Lady Pirates Sign Post Player
May 16, 2003 | Women's Basketball
The junior college transfer played the past two seasons at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Okla.
"Soraya gives us much-needed size on the inside," Baldwin-Tener said. "She can score, rebound and defend and instantly makes us a much more physical basketball team. The winning attitude and work ethic she learned at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M will prove to be invaluable in the upcoming seasons."
In her two years at NEO, Hellaby was part of a team that finished as runner-up in the 2002 NJCAA National Tournament and finished sixth in the 2003 NJCAA National Tournament. Her team was 63-8 during her two seasons.
She was recently rated as the 21st best junior college center in the nation and 78th best overall junior college player in the country by All-Star Girls Report.
Before arriving in the United States, Hellaby was named the 2000 Sports Woman of the Year in Auckland, New Zealand.
"Soraya was a big reason we were able to win our regional championships this year," said Darin Grover, head women's basketball coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. "Her size and strength gave us a presence in the middle that we really needed. Ray was our best rebounder and post scorer. She will be successful at the next level because she is willing to work hard and she wants to win."
Hellaby joins Viola Cooper, her former teammate at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, who signed with ECU in April. The pair will be reunited on a Lady Pirate squad that lost only one senior from its 2002-03 roster after posting a 12-16 record and advancing to the Conference USA Tournament for the first time ever.
