With an eagerness to get back on the court, Kingswood Oxford class of 2020 alumnus and Hartwick College shooting guard Angelina Maselli is keeping busy and constantly grinding for a chance to show off her skills at the NCAA Division III level.
Maselli attended both the Kingswood Oxford Middle and Upper school, playing on the varsity basketball team since eighth grade. On top of that, Maselli was a three-sport varsity athlete during her early years at the Upper School, before deciding to focus solely on basketball. “I loved my time playing at KO,” Maselli said. “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to grow with the program, even with the rocky start when I first joined the team.”
Maselli began her recruiting process her junior year, when she played for both Kingswood Oxford as well as a travel team outside of school. She began to reach out to coaches as well as had some coaches reach out to her. “I wanted a smaller school and to be somewhat, about one to four hours away from home,” Maselli said. In the end, Maselli ended up committing to Hartwick College, a small Division III college in Oneonta, NY. Shortly after stepping on campus, Maselli knew this was the place for her. “I liked the family atmosphere,” Maselli said, “as well as the amazing campus.”
Maselli described the transition from high school to college as tedious at first, but she was able to adjust quicker than most of her peers. “KO prepared me well for college,” Maselli said. “The basic skills I learned there have already helped me so much.” Once the season started, the days became even busier. During a typical season, team training and practices would start in mid-October with the season-ending in March depending on if the team makes it to the playoffs. During the academic week, the team would meet six days a week for practice as well as having multiple team lifts spaced out over the week.
Sadly, COVID-19 has put a stop to this year’s season. As of right now, the team is still practicing as best they can. “We’re split up into two smaller groups,” Maselli said. “One group lifts, and the other practices and then we switch.”
The Liberty League, which is the conference that Hartwick plays in, is hoping to do a condensed season in March and April. The plan would be for all games to be only conference games, with a 12 game schedule. This means that there would be two to three games a week. “I’m just hoping for the chance to play this year, even if that means the season looks very different,” Maselli said.
As for the future, Maselli cannot wait to be able to practice with the whole team and to be able to step on the court for her first college game. Academically, Maselli is currently a Biology major on the pre-med track. After college, Maselli plans on attending medical school to become a pediatric physician. “I’ve always had an interest in the medical field, and I love working with children,” Maselli said, “so I think it would be the right choice for me.” Overall, Maselli appears eager to show everyone her skills, and no doubt she will have much success in the coming years.