VOLUME 5 , ISSUE 1

FALL 2011 RIDER UNIVERSITY

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:INSIDE THIS ISSUE:INSIDE THIS ISSUE:INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Coaches Corner 2

Beyond Basketball 2

Bronc Bites—Newbies 3

Alumni News and Notes 4

11-12 Schedule 6

Friends of Rider Wbb 7

Finishing Thoughts 8

When you come out and see the Rider University women’s basketball

team in action this season you will see four new faces on the sideline. The

off season was very active from a recruiting standpoint as the Broncs add-

ed two more recruits to the two that they signed in the early signing peri-

od.

Junior college transfer Sironda Chambers and freshman Kornelija

Vailuskyte join fall signees Emily Fazzini and Maritta Gillcrease.

Valiuskyte, a 5-8 point guard, is from Siauliai, Lithuania and comes to

Rider from The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida where she compiled 9.2

points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 steals per game during her senior season with the

Lions. “Kornelija is a solid steady point guard who can run a team," Milli-

gan said. "She has a very high basketball IQ and a maturity about her

game. She can score from the perimeter and can set up her teammates and

put them in successful situations."

Chambers, a 5-7 guard, enters Rider as a junior after attending Harcum

College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania where her team compiled a 58-5 rec-

ord. A Newark, Delaware native, Chambers compiled over 1,100 points at

Harcum and was named to the NJCAA National All-Tournament team.

"Sironda is a scoring guard who knows no other way but 100 percent," said

Milligan. "She has played in the junior college ranks for two years and

competed for a national title. She is a threat on both ends of the floor and

can make things happen with her speed, quickness, and scoring ability.

She will be a veteran presence to our guard group next season."

Fazzini, a 5-10 guard from Wayne, Pennsylvania, attended Archbishop

Carroll High School in Radnor, Pa. after transferring from Conestoga High

after her freshman year. "Emily is a tough hard working Catholic League

Philly kid," Milligan said. "She has a great desire and passion for the

game. Emily will be able to contribute right away to our program because

she can play defense, shoot the ball

and attack the basket."

Gillcrease is a 6-3 forward/center

from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where

she attended Perry Traditional Acade-

my. "Marritta will add size and depth

to our post game," Milligan said. "She

is very agile, can rebound and score in

the paint. Marritta will be able to

play either post position for us and

will cause matchup problems when

she is able to play with Sarah

(Homan) and Caitlin (Bopp)."

For some fun facts on the “first

year four”, check out page 3.

Sironda, Kornelija and Marritta took a ‘class trip’ to New York City to see Billy Elliott on Broadway.

2011-12 will highlight a new

Rider Bronc mascot cos-

tume! Make sure you come

out to a game so you can take

a look at it. According to

associate athletic director

Karin Torchia, “He is more

aggressive and more reflec-

tive of a traditional type of

bucking bronco.”

V OLUME 5 , ISSUE 1 P AGE 2

Greetings friends and alumni,

It feels like a long time since we have seen everyone. I hope everyone has had a

safe and relaxing summer and is enjoying the fall.

All summer we were busy here on campus. We had two great camps and a ter-

rific July month of recruiting. I can’t remember a season that I was more excit-

ed for than this one. We have a tremendous group of returners, an unbelievable

group of newcomers and a staff that is ready to go. We had more players on

campus for the entire summer than ever. The hard work and commitment these

players have made will be evident as you watch us play.

Preseason conditioning and workouts went well and we are now into official

practices. Each day we are making progress and the kids are blending together.

We will look forward to seeing everyone soon. The annual Rider basketball Tip-

Off Social will be Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at Mountain View Country

Club at 6:30pm. We begin the season with two HOME games. We open with

Lafayette on Friday, November 11 at 7pm and then on Sunday, November 13,

Bucknell comes to the Zoo at 4pm. We hope you can see you in the stands.

GO BRONCS!

Where did you work

this summer?

I worked at the

Philadelphia Park-

ing Authority in the Legal De-

partment

Why did you choose that compa-

ny/job?

I was looking to get some experi-

ence working for Attorneys and

working in a government agency.

What did you do?

I assisted the attorneys by going

over legal documents, attending

court depositions and writing for

proposal meetings.

How does this relate to your ma-

jor?

I would like to go to law school

after I graduate so although it

doesn't necessarily relate to my

finance major, it was definitely a

great learning experience for me.

Where did you work

this summer?

Ripen Interactive.

It is a small e-commerce company

that has given me the chance to

learn more about online advertis-

ing and marketing as well as de-

velop skills dealing with the crea-

tion and maintaining of websites.

Why did you choose this company/

job?

I chose this company because I

knew I would get to do a lot of

hands-on work, rather than just

running office errands.

How does this relate to your ma-

jor?

Although my major is public rela-

tions, I have a minor in advertis-

ing. Most of the work I did was

with marketing, however, the two

are very closely intertwined.

Where did you work this

summer?

In the Rider University biolo-

gy lab under Dr. Riggs

Why did you choose this company/job?

I was really looking for some one on one in-

teraction with a Rider professor, working on

current and relevant experiments related to

cancer research.

What did you do?

Weekly experiments related with the im-

mune system’s involvement in tumor growth.

Here at Rider, our players know their education is

important. Once basketball is finished, they know

the next step will take them into the ‘real world’

which usually means a job. So this summer three

of our players, Carleigh Brown, Sarah Homan

and Alyssa Parsons took internships to give them

a better perspective of what their future might

hold. We asked them a few questions about those

positions. Enjoy!

BRONCS’ BULLETIN P AGE 3

This season we will incorporate our multimedia connections a lot more. Throughout the year we

will have contests, giveaways, and announcements. Please make sure you either friend us or follow

us today so that you don’t miss out. These will be exclusive offers that are only available to those

that follow us. We hope to begin this during the week of our first game so hop on your computer

now!

Please be our “Friend” or give us a “Follow.”

We made it easy for you…we have

the same username for

both accounts!

Sironda Chambers

#25

Emily Fazzini

#10

Marritta Gillcrease

#35

Kornelija Valiuskyte

#2

Why did you chose

your uniform number

for this season?

One of my brother’s

was killed and that is

his birthdate. He is

my inspiration.

It was my number

before I got to high

school and I would

like to go back to

wearing it.

I have been wearing

the number every

school season since I

was in 7th grade.

My favorite number

(#4) was taken so I

just picked #2 for this

year.

Tell us what was the

hardest and easiest

thing about summer

term.

Hardest - chemistry!

Easiest - workouts

Hardest - motivated

to do school work in

the summer!

Easiest - Playing bas-

ketball with my team.

Hardest - condition-

ing in the heat and

the pullups!

Easiest - incorporat-

ing myself.

Hardest - Waking up

for the morning

workouts!

Easiest - the class-

work wasn’t that bad.

Did you do anything

fun this summer?

Went to NYC to see a

Broadway show (Billy

Elliot) with Marritta

and Kornelija

Hanging out everyday

was fun!

Went to the beach,

late night food creeps,

and bus trips...NYC

was fun!

We went to the beach

once and also went to

NYC to see a Broad-

way show.

Give me one word to

describe the following

senior teammate:

Ali - Talented

Sarah - Athletic

Aisha - Hard worker

Alyssa - Leader

Ali - Trickster

Sarah - Smart

Aisha - Hilarious

Alyssa - Energetic

Ali - Mischievous

Sarah - Relaxed

Aisha - Fiesty

Alyssa - Ask me later!

Ali - Helpful

Sarah - Responsible

Aisha - Energetic

Alyssa - Outgoing

V OLUME 5 , ISSUE 1 P AGE 4

Former Rider Bronc, Amanda Sepulveda ’10, embarked on a new journey in

her life in early August. Amanda always had a goal of playing professional

basketball after college and she realized that goal when she was picked up by

a team in Puerto Rico. We took some time to catch up with Amanda, who

right now is injured. Here is what Amanda had to say:

BB: What is the name of the team that you play for?

“The official name of the team is Morovis Montaneras. The league I

play for is Baloncesto Superior Nacional Feminino (BSNF). I am number 2.”

BB: So tell us a little bit about basketball and how you are doing on

the court.

“Well unfortunately I got injured in my second preseason game.

Some big tall girl tackled me in the open court. She is 6'3 and weighed at

least 40 pounds more than I did. I fractured my second metatarsal. I

missed about six weeks of time. Before I got injured I only played one pre-

season game. I had about 12 points and 4 assists. My goal for playing on

(Continued on page 5)

Amanda Sepulveda breaks down a defender during her final season in a

Broncs uniform.

Former women’s basketball player Ka-

ra Borel embarked on a journey on June

27, 2011. A journey that she knew was

going to be challenging, amazing and ex-

hausting all at the same time. Kara came

up with the idea to ride her bike through

all of lower 48 states, stopping at the

state capitals when Kara lost two loved

ones to breast cancer and pulmonary hy-

pertension. The loss of her godmother

and 24-year old cousin made her take a

step back in her own life and look at the

things around her. The idea of the solo

ride may seem radical, but it is one that

she hope bring awareness to what she is

attempting to do.

In doing this event,

Kara is hoping to raise

money along the way

and donate that money

to charities that will

assist people in many

different ways. Her

goal of raising 3.2 mil-

lion dollars (one cent

per US citizen) may

seem as enormous as

the task of riding solo

through all 48 states, (Continued on page 5)

"I figured that it

was basically time

to give back," -

said Borel of her

solo bike ride.

Above: Lavinia Rotaru (‘98) runs the 10K leg of a triathlon in CA.

Top Right: Jen Carey Liggio (’99) and Amanda Paul Allen (‘97) show off their NYC Half-Marathon medals.

Bottom Right: Pam Durkin (‘97) ran the Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half Marathon

BRONCS’ BULLETIN P AGE 5

this team is to contribute to the success and win the

championship. I am back playing so that is good.

Other goals are to leave an impression in this

league and give myself the opportunity to get of-

fered contracts for different leagues around the

world.”

BB: So tell us a little bit about how you’re do-

ing off the court.

To keep busy besides go to practice we tour

the different towns and hang out with our team-

mates. Puerto Rico is a soothing environment and

absolutely beautiful. The weather is always hot and

it doesn’t rain that much. The people are wonderful

and they treat you very well. Of course, I miss my

family and friends from NJ, yet I can definitely get

used to things out here in PR!

We will check in again later in the fall and get an

update on Amanda and how she is doing. Hopefully

she will be 100% and contribute to a championship!

(Amanda Sepulveda - Continued from page 4)

We are looking for new information to put in each

edition of our newsletter or share with friends on

Facebook and Twitter. Shoot us a email if you got

a new job, had kids, moved to a new country, did

something amazing or whatever you find newslet-

ter worthy. There are a lot of us (alums) out there

and each of us do things in our lives that we might

not think are interesting, but trust me, the people

who love following the Lady Broncs, always think it

is interesting!

Also, we want to make sure we have your cur-

rent information in our database. In the spirit of

saving the environment, we have a web link availa-

ble to make this easier. You can update or add

your information by going to the following webpage:

http://tiny.cc/RiderAlumniQuestionnaire

Thanks! Hope to see as many people out to a game

this year as possible!

Congratulations to Katie Hall Wahlmann ‘05 and her

husband Tank, on not just one, but three new additions

to their family. On August 8, 2011, Katie gave birth to

three healthy babies; Henry Aiden, Matthew Jordan, and

Isabelle Celine. While they were a little bit premature

(32 weeks) and required some time in the NICU, we are

happy to report that all three

have been home for 3 weeks

(and I am sure driving mom and dad crazy!) Congratulations Katie and

Tank. Two more and you will have yourselves a basketball team!

The wedding bells rang recently for Patricka Smith Loynes ’98. On

June 25, 2011 Patricka married Tim Loynes in a beautiful service that

overlooked the Pacific Ocean. Since getting married, Patricka as relocated

across the pond and is now living with her British husband in London.

Patricka is tackling a new position as the advertising solutions product

manager at Trip Advisor in their London office beginning in November.

Congratulations Patricka!

but that doesn’t seem to phase Kara. Her mother joined her for some of the ride and she anticipates

friends will visit her in different cities as well. You can listen to an archived radio interview that Rider

women’s basketball broadcaster Jeff Nolan did with Kara back in July by going to: http://tiny.cc/karaborel.

It is in the Bronc Vision section.

Update: Kara started in Augusta, Maine has so far been through 20 states, including biking through

Trenton on July 6. On August 22, Kara has to take a unexpected hiatus from the trip, but is determined

to get back out there and finish what she had started.

For more information, visit www.rideforlives.com to read more about Borel and donate.

(Cause the effect - Continued from page 4)

V OLUME 5 , ISSUE 1 P AGE 6

Saturday Oct. 29 @ SJU (Scrimmage) Closed

Sunday Nov. 6 West Chester University (Exhib.) 2:00pm

Friday Nov. 11 LAFAYETTE 7:00pm

Sunday Nov. 13 BUCKNELL 4:00pm

Saturday Nov. 19 @ University of Pennsylvania 3:30pm

Sunday Nov. 27 PRINCETON 2:00pm

Wednesday Nov. 30 @ St. Francis (NY) 7:00pm

Sunday Dec. 4 @ Georgetown 2:00pm

Tuesday Dec. 6 STONY BROOK 7:00pm

Sunday Dec. 11 @ New Jersey Inst. of Tech. 2:00pm

Saturday Dec. 17 @ Binghamton 2:00pm

Thursday Dec. 22 FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 7:00pm

Thursday Dec. 29 @ Mount St. Mary’s 7:00pm

Monday Jan. 2 @ Manhattan* 5:00pm

Wednesday Jan. 4 NIAGARA* 7:00pm

Saturday Jan. 7 MARIST* 2:00pm

Monday Jan. 9 LOYOLA (Kids Day Out) 12:00pm

Friday Jan. 13 @ Iona* 12:00pm

Sunday Jan. 15 SAINT PETER’S* 2:00pm

Wednesday Jan. 18 @ Marist* 7:00pm

Sunday Jan. 22 SIENA* (Double Header w/Men) 1:00pm

Friday Jan. 27 @ Niagara* 11:00am

Sunday Jan. 29 @ Canisius* 12:00pm

Thursday Feb. 2 @ Fairfield* (Harbor Yard Arena) 7:00pm

Saturday Feb. 4 @ Loyola* 2:00pm

Friday Feb. 10 CANISIUS* 7:00pm

Sunday Feb. 12 MANHATTAN* (NGWSD) 1:00pm

Friday Feb. 17 IONA* (Play4Kay) 7:00pm

Sunday Feb. 19 @ Siena* 2:00pm

Friday Feb. 24 @ Saint Peter’s* 5:30pm

Sunday Feb. 26 FAIRFIELD* (Senior Day) ESPN3 1:00pm

2012 MAAC Women’s Basketball Championships

Thurs, Fri, Sat and Mon - TBA Springfield, Mass

CAPS Denotes Home Game *Denotes MAAC Games

BRONCS’ BULLETIN P AGE 7

Name: ____________________________________

Address: ____________________________________

____________________________________ ____________________________________

Phone: ____________________________________

Email: ____________________________________

I am supporting women’s basketball at the following level:

� Bench- 25.00 - 99.00 (promo item)

� Starter- $100.00 - $199.00 (t-shirt)

� Captain - $200.00 - $499.00 (long sleeve)

� All-Star - $500.00 - $1000.00 (sweatshirt)

� MVP - $1000 and Above (two tickets to the banquet)

Please indicate a shirt size if you are donating at the captain level or above: S M L XL XXL (men’s sizing)

� I wish to decline all benefits and receive the full tax

deduction for my donation. In addition, any women’s basketball alumnae who makes a gift (of at least $25.00) to the program will help support our efforts in the “Raise Your Game Challenge.” Rider teams will be competing for monetary prizes (awarded to first, second and third place teams) to be invested back to that team. Participa-tion points will be earned by each program based on gifts by former athletes through March 31, 2012. Gifts to Rider University are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Their deductibility may be reduced by the value of benefits received.

Payment:

� Check (made payable to Rider University)

� Charge - Circle: Visa MC Discover AmEx

Name on Card: _______________________________

Card Number: ________________________________

Expiration Date: _______________________________ A12WBBALL

Please return this form with your gift to: Rider University

Women's Basketball 2083 Lawrenceville Rd.

Lawrenceville, N.J. 08648

You can also securely donate online at: alumni.rider.edu/giveathletics

and select women’s basketball at the bottom.

We thank you for your support of Rider University Wom-en’s Basketball. With your continued and loyal support of our program, we can focus on our quest to build a winning tradi-tion. Your generosity is very much appreciated and does not go unnoticed. Membership has a variety of different options, some of what is listed below. We hope you choose to be a member of the club! Thank you for your support!

Last year, we are pleased to announce, that we had the most participation ever in the Friends of Rider Women’s Basketball club. We had 35 members which accounted for more than $5,500 dollars in donations. We hope that the 2011-12 season continues

the tremendous support and passes those respective totals. Your generosity allowed us to continue adding to our game breakdown video editing software. We also were able to pur-chase new locker room stools, a ‘war board’ for our office, and update pictures and banners in our locker room. Our end of the year banquet, which is first class and always well attended, is supported from our booster funds. Thank you to the fol-lowing members of the club: Bob and Marie Barrett, Judy and Andy Bopp, Walt Brower, Carl and Kris Brown, Maureen Donovan, Kerry Drennan, Tom and Den-ny Durkin, Ellen Fitzpatrick, Linda Genther, Debbie Glover, Amy Hartz, Meaghan Holohan, Eric and Nancy Homan, Jon Husch, Les Kaplan, Kristen Kriebel, Tom Lear, Jean Lembach, Bart Luedeke, Les and Delores Lightbourne, Maureen Loughran, Michele Mattai, Peter and Jeanne Miller, Lynn Milligan, John and Sue Parson, Michele Powers, Eldon Price, Al Smutka, Debbie Stasolla, Alvin and Beverly Varnadore, Linda Weise, Nancy Whalen, and Herb and Joan Young.

2083 Lawrenceville Rd. Lawrenceville, N.J. 08648 Contact: Pam Durkin Phone: 609-896-5368 Fax: 609-895-5664

E-mail: pdurkin@rider.edu

Rider University Women’s Basketball

With the constant ‘in your face’ of today’s technology, we want to make sure that

you are being kept up to date with all that is important in the world of Rider Uni-versity Women’s Basketball! To help you out we have several different ways of

getting you that information. We hope that you check them frequently! Here are the addresses for each:

Rider women’s basketball blog: Riderwbball.posterous.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RiderWbb

Twitter: www.twitter.com/RiderWbb As always, if you have something you would like to see featured, please don’t

hesitate to post a comment, leave feedback, send a tweet, drop an email or pick up the phone and call! See you in cyberspace! GO BRONCS!

Inside the next edition of the Broncs Bulletin:

- Season Update

- Alumni News and Notes

- Beyond Basketball

And of course, much more!

Tip off Social Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Mountain View Country Club

6:30-8:30pm Please join the Rider University

basketball programs as they tip off another season. Join

friends, alumni and booster and share the evening with the Rid-

er coaching staffs. For more information, please contact Joan

Hedden at 609-896-5076 or jhedden@rider.edu

Rider Tailgate Sunday, November 13, 2011

Who said tailgates are for foot-ball season only? Come out

before the Bucknell game and enjoy a pot-luck luncheon.

Please contact Maureen Loughran for more information

moloughran@comcast.net

Alumni Game - TBA We are still deciding between a

few dates, so please check your email, Facebook and Twitter

within the next couple weeks. Most likely it will be sometime in

January. Keep your eyes open for more

information