Truman women’s basketball head coach Michael Smith has announced the signing of four student-athletes who will be joining the Bulldog squad for the 2010-2011 season. Smith inked two guards and two forwards during the early signing period.
“We are excited about this early signing class, as these individuals fill some needs that we were looking for to continue to move this program forward,” Smith said. “The thing that stands out to me the most is that they all come from winning programs. They’ve tasted success and will bring that to campus next fall.”
Nicole Gloor, a 5-foot-10 small forward from Overland Park, Kan., averaged 13 points and six rebounds per game as a junior at Blue Valley High School. She helped lead her team to the 2008 state tournament and was an honorable mention Eastern Kansas League (EKL) honoree.
“Nicole is a very smart, unselfish player that always finds a way to get her teammates involved,” Smith said. “Also a scholar-athlete, she will be a sleeper that we are excited to have joining our system for the future.”
Kayla Klopfenstein, a 5-foot-9 guard from Marion, Iowa, connected at a 38% clip from three-point range on the way to averaging eight points, three rebounds and three assists per game as a junior. She was a second-team all conference and was an all-metro selection at Linn Mar High School, starting on back-to-back state tournament semifinal teams in 2008 and 2009.
“As a coach, you always try to find a player that does all the little things, and that is Kayla,” Smith said. “Her work ethic and desire to win is what stood out most to me during the recruiting process. Her best basketball is ahead of her and we’re excited that it will be as part of the Truman program.”
Bianca Szafarowicz, a 5-foot-11 forward from Wheeling, Ill., has been named all-conference, all-area and honorable mention all-state at Wheeling High School. Last season, she averaged 16 points, six rebounds and four assists per game in helping lead her team to a 33-2 overall record and a third place finish in the Illinois 4A state tournament.
“Bianca brings a lot of versatility to our program, as she has the ability to shoot the ‘3’, post up and even guard opponents on the perimeter,” Smith said. “She is a perfect fit within the philosophy of our team.”
Amaya Williams, a 5-foot-6 guard from Columbia, Mo., will stay near home to attend Truman after having already garnered second-team all-state (AP), all-district and MBCA all-state accolades. She averaged 11 points and four assists per game last season in leading her team to the 2009 state quarterfinals one year after a 5A state championship.
“Signing Amaya solidifies the future of our program,” Smith said. “We were looking for a point guard with a winning mentality and an understanding of the game, and we found both of those qualities in Amaya. Our future is in great hands.”
The Bulldog women kick off the 2009-2010 regular season on Tuesday night with a home contest against Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) College. Tipoff in Pershing Arena is set for 7:30 pm.
Courtesy: Truman State University
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