Q: AS YOU APPROACH YOUR 11TH SEASON AT TOLEDO, WHAT ARE THE GOALS FOR YOUR TEAM IN 2018-19?  
CULLOP: Every year our goal is to challenge for a MAC title and get back to the NCAA Championships. Our returners know how special that was in 2017, and I would love to see our seniors experience that feeling for the second time in their careers.  

Q: WHAT WILL BE THE STRENGTHS OF THIS YEAR'S SQUAD?  
CULLOP: We return 67% of our scoring, 69% of our rebounding, 76% of our assists and 84% of our steals, so we're optimistic about the upcoming season. We shared the ball well last year and were one of the top teams in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, but in order for us to reach our goals, we have to improve our free-throw percentage and three-point field-goal percentage. We have addressed those issues with skill work in the off-season and with the addition of our incoming recruiting class. We return four of five starters who took Michigan St. to the wire in the second round of the Postseason WNIT. We also have more size than we've had in the past 10 seasons and we've added speed, as well as a couple three-point threats. I expect this team to be quicker up and down the floor in transition and a more potent offensive team as well.

Q: DO YOU FORESEE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO YOUR STYLE OF PLAY IN 2018-19?
CULLOP: I always look at the strengths of each team and cater to them. This year, we will mix up some things offensively to make sure we are putting our players in positions to be successful. We are also bigger than we have been in years past. I would love to exploit our high/low game more and put players like Mikaela Boyd, Mariella Santucci and Tatyana Davis in positions to break down opponents off the dribble.

Q: WHERE DO YOU THINK LEADERSHIP ON THIS YEAR'S TEAM WILL COME FROM?  
CULLOP: Mikaela Boyd, Kaayla McIntyre and Mariella Santucci stepped up this summer and took on a lot of leadership responsibility. I've been impressed with their focus. Mikaela and Kaayla  really want their senior years to be successful. Mariella has also played a lot of minutes for us in her first two seasons, so she can really help mentor our new players. 

Q: THE LOSS OF THREE-TIME ALL-MAC HONOREE JAY-ANN BRAVO-HARRIOTT LEAVES A VOID IN THE BACKCOURT. HOW WILL YOU FILL THAT?
CULLOP: Jay-Ann was a consistent three-point shooter and one of our best defenders. We will most likely fill her spot by committee. We have seen improvement from Sara Rokkanen, Tatyana Davis and Mariah Copeland. We also signed two guards who shoot the ball well from beyond the arc in Nakiah Black and Jaela Johnson.

Q: YOU HAVE ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE PLAYERS IN THE MAC RETURNING IN SENIOR MIKAELA BOYD. BEING A TWO-TIME, THIRD-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTION AND 2017 MAC TOURNAMENT MVP, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OUT OF HER IN 2018-19?
CULLOP: Mikaela is one of the best athletes and hardest workers in our league. She played the sixth-most minutes of anyone in the conference last year, which shows you just how much confidence we have in her on both ends of the floor. Mikaela can really fill up a stat sheet. She is the top returning defensive rebounder in the league, fifth best returner in steals, sixth best in assists and 12th best in scoring. We want her to take on more of a scoring responsibility and leadership role. What I love about Mikaela is her willingness to work to get better as well as mentor her teammates.

Q: SENIOR KAAYLA McINTYRE IS ONE OF THE MOST ACCURATE SHOOTERS IN MAC HISTORY. TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE SHE BRINGS TO THE TEAM? 
CULLOP: I've been so impressed with Kaayla's consistency shooting the ball. She is a legitimate post presence that demands a lot of attention from our opponents' defense. Our other four players on the floor greatly benefit from the double-teams she faces. Kaayla is the fifth-highest returning scorer in the MAC, and we need her to continue to be a force in the paint. She's also worked hard to extend her range in the off-season. This summer, Kaayla has really stepped up leadership-wise.

Q: JUNIOR MARIELLA SANTUCCI IS YOUR POINT GUARD AND QUARTERBACK OF THE TEAM. TALK ABOUT THE VALUE SHE HAS FOR THE SQUAD.
CULLOP: Mariella possesses a great basketball IQ, outstanding court vision, and she is a strong ball handler. She does a nice job of putting her teammates in positions to score. Mariella also has great quickness and is a fierce competitor. She is the eighth-best returner in the league in terms of assists and seventh best in assist-to-turnover ratio. As Mariella continues to improve her shooting percentage, she will be even more difficult to guard.

Q: SENIOR SARAH ST-FORT IS IN HER FOURTH YEAR IN THE TOLEDO PROGRAM. BEING A THREE-YEAR LETTERWINNER, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OUT OF HER IN 2018-19?
CULLOP: I love the intensity and energy Sarah brings to the defensive end of the floor. Due to her size, quickness and strength, she can guard multiple positions. Sarah also worked hard this off-season to become more of a consistent offensive threat for us.

Q: JUNIOR SARA ROKKANEN SHOWED GLIMPSES OF BEING A VIABLE OFFENSIVE THREAT LAST SEASON. DO YOU EXPECT HER TO BE A MORE CONSISTENT PERFORMER IN 2018-19?
CULLOP: Sara has the potential to be a consistent scorer for us this season. She can shoot behind the arc, as well as put the ball on the floor. Sara also made dramatic improvements on the defensive end of the floor last season. I love the fact Sara has no fear when she's on the court. She's worked hard to improve her game this summer at home, and I'm excited to work with her.

Q: YOU HAVE ONE OF THE MOST ATHLETIC PLAYERS IN THE MAC RETURNING IN SOPHOMORE TANAYA BEACHAM IN 2018-19. TALK ABOUT THE VALUE SHE HAS FOR YOUR TEAM?
CULLOP: From the end of the season until now, Tanaya might be one of the most improved players we have. She's worked her tail off in the summer and it shows. I love the intensity and competitiveness she brings to each workout. Not only has it helped her improve her game, but she's made everyone around her better. Tanaya runs the floor exceptionally well, shoots the ball consistently from 15-17 feet, and she will be a great threat in the high and low post. Tanaya is also an aggressive rebounder and shot blocker who can really elevate. 
 
Q: TOLEDO HAS WON AT LEAST 11 GAMES IN SAVAGE ARENA IN EIGHT OF 10 SEASONS WITH YOU IN CHARGE OF THE PROGRAM. WHAT MAKES SAVAGE ARENA SO TOUGH TO PLAY IN FOR OPPONENTS AND SO SPECIAL FOR YOUR TEAM?
CULLOP: Our Toledo fan base is simply outstanding. The fact that we have led the MAC in attendance for 28-straight years and been ranked roughly in the Top 30 nationally for the past seven seasons is such a tribute to our loyal fans. The environment they help create in Savage Arena has helped us win close to 80 percent of our home games over the past 10 seasons and made our venue one of the most feared domains in the Midwest.

Q: SENIOR MAE TSHITENGE AND SOPHOMORES TATYANA DAVIS AND MARIAH COPELAND RETURN IN 2018-19 WITH SOME EXPERIENCE. WHAT ROLE DO YOU SEE THIS TRIO PLAYING THIS SEASON?
CULLOP: I really appreciate Mae's leadership. I don't think you'll find a more unselfish player out there. She's been an exceptional teammate, and we hope to utilize her shooting ability from beyond the arc. Tatyana really turned the corner after Christmas last year. In addition to a strong work ethic, she has tremendous speed and quickness. Tatyana can score in a variety of ways and will be tough to catch in transition. Mariah has outstanding three-point range. With the graduation of Jay-Ann (Bravo-Harriott), we need Mariah to help fill that void.

Q: SOPHOMORE TYRA CARLSTEN-HANDBERG BECOMES ELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN 2018-19 AFTER SITTING OUT LAST SEASON AS A TRANSFER. DO YOU SEE HER AS A KEY CONTRIBUTOR THIS SEASON? 
CULLOP: I was very impressed with Tyra when we played against her former team (UIC) two years ago. She is a force inside and out. Tyra has three-point range, a variety of low post moves, and an uncanny passing ability for someone of her size. I thought Tyra made Kaayla (McIntyre) better last year, and I can't wait to see her on the floor this season. We now have more depth at the five position that we've had in any of my years at Toledo.

Q: CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FIVE NEWCOMERS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE PROGRAM IN 2018-19?
CULLOP: This group shared a high school state title and a Junior College National Championship, as well as made three appearances in the high school state championship game. They have all achieved success at the highest level, and they understand what it takes to win. Sophia (Fortner) is an outstanding leader who will impress our fans not only with her ballhandling, passing and scoring, but also with her willingness to take charges and dive on the floor for loose balls. She caught my eye in recruiting because she does whatever her team needs of her to be successful. Sophia and Lexi (Lance) were high school teammates. They come from a strong Wadsworth High School program that enjoyed a lot of success. Lexi is a stretch four who can shoot from beyond the three-point arc, has great length defensively, and the ability to run the floor. Understandably those two already possess a strong court chemistry. Jaela (Johnson) comes from powerhouse DuPont Manual High School in Louisville, Ky. She's a combo guard who can shoot well from three-point range or beat her opponent off the dribble. During the recruiting process, I was also impressed with her ability to hound the ball defensively. Ariel (Cummings) is a local product from Notre Dame Academy that finished state runner-up a few years ago. She will remind our fans of former Rocket Yolanda Richardson. Ariel is a strong rebounder and shot blocker, along with being a force on the block. Nakiah (Black) is a versatile player who can play the one through four positions. Not only can she shoot from the beyond the arc, Nakiah can post up and score off the dribble. She is also a tenacious defender with good size and length. Nakiah played a vital role in her junior college program winning the national championship this past season.

Q: HOW DO YOU VIEW THE MAC RACE UNFOLDING IN 2018-19?
CULLOP: Last season was notably the best in MAC women's basketball history. Our conference finished with the eighth-best RPI in the nation, with two teams advancing to the 'Sweet 16' of the NCAA Tournament, as well as two teams advancing to the second round of the Postseason WNIT. When the season ended, six members of our league had an RPI in the Top 100 nationally. Despite the graduation of some key players, many return. The West Division has always been tough and last season was no exception. Of the six Top 100 RPI teams in the MAC, four came from our side. Early on, I don't see a clear favorite. I think it will prove to be just as exciting of a conference season as last year. Every game matters. 

Q: HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS YOUR NON-CONFERENCE SLATE IN 2018-19?
CULLOP: Last year, we played the toughest non-conference schedule in the MAC. That's something we always strive to do. When you play against a high caliber of talent, you have to consistently bring your best to the table. We want our players to be ready for MAC play. Highlighting our schedule will be hosting returning national champion Notre Dame. They have an incredible program with gifted players and an outstanding coaching staff. We need to continue to play high-caliber programs so that we can continue to learn and grow.