April 22, 2002
NORFOLK, VA -- Old Dominion women's basketball head coach Wendy Larry has announced the signing of 6-4 center Cassandra Calwell to a National Letter of Intent to play for the Lady Monarch program beginning with the 2002-03 season. Calwell will transfer from Louisburg Junior College (NC) and have two years of eligibility remaining.
"At 6-4, Cassie will help bolster our front line," said Larry. "The southpaw has great ability to shoot the long ball and has good size to help us control the paint."
Calwell averaged 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Region X Championship Hurricanes, which finished its 2001-02 campaign with a 29-5 record and made an appearance in the NJCAA National Tournament. During the Region X Playoffs, Calwell averaged 10.5 points a game.
Prior to enrolling at Louisburg JC, Calwell attended Colorado State where she redshirted as a freshman. A native of Raleigh, NC, Calwell played scholastically at Athens Drive High School where she was a Street & Smith Magazine All-American, Blue Star MVP, Pepsi Area Player of the Year, and three-time all-conference selection. During her senior year at Athens Drive, Calwell averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds and was named the Athens Drive Female Athlete of the Year.
Calwell becomes the third member of the 2002 Lady Monarch recruiting class which also includes 5-11 forward/guard Lawona Davis (Port St. Lucie, FL/Centennial) and 5-9 guard Shantel Wilson (Washington D.C./H.D. Woodson).
The Old Dominion women's basketball team finished the 2001-02 campaign with a 28-6 record and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Monarchs will return six letterwinners from this year's CAA Championship team that captured a perfect 18-0 league mark. The team is also anticipating the return of redshirt athletes, 6-6 center Corrina Turner (Miami, FL), 5-9 guard Max Nhassengo (Maputo, Mozambique), and 5-5 guard Alli Spence (Lafayette, CO). The home portion of the 2002-03 season will kick off when the Lady Monarchs open the new Ted Constant Convocation Center on Friday, November 22nd against state rival Virginia.