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me potentially." These days, Franklin might not actually be an old lady, but she's learning new ways to be effective in case she can't rely solely on athleticism to get the job done. "I'm getting there," she said. " I'm pushing along and moving along. The big thing for me is to find any way I can to stay fresh. I do what I can to stay engaged. It gives you a different per- role changes each year," Franklin said. "Especially for me having dealt with the injuries. Some years I might be asked to score more or pick it up on defense. Right now, I'm really trying to reestablish my role and figure out where I'm supposed to be." Franklin and classmates Kelsey Wolfe and Lexie Gerson were told last spring by head coach Joanne Boyle that they would be captains for the "In high school, I could just run around everywhere and run by people, and my first year here was still kind of like that. But I've learned to play smarter and play harder like that. I still feel like that old lady some days. I'm just trying to stay fresh in practice and all that and I'm learning new ways to outsmart my opponents." Franklin spective. In high school, I could just run around everywhere and run by people, and my first year here was still kind of like that. "But I've learned to play smarter and play harder like that. I still feel like that old lady some days. I'm just trying to stay fresh in practice and all that and I'm learning new ways to outsmart my opponents." While in past seasons she has shared the spotlight with other, older, standouts such as China Crosby and Ariana Moorer, this year Franklin is a clear-cut favorite to lead the team as a preseason All-ACC pick. "It's weird because you kind of feel like your i20-21.Ataira Franklin.indd 3 2013-14 team, a role they have fully embraced. "I've given them a lot of responsibility throughout the summer to see if they can handle it, and they've done a great job," Boyle told VirginiaSports.com. "A lot of kids want to lead. They just don't know how, and I feel like this group wants it and they're really good at it." One of the Cavaliers' goals is to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign. "That's something we definitely want to experience," Franklin told VirginiaSports.com, "and something that we definitely believe we can accomplish this year." ◆ 11/5/13 2:12 PM