AMHERST, N.Y. - Second-year Daemen College women's basketball head coach Jenepher Banker has announced the signing of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Sydney Barney (Midland, Pa.) and Vivian Ladd (Johnson City, N.Y.) will join the Wildcats for the 2018-19 academic year.
"We're excited about adding two terrific players and people to our program," Banker said.
Barney, a 5-foot-9 shooting guard, is set to begin her senior season at Beaver Area High School, where she has played under the guidance of coach Greg Huston. A starter since her freshman season, Barney led the Bobcats to a 17-8 record last season when the team advanced to the semifinals of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Class 4-A tournament and an appearance in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) playoffs. She ranked third among the WPIAL leaders in scoring last year, averaging 15 points per game with 35 three-pointers. Her efforts earned her a spot of the Beaver County Top-22 all-star team.
An honor roll student, Barney plans on majoring in athletic training at Daemen, with a minor in entrepreneurship.
"Sydney is a very good shooter with great range," Banker said. "She will fit in nicely with our style of play."
Ladd, a 5-foot-8 point guard, is set to begin her senior season at Johnson City High School under the direction of coach Dave Chilson. A three-time Southern Tier Athletic Conference (STAC) all-star selection, she earned first-team all-region and fifth-team Class A all-state honors last winter. An outstanding all-around athlete, she has also lettered in soccer, swimming, softball and lacrosse during her high school career.
A National Honor Society member, Ladd plans on majoring in mathematics at Daemen with a minor in computer science.
"Vivian has the ability to play multiple guard positions, and she will increase our skill set and depth immediately," Banker said. "Her vision on the court and her basketball IQ are impressive."
Daemen has three seniors on the 2017-18 roster. Topping the list of graduation seniors is guard Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y.), who has collected first-team All-East Coast Conference honors in each of the last two seasons, and presently ranks 12th in career points (1,276) among Daemen's all-time leaders. Guard Taylor Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y.) is in her fifth season with the program after redshirting last year. Forward Liz Miles (Cicero, N.Y.) is in her fourth season with the team and has played in 78 of a possible 83 games in her career.
Daemen opened the 2017-18 season last weekend with a pair of wins at the East Region Tip-Off Classic, defeating American International College (70-61) and Nyack College (67-48). Banker's squad is back in action with two more neutral site contests this weekend as they'll face Lake Erie College (Friday, Nov. 17 at 8 p.m.) and nationally-ranked Virginia Union University (Saturday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m.); both games take place at the Voller Athletic Center on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, N.Y.
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