MOSES LAKE — For Meagan Karstetter, the Carroll College 2025-26 women's basketball season will not be taken for granted. In her first three seasons with the Fighting Saints, she had to fight for her spot each year – but she would not change a thing.  

“I'm feeling like it's going to go fast," Karstetter said. “I got to make the most of it, but we brought some new transfers in. I think we'll end up back in Sioux City."  

Sioux City, Iowa is where the NAIA Women’s National Championship tournament is held for teams that make it past the second round. Karstetter and the Fighting Saints have gone each of her three years, so far. She hopes to make it four straight this upcoming season.  

This time around she will be anticipating a more featured role in the team's lineup. She said when she first arrived in Helena, Montana, there were three forwards ahead of her on the roster. So, playing time would be hard to come by. She started out as a scout team player. Part of her responsibility was to understand their opponents' plays and schemes to make sure her teammates were prepared for games.  

Starting fresh and working her way up was nothing new to her. When she first arrived in the Moses Lake Mavericks program in 2018, she had to work her way up from the junior varsity team. After a few injuries on the varsity team, she was called up to play in her freshman season. 

“I feel like it's always intimidating right off the bat, but one or two games (in) and you get the flow,” she said.  

She wanted a spot on the varsity team when she got there, she said. She is competitive by nature. While growing up with three brothers may contribute to that, she also played travel basketball for the Amateur Athletic Union in Seattle in her youth. It was those experiences that drew into the sport even further and she began to develop aspirations to play at the collegiate level.  

“When I would play, no matter what was happening, I just forgot everything. I could just focus on one thing, it was like an escape,” she said.  

In addition to playing AAU basketball, Karstetter also trained with Lindsey Moore. Moore is a Nebraska alum and former WNBA player with the Minnesota Lynx. She runs the Hoop Barn Academy in Soap Lake.  

Moore said Karstetter had to learn outside of her comfort zone due to their different playing styles. Moore was a guard and Karstetter was a forward. Karstetter approached it fearlessly, Moore said.  

“One of the things that I've always admired about Megan is she was never afraid to do the work ... There was a lot of things that I did with her that pushed her outside of her comfort zone and it was fun to have someone that was always up for the challenge and always wanting to know what we were going to do that day,” Moore said.

She said one of Karstetter’s biggest strengths was her attention to detail. Every detail matters. She wanted to get the drill right every time, if she messed up then the rep wouldn’t count.  

Karstetter’s brother, Kyle, played basketball at Idaho State University. She said he was a supportive figure in her early days with the Fighting Saints.  

“We talk about basketball all the time, he's just a phone call away,” she said. “We had a lot of the same things happen. He didn't play a whole lot. I didn't play a whole lot. It really kind of helped me get through it."  

It was hard at times when she was not seeing the results she wanted after putting in a lot of work. However, she said it has made her more mentally tough and taught her to push through adversity.  

Karstetter said she enjoys the physicality of the sport, too. Her brothers helped instill that in her. When she gets in the post, she welcomes contact. Coming into this year, the Fighting Saints rank second in their conference, whereas in the last few years they’ve ranked first. This has fueled an underdog mindset where she anticipates getting to play with more physicality.  

“In the past, we couldn't get away with any fouls, but this year, being second in conference, I could push and shove a lot more,” Karstetter said. “Other teams you don't see that. They don’t like it, and so it's fun for me, because it makes them uncomfortable, takes them off their game. I thrive on physicality, like posting up, I want to feel the contact, and so I like to be physical, but other players do not.” 

Last season, she worked her way into a featured role with the team. One of the biggest things she learned was how to be a leader at the collegiate level. It’s different than high school, she said, everyone wants to be there when it’s college basketball. In high school, other players may not share the same level of dedication. To her, every day she fights for a spot on the team.  

As she looks to this year, she has aspirations of becoming a team captain. Earning leadership roles on the team has always been important to Karstetter. It’s part of what pushes her to be the best she can be.  

“You want to be the best, and sure that kind of puts pressure on you like I got to bring it every day and make sure they're doing their best,” she said.  

She knows the time will fly by, but she plans to take in every moment she can in her final season. She wants to make the most of it and conclude her career with a national championship. At the end of the day, she will leave everything she has on the floor.  

“I'll miss it. There are definitely times where you're like, ‘I'm done, I can't do it anymore,’ and then I can't imagine if I actually quit ... I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” she said.  

    Fighting Saints forward Meagan Karstetter drives to the basket during a game last season. Karstetter is eager to take on a bigger role with the team in her final season at Carroll College.
  

    Meagan Karstetter (40) drives to the hoop in a game for the Mavericks her senior year. Karstetter said she stays in touch with former Head Coach Matt Strophy.
  

    Meagan Karstetter, a senior at Carroll College, puts up a layup under pressure in a game last season. Karstetter said she hopes to become a team captain this season with the Fighting Saints.
  

    Fighting Saints senior Meagan Karstetter puts up a contested shot in a previous game last season. Karstetter said she loves to play physical, and welcomes contact from opponents during games.
  

    Meagan Karstetter, a senior for the Fighting Saints, floats a shot up under pressure in a game last season. Lindsey Moore, a former trainer for Karstetter, said she pays attention to the details of basketball, calling it one of her biggest strengths.
  

    Fighting Saints senior, Meagan Karstetter, takes a hook shot during a game last season. Karstetter said she loves to play in the post and finds it to be uncommon nowadays among other players at her position.