It’s game day: A look inside the No. 1 Division III women’s basketball team

Levi Langley and Kiran Komanduri|December 6, 2024

under the arch

It’s game day: A look inside the No. 1 Division III women’s basketball team

A photo journey of a home game with the NYU women’s basketball team.

Kiran Komanduri and Levi Langley | Dec. 6, 2024

It’s Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. The Violets, last season’s undefeated winner of the NCAA Division III Championships, are gearing up for their game in the Paulson Center against Babson College with some stretching on the warm-up court.

“I want you to take a moment and imagine yourself playing your game,” said Meg Barber, the Violets’ head coach and the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association’s Coach of the Year. “When things feel stressful in this game, I want you to look to Chloe, Belle, Jamie, Natalie and MK — the players here that are playing for their last year in their uniform. You are playing for each of them.”

The locker room energy is electric during the team’s pregame ritual, as each player hypes up the teammate next to them. “All of this is that special,” Barber said. “There is nothing more special than this locker room — than this team.”

“There’s not a person that gives more energy than Chloe Teter,” Barber said during the locker room pregame celebration. “I’m ready MK! Are you ready Natalie?” said Teter during the pregame chant, leading the team through their routine mantra.

Players wait anxiously to step on the court.

The starting lineup walks out onto the court. “And the junior guard out of South Easton, Massachusetts,” the game’s announcer calls. “Number 11, Caroline Peper!”

Senior guard and three-time UAA Defensive Player of the Year Belle Pellecchia stretches her arms out on defense. The Violets are known for their tough defensive play, and last year Pellecchia led NYU with 63 steals. At this game, Pellecchia scored 16 points and made three steals.

Underclassmen reserve players on the bench stay locked in on the game.

Sophomore guard Brooke Batchelor takes the ball down the court.

“Everyone’s goal is to win a quarter [against you],” Barber said in a mid-game timeout. “But we won’t let them — we are going to keep them in the single digits for each one. At the end of the day, I need you to represent the sisterhood, energy and fun.”

After halftime, the Violets walked back out to greetings from some of the team’s biggest fans. At halftime, the Violets led 27-11.

“You can’t do that! You can’t do that!” the men’s baseball team shouts at the opposition, riling up the stadium with chants and cheers to support the Violets.