2015 Quinnipiac Women's Basketball Preview: Fresh Faces to Lead Bobcats (Video)

By Amber Kountz

The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team’s 2015-16 season will be one of wide eyes and fresh faces.

The entire starting five from last season have all graduated, including Quinnipiac’s second all-time leading scorer Jasmine Martin.

Four of the five starters have continued their basketball careers abroad. Forward Nikoline Ostergaard and Samantha Guastelle, center/forward Val Driscoll, and guard Gillian Abshire have each signed with European leagues.

What remains of last year’s squad is a variety of players eager to continue last year’s success.

Last year, Quinnipiac posted its second-best overall season record in 10 years at 31-4. The Bobcats were undefeated at home (14-0) and perfect against MAAC teams (23-0).

Quinnipiac dethroned Marist in the 2015 MAAC Championship game. Marist had won 10 of the past 11 MAAC Championship before 2015.

The Bobcats marched into the NCAA tournament with the automatic bid and were knocked out in the first round by fifth-seeded Oklahoma.

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The reins have been handed over to captains Maria Napolitano, a senior, Adily Martuccin, a redshirt junior, Katie Caroll, a senior, and Carly Fabbri, a sophomore. It is the largest captain class in coach Tricia Fabbri’s career.

As a junior, Napolitano was named the 2014-2015 MAAC Sixth Player of the Year. She averaged a career-high of 6.9 ppg and 16.3 minutes per game. Caroll was tied to the sideline because of an elbow injury.

Fabbri is only a sophomore but was voted by the team and coaching staff as one of the four captains.

“It’s an honor,” Carly Fabbri said.

While Carly is the coach’s daughter, they both emphasize there is no special treatment and it’s all “business” in the gym.

Last year’s success has brought the team international attention.

Quinnipiac’s freshmen class features two players from Europe. Edel Thornton flew in from Ireland and the 6-foot forward Paula Strautmane waves the Latvian flag.

Rounding out the freshman class is Brittany Martin, the younger sister of recently graduated Jasmine Martin.

Aryn McClure was named the MAAC preseason freshman player of the year. McClure was highly recruited out of New York. She was ranked number 264 nationally for her class.

McClure and company are competing against some of Connecticut’s elite teams. While they are not playing UConn, they will take on talented squads in Hartford and Fairfield.

Since Quinnipiac moved into the MAAC in 2013, the rivalry against these teams has heightened.