NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion University women’s basketball team recently signed Kelly Loftus, a transfer from Hofstra University, head coach Karen Barefoot announced on Monday afternoon. Due to NCAA transfer rules, Loftus will be eligible to play during the 2017-18 season.
"I am very excited that Kelly is joining our program and the ODU family,” said coach Barefoot. “During her career at Hofstra, she demonstrated what it means to be an exemplary student-athlete in the classroom and on the court. She is a fearless competitor and a proven scorer with the ability to stretch defenses due to her three-point range. Kelly fits our up-tempo style of play and brings a wealth of experience from the CAA, including post-season play, which will help position us to compete for a C-USA championship again in the future. I am looking forward to coaching her during her time with the Lady Monarchs!"
Loftus, an Alexandria, Va. native, comes to Old Dominion from Hofstra, where she helped the team record a 45-22 record and two WNIT appearances during her two seasons as the leading scorer. The long-range sharp shooter also drained 148 three-pointers over her three years with the Pride, ranking her fifth all-time in the record books.
The 5-10 standout guard paced the squad in scoring during her sophomore and junior seasons with an average of 12.4 points. During her sophomore campaign, Loftus emerged as one of the CAA’s best shooters, averaging 12.5 points in starting all 32 games, resulting in her first career CAA award as a member of the league’s all-third team. Five times Loftus posted 20-point games and her 79 three-pointers marked the third-highest single-season total in program history. As a junior, Loftus made the third-team for a second straight year and was named to the CAA All-Tournament Team after averaging 12.2 points to rank 12th in the conference. She once again poured in 20-plus points on five occasions and scored in double figures 19 times. During her final season with the Pride, Loftus helped the team defeat Harvard, Villanova and Virginia, before falling to Florida Gulf Coast in the quarterfinals of the WNIT.
"I wanted a new start and this time it was about finding the perfect fit,” said Loftus. “A lot of my family is from Virginia and will finally be able to see me play. ODU also has such a winning culture and a history of women's basketball and I appreciate what coach Barefoot has done for the game."
While in high school, Loftus was on the recruiting radar of a long list of schools after playing for seasons of varsity basketball at Mount Vernon High School. She led the Majors to three National District championships and was an All-Rookie team selection and a three-time All-District and All-Region honoree. She finished her illustrious high school career with 1,330 points, averaging 18.3 points her senior year. She highlighted her high school tenure by being named the District Player of the Year and First Team All-Region as a senior.
Loftus joins the ODU Lady Monarchs after receiving offers from Atlantic 10, BIG EAST and ACC schools. She is welcomed to a program that is full of returning talent, including two-time First Team All-Conference USA selection Jennie Simms.
Be sure to follow ODU Women’s Basketball at @ODUWBB on Twitter and ‘Like’ the ODU Lady Monarch Basketball Facebook page to stay up to date with the latest news and coverage.