Last season, the women’s basketball team capped off an undefeated record with an NCAA Division III Championship title — the second in program history. The first time was over four decades ago, in 1983.
This year, the Violets are determined to climb to the top again and seize back-to-back titles for the first time in NCAA DIII history. UAA Defensive Player of Year Belle Pellecchia and WBCA DIII Player of the Year Natalie Bruns will be back in action.
NYU head coach Meg Barber set the tone early in practice, reiterating the importance of staying proactive and embracing the difficult moments during the season.
“Our goal is to attack the season one game at a time,” Barber said. “Our program has always prided itself on focusing on what we need to do to improve every day.”
After the departure of last year’s heavy graduating class, which included Honor Culpepper, Jordan Janowski, Erica Miller, Megan Bauman, Morgan Morrison and Layla Hartman, the Violets will rely on a fresh group of talent.
“We have a lot of new, younger players, and we’re going to rely on a different core group of players this year,” Barber said. “But in terms of our identity — pace of play and defensive intensity — that same standard of excellence is going to remain the same.”
Last year, the Violets got most of their shots by running their offense through front-court post players — scoring in the paint or dishing out to the perimeter. However, this year NYU has made a fundamental change to its offensive identity. Barber and her team plan on embracing a 7-Seconds-or-Less style of offense, which centers around fast breaks and pushing the ball up the court in transition.
“It’s very hard to prepare as an opponent for tempo, and so the faster we can play — the more pressure we can put on our opponents, the better,” Barber said. “We have an extremely versatile team, so it’s an easy decision to spread the floor and allow that versatility to play to our strengths.”
During their national championship season, captain of the team and graduate student Natalie Bruns displayed her dominance on the hardwood — with 98 blocks, setting a program record. Also leading the Violets in points, rebounds and field goals made, Bruns remains motivated to have another terrific year.
“Having a target on our back is a huge motivating factor coming off a championship season,” Bruns said. “Our league is always super tough, and using that ingrained work ethic and competitive mindset is at the forefront of how we step into the gym every day, and honestly, how we handle ourselves off the court as well.”
Bruns’ poise and composure on the floor during last year’s postseason showcases her leadership abilities. She describes the evolution of her leadership style, starting by simply trying to set a positive example to then finding her voice on the court and in the locker room.
“I’ve vocalized the benefits of embracing the hard and letting our younger players know that we’ve got their backs — because this is a sisterhood with unwavering loyalty like family,” Bruns said.
After leading the team in steals with a lofty 63 for the season, recording numerous double-doubles and posting a 16 rebound game — Violets’ Swiss Army knife and senior Belle Pellecchia is slated for another great season. She believes the game starts and ends on the defensive side of the ball, smiling when asked about picking up opponents at full-court.
“I definitely pride myself on playing defense and doing the little things,” Pellecchia said. “Defense wins games, and I’m able to impact the game not only by just scoring — saving a couple possessions by diving on the floor or fighting for rebounds.”
Spending her summers in the gym, the guard has also improved her three-point percentage tremendously from her first year on the team, attempting more shots behind the arc. She improved from shooting 30% on threes during her rookie campaign to nearly 38% last season as a junior.
“I just practiced being confident in those situations and know that’s a shot that I could absolutely make,” Pellecchia said. “It definitely helps to know that when your coaches and your teammates are on your side — it makes things in a game a whole lot easier to perform.”
The Violets play its first game of the season on Nov. 8 at the Paulson Center against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 5 p.m.
Contact Logan Holland at [email protected].
