Seattle women's basketball coach Dan Kriley has announced that four student-athletes have enrolled at and plan to participate in the women’s basketball program beginning in the 2008-09 academic year.
Mercedes Alexander comes to Seattle University from Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore. The 5'9" junior post/forward averaged 13.5 points and 12.2 rebounds during her two seasons at LCC. Last season, Mercedes received first-team honors in the NWAAC tournament and Southern Region. During her freshman year, she was the NWAAC tournament MVP and Southern Region first-team all league.
"Mercedes brings a much needed physical presence to our program. She has a great skill set that allows her to score on the low block against bigger players and defend any position on the floor," Kriley said.
Kayla Bennett, a 5'11" guard/forward from Bremerton, Wash., averaged 20.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game in two seasons at North Seattle Community College. In her two seasons, Kayla was on the NWAACC tournament first-team and first-team Northern Region.
"Kayla has a tremendous feel for the game and is always in the right place. Her ability to run the floor, pass on the move, and finish in heavy traffic will make an immediate impact on our program," said Kriley.
Maggie McCarthy, a native of San Francisco, Calif., averaged 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game for St. Ignatius High School. The 5'9" guard/forward was named to the WCAL League first-team and was a member of the San Francisco Examiner All-City Team.
"Maggie is as tough as they come and is a perfect fit for our program at SU. We love her versatility, she can play four of the five positions at a high level and never backs down defensively. Maggie is the type of athlete you must have in your program to be successful," Kriley said.
Maylene Ornelas joins Seattle University from the College of Southern Idaho. A 5'5" guard from Meoqui, Chihuahua, Mexico, Maylene averaged 8.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. She was all-conference honorable mention this past season, and was named to the all-tournament team at both the Coca-Cola Classic and Boise Challenge.
"Maylene is a proven winner at every level she has played. Her experience and leadership ability is exactly what this program needs as we make the transition to D-I. She has tremendous vision in the open court and can score off penetration or from three-point range," said Kriley.
Seattle University, who finished its third straight winning season at 16-11 last season, has now signed several new players that will join the program for the upcoming 2008-09 season.