LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego women's basketball team has signed four high school standouts who will join the squad for the 2015-16 campaign. The announcement was made Monday by head coach Heidi VanDerveer.
Donning the blue and gold will be five-foot-ten guard/forward Shandiin Armao (Winslow, Ariz./Winslow HS), five-foot-one point guard Marissa Hing (Los Altos/Pinewood HS), six-foot-one forward Rebecca Williams (Woodland/Woodland Christian HS) and five-foot-six combo guard JoJo Yang (San Francisco/St. Ignatius HS).
"We are excited about the talent level of our incoming class," said VanDerveer, who recently completed her third season as the head coach of the Tritons. "We look forward to working with them as they help our team get better."
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Shandiin Armao
5-10 • Guard/Forward
Winslow, Ariz. • Winslow HS
• Averaged 18.8 points and 13.9 rebounds
• First Team All State three times
• Two time Arizona Republic Small School Player of the Year
• AIA Division III Player of the Year
• Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year nominee
• Navajo Times Arizona-New Mexico All-Star Game MVP
• Salutatorian
• National Honor Society member
• Coached by Jerron Jordan at WHS
VanDerveer on Armao
“Shandiin is a 'stat stuffer.' She can score and rebound and is an excellent passer. She is not locked into a position, but does a great job of using her versatility to create mismatches.”
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Marissa Hing
5-1 • Point Guard
Los Altos, Calif. • Pinewood HS
• Averaged 11 points, three assists and two rebounds
• San Jose Mercury News Player of the Year
• Daily News Player of the Year
• Foothill League MVP
• San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro Third Team
• MaxPrep First Team Division V All-State
• Cal High Sports Scholar Athlete of the Year
• Coached at Pinewood by Doc Scheppler
VanDerveer on Hing
“Marissa is a competitor. She is aggressive both offensively and defensively. She has very good skills and instincts. She is a crafty point guard who can score in a variety of ways. Marissa plays with a tremendous amount of energy.”
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Rebecca Williams
6-1 • Forward
Woodland, Calif. • Woodland Christian HS
• Averaged 15.5 points and 10.2 rebounds
• Three-time San Joaquin League MVP
• Recorded 23 double-doubles and a triple-double in 29 games
• Member of the National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation
• Coached at Woodland Christian by Shiloh Sorbello
VanDerveer on Williams
“Rebecca is an outstanding athlete with good size and skills. She can score on the block or step out and face up. She is an excellent rebounder.”
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JoJo Yang
5-6 • Point/Shooting Guard
San Francisco • St. Ignatius HS
• Averaged 9.2 points and 3.3 assists
• First Team All-West Catholic Athletic League
• All-City honorable mention
• La Jolla Country Day All-Tournament Team
• West Coast Jamboree All-Tournament Team
• Coached at St. Ignatius by Michael Mulkerrins
VanDerveer on Yang
“JoJo is a talented guard who can really shoot the ball. She can push in transition or get out and finish on the break. She is creative offensively and a tough defender. JoJo makes her teammates better.”
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UCSD is coming off a stellar 2014-15 season, posting an 18-10 overall record with a 16-6 mark in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The Tritons finished fourth in the 12-team conference and qualified for the CCAA Championship Tournament for the ninth straight season.
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