Over 11 months after its last game and more than two months after its originally scheduled season opener, the Lakeland University women's basketball team makes its return to the court Friday night when it hosts Concordia University Wisconsin at 7 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies have seen their 2020-21 season shortened and reformatted to just a 2021 slate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but will embark on a 10-game Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference schedule starting with a two-day series against the Falcons. Lakeland also will host longtime rival Concordia on Saturday at 5 p.m. under the new one-site format implemented just for this season by the conference.

In addition to a revamped schedule, the Muskies already were slated to have a new look this year with a new coach. Amber Peterson is in her first year in charge after serving seven years as an assistant coach with the program. Peterson took over the head coaching job after the 2019-20 season, and less than two weeks before Lakeland's athletics season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After winning 58 games and ranking near the top of the NACC over the previous three years, the Muskies slipped back some in 2019-20. Lakeland finished 11-14 overall for its first losing record in six years. Its 11-9 conference mark was good for a tie for sixth, but the Muskies lost a tiebreaker for the final spot in the NACC Tournament, missing the league tourney for the first time since 2013-14.

Lakeland especially struggled offensively, with a 35.6% field goal shooting percentage its lowest since 2011 and third-lowest for the program in the last 33 years. The Muskies also struggled rebounding with a minus-8.9 rebounding margin, and also were victimized at times by hot-shooting opponents, posting a 0-5 mark in games where the opposition made 10 or more three-pointers.

Five seniors graduated from that team, including starting guards Rachel Hasko and Amanda Majewski. Along with Kylie Birkholz, Hannah Kanyuh and Riley Phelps, the quintet was the final link to the 2017 NACC Tournament championship team that made Lakeland's last appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Muskies return three starters and are paced by a senior in the post. Megan Will (Lake Mills, Wis.) averaged 14.1 points and 7.5 rebounds last season in picking up first team all-NACC honors for the second straight season. The 6-foot-2 Will enters this season 68 points from 1,000 for her career, and her 142 career blocks also rank second in school history.

Kacey Gardner (Jr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) has been one of the most disruptive perimeter players defensively in the NACC each of her first two years, and last year led the NACC with 3.0 steals per game and was second in the conference with 73 total steals. The 5-6 guard also averaged 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and paced the team with 91 assists.

Abby Nylund (Sr.-Crystal Falls, Mich.) is the third returning starter and brings considerable experience at the point guard spot. She started 18 games last year and has 59 starts in her career. Nylund averaged 4.3 points per game a year ago and also has made 76 career three-pointers.

Lakeland also returns most of its top reserves, including firepower with its No. 2 and No. 3 scorers last year. Janai' Farr (Sr.-Racine, Wis.) was second on the team with 8.2 points per game and made 41 three-pointers, including seven in a single game against MSOE last February. The 5-6 guard, whose godfather is former NBA 14-year vet Caron Butler, also was a good defender playing at the front of the Muskies' zone last year, ranking second on the team with 48 steals.

Hayley Walding (Jr.-Bradenton, Fla.) averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds last year and shot 45.1% from the field and 40% from three-point range. The 5-6 Walding especially came on late in the season, averaging 11.0 over the Muskies' final eight games, including a career-high 27 in a double-overtime win at Aurora.

Other returnees in the backcourt include seniors Kaity Birkholz (Sr.-Watertown, Wis.) and Michelle Percudani (Kirkland, Ill.) and sophomores Lauren Downs (So.-West Bend, Wis.) and Nicole Sachman (So.-Niles, Mich.). Birkholz has played in 54 games in her career and made 15 three-pointers in 2018-19 as a sophomore. Downs averaged 3.4 points in 14 games as a freshman, including a high of 15 points against Rockford in Jan. 2020 when she made five three-pointers.

The frontcourt also returns considerable depth. Morgan Zenon (Jr.-Twin Lakes, Wis.) averaged 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds last year, and the 5-11 post also blocked 16 shots. Ellie Felsinger (So.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) also averaged 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds, and she scored in double figures twice including a best of 13 against Concordia (Wis.).

Brianna Jones (So.-Indianapolis, Ind.) is also a sophomore who started five games early last season and seven games total. The 5-9 Jones averaged 2.8 points and 2.9 rebounds and also recorded 22 steals in just 11 games.

In all, the Muskies boast a sizable roster with 24 players, including 17 returning from last year. Veterans in their third year with the program include juniors Alicia Thone (Neenah, Wis.) and twins Chassity Bradford and Chanel Bradford (Lincoln Park, Mich.). Sophomores also back include Megan Gold (Morton, Ill.) and Payton Tibbot (Lebanon, Ind.).

Seven freshmen also round out the roster. Five of the newcomers come from the state of Wisconsin, including Katie Bleck (Weyauwega-Fremont High School), Sadie Conway (Monroe), Olivia Curley (Wittenberg-Birnamwood), Kerstin Sauerbrei (Ripon) and Alexa Yost (Menasha). Also new to the team are Kensey McKee (Rochester, Ind.) and Sydney Walker (Flint, Mich.).