Senior leadership, usually, is one of the biggest components in team play.

That's why Muffet McGraw had to find senior leadership in her underclassmen.

McGraw and the Irish are coming off a 25-9 campaign that ended in the Sweet 16 with a loss to eventual national champion Tennessee. And with the graduation of leading scorer Charel Allen and point guard Tuylah Gaines, there is plenty of opportunity for the underclassmen to step up.

"It's the first time in my career I haven't had any seniors," McGraw said. "But I'm looking forward to it, because I know we have great leadership."

The leadership comes from those who have been there, like Melissa Lechlitner and Lindsay Schrader. Schrader, a "senior" who has an extra year of eligibility after this season, and Lechlitner, a junior from South Bend St. Joseph's High School, will be expected to lead the team on and off the floor.

Not that they mind.

"I think I have to take it up another level because we don't have any seniors," Lechlitner said. "Everyone is very vocal on the floor, but I feel it's a big leadership role for me this year."

And even while Schrader is technically a senior, she is in the same leadership role as the rest of the Irish juniors.

"We go into the mindset this year that we can compete with any team in the nation," Schrader said. "That's what we took into our summer, that we can be up there."

Notre Dame will not have sophomore guard Brittany Mallory for the first game of the season against LSU. McGraw suspended Mallory for one game for her arrest for underage drinking at a house party in September.

The Irish open up their season with an exhibition at home against Gannon, before traveling to Baton Rouge to take on the Tigers.