Neshaminy seniors Victoria Mazzeo and Kelsey Ryan were recognized at a special signing ceremony on May 27, 2010, for signing letters of intent to play basketball at the collegiate level.
Victoria Mazzeo – Chestnut Hill College (Basketball)
Major: Psychology
Final list of colleges: Chestnut Hill, East Stroudsburg, Bloomsburg, Rider
Reasons for choosing Chestnut Hill: “I really wanted to stay in Philly, and on my official visit, I really liked the team and the coach.”
When did you start thinking about playing basketball at the collegiate level? “Since I was about four, I have been wanting to play college basketball. I’ve wanted to play college basketball almost my whole life. I actually wanted to play in the WNBA, but that didn’t work out, so college is a step below.
“I have wanted to do this ever since I was little, and I stuck with it. This is a huge accomplishment.”
Coach Joanne McVey says: “Victoria played with us for three years. She’s a very athletic kid and is a real hard worker. She would run through a wall for you. The biggest thing with Victoria is her athleticism. She’s an extremely good rebounder and especially is an extremely good offensive rebounder. She’s just very explosive to the ball and can do some things athletically that a lot of kids can’t do.
“She’s what I would consider a hard-nosed player. She won’t quit, she’s a fighter. Her athleticism enabled us to do certain things as a team we wouldn’t have been able to do without her as far as trapping and things of that nature. She was just extremely hard to get the ball over and was quick to the ball. She was a great athlete who helped our team.”
Kelsey Ryan – Lock Haven University (Basketball)
Major: Secondary Education/Mathematics
Final list of colleges: Lock Haven, West Chester, Kutztown
Reasons for choosing Lock Haven: “First, it had my major, and Kutztown didn’t. Also the campus – once I went up there, met the team and saw the campus – I just fell in love with it. It was a perfect fit.”
Was it difficult to choose between basketball and softball? “I always knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to play basketball in college just because it’s always been my favorite, but throughout the last couple of years with our softball program rising, I always loved softball too. I really had to make a decision which I wanted to pursue. I am most likely going to try and walk on for softball because I can’t give it up.”
How exciting is it to know you’ll be continuing your basketball career at the collegiate level? “It’s still mind blowing just because of the fact that you’ve worked for this your whole high school career and even your middle school career, trying to get the fundamentals down and even academic-wise. It’s a relief just to know that I did it, and this is only the beginning.”
Coach Joanne McVey says: “Kelsey’s fundamentals are very good. She’s not the most athletic, she’s not the quickest, but she does a lot of fundamental things well. She’s a great team player, and she works real hard. She gets the most out of her ability, and she plays the game the right way. She was a great leader for our team.
“Kelsey started for us as a freshman, and that’s always a difficult transition. She had a tough year her sophomore year, but her junior and senior years she was the go-to player for our team and led by example. She was vocal when she needed to be, but basically, her work ethic and the way she prepared for a game was a great example to our entire team, in particular, the younger players.”
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