting defensive rebounds.

Then possession control, right? How you value each possession. We get the best shot for the team each possession, and we don't take bad shots. I think that's one of the things we've been working a lot on.

THE MODERATOR: I was trying to swing here and look through my notes, and I can't quite find it. I remember Mike Tebow saying something about you as well, and even being at American, what that looked like as far as building a team; the respect that people have for you across leagues is obviously resounding.

So when you're looking at this opportunity for you, what means the most to you as far as your first season in establishing what coach you can be in the ACC?

MEGAN GEBBIA: I think the most important thing for me is them. At the end of the day, it's making them happy. It's serving them. It's getting them to where they need to go and where they want to be. Whether it's on the court, off the court, in the community, that's most important.

Me as a coach, I'm here to do a job obviously, and that's what Wake hired me to do. But I think, if I place my focus on the people that are out there on the court, that are having to study all hours of the night, it's a lot for them.

And understanding and kind of meeting them where they are, I think that's probably the biggest thing.

THE MODERATOR: You're a vet. You understand what it is to play in this league and what it takes to compete in this league and definitely have the eye of every other team and earn the respect in this league. What has gone into creating that, and how do you continue to build on that?

JEWEL SPEAR: Once again, I think I just lean on my teammates. I would never get all these personal accolades without them. So it's not just me, once again. Great saves, knocking down shots helps my assists.

But like I said, just leaning on my teammates and my coaching staff, they've helped me a lot and helped me grow this summer as well, learning new things within the system, but also learning new fundamental things with basketball has helped a lot.

THE MODERATOR: Coach talked about what she wants her scheme to be, what her philosophy is as well. But even with new pieces and a couple of new faces obviously, what do you want the identity of this team to be?

JEWEL SPEAR: I think I want the identity of this team to be is whoever plays us, you have to compete hard. Some people think Wake Forest is little, little Wake Forest as our athletic director says, but we're gritty. We compete hard every day in practice.

We believe we can win any game no matter who we play. So just having that confidence within each other knowing when we step on the court we're there to --

THE MODERATOR: I love the way you guys praise one another as well, so obviously when everyone can't be spoken for, you can be their voice. A player that you think is going to be a surprise person for everyone else in the ACC?

I'll have you lead first, Jewel, and then Olivia you can join.

JEWEL SPEAR: I could name anybody on our team honestly. It's actually really hard. I could name anybody. I feel like one player I would lean on is Elise Williams.

THE MODERATOR: Why?

JEWEL SPEAR: She's about to be a sophomore. She came early her freshman year, so she's gotten a look at the ACC. She's really confident, reads the floor well, and plays defense well. She plays well both sides of the ball. That's one I would lean on.

OLIVIA SUMMIEL: I'm going to ride with my post players on this one. Demeara Hinds. She is awesome to play with. I'm so glad she's on my team, because if I had to compete against her, she gives some people trouble. She is so explosive, so athletic.

I've never seen someone with her strength move as quickly as she does, so I'm really looking forward to her having this year because I think it's going to be a big one for her.

THE MODERATOR: I love that you can give that praise to a post player. They need it.

OLIVIA SUMMIEL: You'll see her. I'm telling you. You will this year, No. 25.

THE MODERATOR: And I've got to give praise to a post player that is a former Wake Forest alum, with Dearica Hamby winning with the title with the Las Vegas Aces.

I don't know, maybe she's watching. To have a player come back that comes back, that is very supportive in not only this league, but Wake Forest as well.

Real quick, Olivia, the most important thing as a leader coming into a situation where you want to win right away. Jewel already mentioned this is a team that's put in the work, the gritty work behind things.

What word, I would say -- and I've asked a couple of teams this. What word would describe your team and where you are and what you want to build on for this season?

OLIVIA SUMMIEL: It's hard to pick just one because I think it depends on the day. I think something that's consistent with our team is the work ethic. I think every day we show up and compete.

I would say we're very competitive. We push each other in practice. It doesn't matter who's on each team each day, gold, black, we're going to go at it.

I'm really looking forward to the opportunity. Like I said, this year is go to be a special one. Really just looking to win. I think that's the goal. We could sit here and talk about different players, different pieces, but as a collective we're just really looking forward to the opportunity to get on the court again. Counting down the days to game day.

JEWEL SPEAR: Can't get here fast enough.

THE MODERATOR: Looking at the schedule as well, what went into that, and a couple of challenges or things that you have circled on your calendar that will be a test for you guys?

MEGAN GEBBIA: I think the Bahamas, they go right to that. We're playing two Power Five teams in Alabama and Missouri. That will be a nice change, I think, from what they've had in the past. I think that's good.

The ACC-Big Ten challenge is always a big thing. Obviously we're looking forward to playing at Minnesota. So those Power Five schools we're playing within the non-conference, we hope helps prepare us as we head into ACC play.

And you get two ACC games early in the season, we do. So that's challenging in and of itself because your third game of the year is against Virginia. Early in the year, you don't feel like you're where you want to be when you start to play your conference opponents. So I think that's going to be a challenge for us as well.

THE MODERATOR: But everyone loves to be in the Bahamas. Who doesn't? That's something that you can tip your hat to. Thank you so much for your time, ladies. Good luck this season, and I'll see you down the road.