After a year of ineligibility due to the National Collegiate Athletic Association transfer rules, both Casey Smith ‘17 and Margeaux Dupuy ‘15 are ready to step up and help lead their team to an upcoming winning season.
After transferring from Saint Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania after her freshman year, Smith decided that Fairfield would be a better fit for her.
“Fairfield University is a tight-knit community and, obviously, it is closer to home. And I’m from here, so I have a sense of Connecticut pride,” said Smith. “Overall, this school feels like home.”
Although the 6-foot-2 forward was forced to sit out the 2013-2014 season, Smith was able to get experience with the team during practice time and games. This season, Smith is hoping to make an immediate impact.
“Off the court, I used to contribute with practice and helping them out and getting prepared,” said Smith. “But, I think this year I’ll be able to contribute in the broader sense.”
The team is excited to have Smith on the court especially with all that she was able to accomplish in high school. A three-time All-State athlete in basketball, Smith also went on to lead her high school team to a 25-0 record and then a Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference championship, among many other accomplishments.
Even though Smith has not played competitively since high school, she added that the team couldn’t have been more welcoming which will help her as she heads to the court for the upcoming season. She is hoping to get the team back to where they left off last year.
“I think a lot of people are underestimating our abilities because we lost so many seniors, but what they don’t understand is that we have Felicia DaCruz, our point guard, who has been playing for four years and she’s very strong,” stated Smith.
“The freshmen are coming along very nicely and with all of us coming together to do what we have to do, I think we’ll have a good season,” Smith added.
Like Smith, Dupuy is another transfer athlete who is ready to finally give what she can to the team.
Dupuy, originally from Texas, attended Marquette University for two years before deciding to transfer to Fairfield. Now finally under eligibility, Dupuy is excited to see how the game at Fairfield compares to the game at Marquette.
“I wanted to go to a small school that wasn’t as big as Marquette where I could definitely see myself fitting in a family and I think that I’ve found that,” said Dupuy.
With her time at Marquette, Dupuy was able to appear in 17 games as a freshman, averaging 2.4 points per game. During her sophomore year, she was able to play in the Big East Tournament where she made two 3-pointers for her team and averaged 1.2 points per game. After sitting her junior year out after transferring, the 5-6 guard is looking to make big contributions to the team.
“I think I can make an immediate impact to the team, everyone on our team can,” said Dupuy. “We have an excellent team and we have people that can step into roles that we need them to step into.”
Like her other teammate, Dupuy has similar expectations for herself and for her team for the upcoming season.
“I think we can go to the tournament and I think that’s definitely the goal,” added Dupuy. “I think that’s where we need to be and I think that’s where we can be.”
Although they were once transfers, the girls have definitely found the place they have wanted to be all along and the team couldn’t be any more excited for what they will bring to the court this season.
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