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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball head coach Nancy Winstel has signed Rita Stefán to a national letter of intent. Stefán, a 5-foot-9 guard and a native of Miskolc, Hungary, played her high school basketball at Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy in Wheeling, W. Va. She averaged 12.8 points per game as a senior and made 84.1 percent of her free throws. “Rita is an outstanding athlete who is very good at attacking the basket,” Winstel said. “She is also a good shooter, but she can really cause defenses a lot of problems with her ability to score off the dribble.” In addition, Stefán was named most valuable player of the Ritchie County Tournament and earned a spot on the Presidential Honor Roll. She also played for the Hungarian National Team. “We are really pleased that Rita is going to be a part of our program, and we think she is going to compete for playing time this season,” Winstel said. Stefán joins an NKU team that posted a 21-8 record last season. The Norse also advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the eighth time in the past nine seasons. NKU will return three starters - post players Angela Healy and Cassie Brannen, along with guard Nicole Chiodi - in 2007-08. The Norse must replace five seniors from this season’s team, including All-Great Lakes Valley Conference standout Brittany Winner and 1,000-point career scorers Karyn Creager and Karmen Graham. Stefán joins Cincinnati prep star Diondra Holliday of Clark Montessori and Xenia High School standout Kendra Caldwell as NKU signees for next season. Holliday, who signed with NKU during the fall, is a 5-foot-5 point guard who averaged 16.8 ppg this season at Clark Montessori. Caldwell, a 6-foot post player, averaged identical numbers of 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a senior for Xenia. She blocked 94 shots during her career for the Lady Buccaneers and earned honorable mention All-Greater Western Ohio Conference accolades as a senior. |
