Salve Women’s Basketball Scores a Successful Season

By: Vita Duva
Posted In: Sports

For two of Salve Regina University’s women’s basketball team captains, bringing home a conference championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament is the perfect way to bring this year’s season to an end. It is also a great way to conclude these soon-to-be college graduates Salve basketball careers. Fortunately, such a victory seems to be on the brink of happening for these two true-blue, devoted players.

The 2010-2011 season has been one of the team’s most successful seasons to date, as the team currently boasts a record of 18-3. They also earned first place in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

“This season we are undefeated in the conference,” said senior captain Olivia Browning, of Trumbull, Conn. “We have the best chemistry out of any team that I have played on and I think that alone can bring us a long way.” For this spring season, Browning is keeping her chin up both on and off the court.

Browning first began playing basketball in the second grade for a local team in Trumbull. She later continued on to the high school level. In her sophomore year of high school, she was the sixth player on a Division I Conference Championship Team. In her senior year of high school, she advanced to Second Team All-Conference.

Upon graduating this May, Browning plans to extend her love for the game through coaching, “especially during the summer at camps and clinics,” she said. “Coaching an AAU team is even a possibility. Basketball has and always will be a huge part of my life.”

Browning enjoys every aspect of the game, and playing basketball has kept her both inspired and working hard. She was first recruited to play for Salve by Salve’s former head coach, Amanda Van Voris. Since then, Browning has been a part of the team since her freshman year and currently plays as a forward.

“I have learned to adapt to situations and I have learned to play my role,” said Browning on how she has grown as a player. “I will do whatever is necessary for the team to succeed.”

Browning continues to lead her fellow teammates in triumph this season as one of the three captains. “I try to keep everyone’s sense of morale up at all times, no matter the situation at hand,” she said. “I also strive to keep everyone together as a team.”

Senior captain Liane Barone, a native of Johnston, Rhode Island, also plans to stay involved with basketball after graduating in the spring. She has been a team captain for the past two years. “I am hoping to be able to continue playing,” she said. “I love the sport, I love watching and I love being a part of it.”

Barone recognizes what a huge commitment basketball is at the Division III level and the work that she has put forth to get to where she is today, whether she is leading on the court or even, in the classroom. “Basketball has allowed me to really structure my academics and manage my time well,” she stated.

Barone has also been playing for Salve since her freshman year and currently plays as a guard. However, playing at the college level has not always been a priority for Barone until she made the decision to attend Salve.

Playing basketball started at age five for Barone. Her parents signed her up for a recreation team in Johnston. She has stuck with the sport since, and played as a guard on her high school’s team starting her freshman year.

Barone’s favorite memory of playing on Salve’s team is, “adopting Victoria Powell to our team through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation,” Barone said.

Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, (FOJ) is a non-profit, charitable organization that matches a child with a pediatric brain tumor with a college or high school sports team based on a geographic basis. “Victoria has come into our lives and inspired us in so many ways since that day,” said Barone.

To find out more about FOJ, please visit www.friendsofjaclyn.org.