LUBBOCK, Texas (October 22, 2025) — A new chapter is taking shape inside Rip Griffin Center, where seven fresh faces have joined one of the nation's premier Division II programs. For Lubbock Christian University women's basketball — a program defined by consistency, culture, and championship standards — the 2025–26 season brings both excitement and renewal.
 
The Lady Chaparrals, ranked No. 2 in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll and fresh off a 32–5 campaign that ended in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, will rely on a mix of veteran leadership and youthful energy as they embark on another run under longtime head coach Steve Gomez, who enters his 23rd season at the helm.
 
"This year is a new adventure," Gomez said. "Wins or points don't carry over from one season to the next. We always start fresh, with high expectations, and the goal is simply to get as good as we can be — wherever that ends up, that will be plenty."
 
LCU returns eight players from last year's regional championship team, including Region Tournament Team guard Kennedy Chappell, but the spotlight entering November is firmly on a seven-member freshman class that Gomez describes as "full of optimism, character, and potential."
 
"These freshmen bring a lot of optimism to our program," Gomez said. "It's not just about the skill they bring to the court — it's also about who they are as people and the families they come from. They fit perfectly with the mission we have here."

Seven New Faces, One Mission
The class — Meg Meekins (Nocona, Texas), Kyndle Cunningham (Hobbs, N.M.), Ally Ihler (Salado, Texas), Mattie Dollar (Newcastle, Texas), Raegan Lee (Lubbock, Texas), Kaitlyn McAdoo (Winnsboro, Texas), and Kaelie Massenburg (Denison, Texas) — represents one of the most decorated incoming groups in program history. Together, they bring nine state championships, more than 11,000 combined career points, and an impressive array of multi-sport accolades to a program that has captured three national titles since 2016.
 
For Gomez, the transition has been seamless.
"It's been really satisfying how quickly this group has fit in," he said. "Team unity has happened faster than expected. With players from so many different programs and styles of play, that's not always the case. They've blended together really well."

Leaders in the Making
Among the new group, Gomez expects several to make an immediate impact — including Meg Meekins, a 3,000-point scorer and state champion from Nocona High School.

"Meg is going to have an immediate impact," Gomez said. "She's a tremendous point guard who's been in clutch situations. She has an easygoing presence, great composure, and will do a fantastic job leading from that position."
 
Another early contributor could be Kyndle Cunningham, a 6-foot forward from Hobbs, New Mexico, and her school's all-time blocks leader.

"Kyndle is another player with great playoff and state champion success," Gomez said. "(She is) Really a great shooting, bigger forward, can play inside and defend and score around the basket, and just does a great job playing on balance and making the right plays."
 
Gomez also highlighted Ally Ihler, a 6-1 guard from Salado and McDonald's All-American nominee, as a player with rare versatility.

"Ally's like our Swiss Army Knife," Gomez said. "She can play on the perimeter or inside, handle the ball, shoot, defend — her anticipation and size will give us a lot of different looks."
 
Mattie Dollar, a state champion and MVP from Newcastle, is another freshman whose calm demeanor belies her competitive drive.

"Mattie is versatile," Gomez said. "She can play multiple positions and has that combination of quiet confidence and fierce competitiveness."
 
Hometown product Raegan Lee, fresh off winning her fourth consecutive TAPPS state championship at Lubbock Christian High School, will bring energy and leadership from day one.

"Raegan brings spirit and spunk to every drill," Gomez said. "Just a fun personality and someone that is always going to be intense in competition."
 
On the perimeter, Kaitlyn McAdoo adds a proven scoring punch from beyond the arc after setting Winnsboro's single-game record with nine threes.

"Kaitlyn's one of the better shooters on the team," Gomez said. "She's strong, physical, and gives us a great perimeter threat on both ends."
 
Finally, Kaelie Massenburg, a 6-2 forward and All-Texomaland Player of the Year, adds valuable size and passing touch in the frontcourt.

"Kaelie gives us good length and vision," Gomez said. "She's an outstanding passer and will really help us defensively and around the basket."

Learning and Growing Together
As the largest freshman class in program history, the group's early adjustment has been critical. Gomez noted that several of the newcomers are likely to play significant minutes right away — a rarity in his tenure.

"We'll be counting on a few of these freshmen early," Gomez said. "Their energy and character make that adjustment easier. It's not common to start freshmen, but that may be the case for us this season."
 
The challenge, he added, will be adapting to the pace and physicality of college basketball.

"The biggest learning curve is the speed of the game — physically and mentally," Gomez said. "They all come from great high school programs, but the level of decision-making here is different. Still, they've proven eager to learn and very capable so far."

Blending Experience and Youth
While the freshman class adds new talent, the returning veterans — led by Chappell — provide the blueprint for success.

"Our eight returners are tremendous people with great hearts," Gomez said. "They've been through Elite Eight battles and conference championships. Their leadership in teaching our standard is invaluable."
 
Those standards, Gomez said, remain the cornerstone of the program's culture.

"The principles here never change," he said. "Team before individual self, play with joy, live wisely off the court, and always compete the right way."

A Fresh Energy, Same Championship Standards
Despite the youth movement, expectations around LCU remain as high as ever. Picked second in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll behind Texas Woman's, the Lady Chaps will once again carry the target of a national contender.
 
"There's tremendous potential with this group," Gomez said. "It's a fun mix of personalities and skills, and I think our fans are really going to enjoy watching them grow."
 
His message to the LCU faithful?

"Get to know these girls," Gomez said. "They're tremendous young women who will represent LCU with joy and class. We'll play a little differently this year, but those same values — teamwork, passion, and energy — will still define us."
 
The Lady Chaps open their 2025–26 campaign Thursday with an exhibition against the University of Texas inside Moody Center in Austin before officially tipping off Nov. 1 against Adams State at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in St. Joseph, Missouri.