Murray State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Signs Three For 2008-09 Season
11/19/2007 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Murray State women's basketball head coach Jody Adams announced the signing of three players for the 2008-09 season: Rachael Isom of Cleveland, Tenn.; Mallory Schwab of Martinsville, Ind.; and Jana Roney of Union City, Tenn.
"The great thing about all of our signees is that they want to be at Murray State," Adams said. "Rachael had a chance to go visit Harvard, and decided to decline that and commit to Murray State. There were other options for Mallory and Jana, and they wanted to come here. They wanted to play here at Murray State.
"I really like these three, and we're very happy to have them here at Murray State for the next four years."
Isom, a 5-8 guard for Cleveland High School, helped CHS to a 31-4 record last season, earning a AAA Region 3 title. She was honored on June 13, 2007, by Tennessee Senate Joint Resolution 508, honoring her academic achievements and her work as a Volunteer Girls State delegate. She is an outstanding academic recruit as well as an athletic recruit.
Her parents were both athletes at Tennessee Tech. Her mother, Becky, played volleyball, while her father, Jimmy, played football for the Golden Eagles.
"Rachel plays for one of the best schools in the country, at Cleveland, Tenn., my hometown," Adams said. "Her mom played volleyball at Bradley Central (Adams' alma mater), so I grew up watching her play. She was three years ahead of me, but I practiced with her in my freshman year. Both of us had our jerseys retired together. Rachael just comes from a great family. She had the ability to compete academically and athletically at the highest level. She is a very special player. As great an athlete and basketball player that she is, she is also that academically for Murray State University. She will represent Murray State in a really unique manner.
"She's tough, gutsy, heady. She competes; she just won't quit. She strives to be the best; she strives for perfection. She wants to know, she wants to understand. You need those things out of your point guard. She reminds me of one of the best point guards I know, Kellie Jolly (Tennessee, 1995-99) -- just really smart. She'll be a good leader. I think the best years of Rachael's basketball career are ahead of her. I love her competitiveness, and I have to credit her high school coach and her mom and dad for that. Her work ethic is off the charts. I like that about her."
“I went to Murray State for my official visit and the campus is absolutely gorgeous. I love the campus,” Isom told the Cleveland Daily Banner. “The academics are also great there. I also liked the size of the campus. It's about four hours or so from home, which is a little far, but it's really not bad.”
Schwab is a 5-9 guard for Martinsville High School. She helped the Lady Artesians to a 19-4 mark last year, averaging 12 points, 5.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 4 assists per game.
"She's a combo guard," Adams said. "She'll probably play some 1 (point guard) and 2 (shooting guard). She can shoot the three. She's a really heady Indiana basketball player, a great kid to have in your program. She loves the game and competes. She's going to do a bunch for you, do little things to make your program better. I hope she'll be able to score the ball for us, shoot the ball. She will bring an added dimension to our team."
"I am really excited to play for this coaching staff and the team," Schwab said. "I liked the basketball program, and the campus was beautiful. Plus, academically, it was a good fit for what I want to study."
Roney is a 5-11 guard/forward from Obion County Central High School. She helped Obion to a 27-5 record last season and was a Miss Basketball finalist.
"She can play the 3- (small forward) or the 4-spot (power forward)," Adams said. "She's very hard to guard. She's probably one of the toughest kids that I've coached. She's mentally strong, a fierce competitor, hates to lose. I think, over her time here, that she will be a great leader. She's kind of the mother for the team: takes care of everybody and shows the team the right way to do things. She's a versatile player; she can play inside and outside. She can put her back to the basket, and most people hate to play against her."
"I feel great about my decision," Roney said. "I was really comfortable with the coaching staff and the basketball program. I felt like this was the place I needed to be. Jody began recruiting me when she was at Southern Illinois, and she kept in contact with me, and when I went to MSU and met the staff and saw the campus, that helped me make my decision."
