And then there were two.
The Lehigh women's basketball team was in a good position at the beginning of preseason, returning four from its starting lineup. But after two of those players went down with anterior cruciate ligament injuries, there was a gap to fill in the starting five.
While coach Sue Troyan works to fill those spaces, more of a leadership role on the court is being placed on those two healthy starters - senior forward Adrienne Blount, as well as classmate Sara Ellis.
And Blount, described by her coach as one of the quieter members of the team, is letting her game do all the talking.
In the Mountain Hawks' first contest of the season, she contributed 33 minutes, leading the team with nine rebounds and taking second in scoring with 10 points. Her performance earned her a Patriot League weekly honorable mention nod.
But that was not the first accolade she has garnered this season.
The Mahopac, N.Y., native was the only Lehigh player to be named to the five-member preseason All-League team.
"It's a little nerve-wracking," Blount said of the honor. "People expect so much from you, and you need to perform at that level."
Although she is now the Mountain Hawks' key player in the paint, Blount actually came to Lehigh as a guard. But her team needed another post player, so she quickly made the transition.
And because Jenny Callan - last year's other starting post player and leading scorer - graduated, Blount's experience will be key in those areas.
Last season, Blount was sixth in the Patriot League in scoring, averaging 13.6 points and 7.5 boards per game.
According to Troyan, the senior's versatility and athleticism are two of her biggest attributes.
"She can step out and shoot the three and play low post off the block," Troyan said.
Blount shot .667 from beyond the arc last year (although she only attempted six shots), as well as .451 from the field.
And that will make her difficult for Penn to defend in tonight's game.
"Blount is the best post player, so [we will try to] deny her the ball and [be] tough out on the perimeter when we can," Penn coach Pat Knapp said.
But part of Blount's versatility comes from being a force on both ends of the court.
Troyan noted that rebounding was one of her biggest defensive strengths. Last season, the bioengineering major pulled an average of 7.5 per game, good for third in the Patriot League.
She also led the Mountain Hawks will 52 steals.
Blount is not only playing an important role on the floor, but she has also been there for her injured teammates - she tore her own ACL senior year of high school.
"I know what they're going though, so I try to bounce my experiences off them," Blount said.
But after her own injury and those of her teammates, Blount is not taking anything for granted, especially in her last season with the Mountain Hawks.
"You can be playing one second, and then out for months the next," she said.
