Women's Basketball Adds First Three Signees to '25 Class
11/14/2024 12:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Two Freshmen, One NJCAA Transfer Highlight Incoming Trio
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida women's basketball gets its 2025 signing class started on a high note with a trio of incoming signees joining the Osprey family, as announced by head coach Erika Lambert on Thursday afternoon.
Masiel Reyes will be staying in the Sunshine State moving from Tampa to Jacksonville to play for the Ospreys as a junior from Hillsborough CC. Freshmen Abby Knauff and Soraya Ogaldez joins Reyes as guards, as they both will be coming from the high school level.
Knauff will stick with her roots as a hometown kid coming in from The Bolles School just 20 minutes west of UNF. Ogaldez, on the other hand, comes from across the country as a Washington native making her way to the First Coast.
Position: Guard
Class: Junior
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Previous School: Hillsborough CC
High School: Riverview HS
Height: 5-8
Intended Major: Engineering
Statistical Breakdown
Her freshman year for was nothing short of extraordinary, leading the Florida Region 8 NJCAA in points...averaged an impressive 22.2 points per game, which ranked second in the nation in scoring...her exceptional scoring ability led her to tally a total of 665 points in the season...her outstanding performance also earned her numerous accolades, including First Team Citrus Conference and First Team All-State Conference honors...multiple Division I offers from Georgia Southern and Norfolk St.
Coach's Thoughts on Masiel
"Masi [Reyes]'s experience, toughness and production will make an immediate impact on next year's roster. She's a blue-collar wing player, who is a skilled driver and strong finisher around the rim. Masi is also a three-point threat. What stands out to me most, though, is how hard she works on the boards. She'll be a great rebounder from the perimeter for us. We'll be able to cross-match with her on defense because her strength and physicality allow her to guard multiple positions. On top of all that, Masi has the heart of a lion. She plays with passion and courage. She's going to make a great addition to the Osprey community and we're excited to add the Reyes family to our crew!"
-- Erika Lambert, North Florida head coach
"As coaches, it's a joy to see a student-athlete like Masiel [Reyes] achieve their goal of moving on to the next level. She's not only incredibly talented, but also a fantastic leader and an even better person. We wish we could keep her for all four years, but we're excited to see what she'll accomplish at UNF."
-- Chris Springs, Hillsborough CC head coach
Position: Guard
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
High School: The Bolles School
Club Team: East Coast United
Height: 5-9
Statistical Breakdown
One of Florida's top three-point shooters in the state with the quickest release...has scored over 1,350 points in her high school career...averaged 15.1 points per game in 2023-24 as a junior and made 74 threes last season...recorded a 3.6 GPA in the classroom for excellence on and off the court...multiple Division I offers from App State, Samford, Central Arkansas, Stetson, Robert Morris, Kent State, West Georgia, Campbell, Mercer, UNC-Greensboro, ETSU and Monmouth.
Coach's Thoughts on Abby
"During my first week on the job here in 2023, I was just getting my bearings. I got a tip to check out a sophomore over at Bolles, so I got to work on my research. After one conversation with Abby [Knauff] on the phone, I knew I wanted her on my team! She is a winner who loves to be in the gym. She has high-level work ethic. We've watched her play a ton and it's been fun to see Abby expand her game. Everyone knows she's one of the best shooters in Florida, but she's become a stronger ball-handler and driver as well. Abby has competed against top-tier talent throughout her high school and AAU careers. We are thrilled that she decided to stay home and help us make history at UNF! We're looking forward to having the Knauff family and Abby's many local fans supporting her in the Blue & Gray."
-- Erika Lambert, North Florida head coach
"I loved coaching Abby [Knauff] for the last four years and know she will be in great hands at UNF. She continues to grow as a player every day and will be ready to step in and be a key player for the Ospreys!"
-- Kelly Stevenson, The Bolles School head coach
Position: Guard
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Lacey, Wash.
High School: North Thurston HS
Club Team: Lady PUSH
Height: 5-7
Statistical Breakdown
True point guard that led the team in assists last year, while averaging double-digit points throughout the season...has surpassed 1,000 points in her high school career...South Sound Conference MVP in the 2023-24 season...finished seventh place in state tournament...2024 WIAA State Championship Tournament is at the Tacoma Dome...first time ever that the Lady Rams have won a game at the Dome...key piece to one of the best teams in school history during the '23-24 season...multiple 30-point games as a junior, including 36 points against Gig Harbor...she had 28 points against Timberline HS that clinched the league title...multiple Division I offers from Norfolk St., Monmouth, Sacramento St, Hawaii, Mount St. Mary's, Seattle, UNC-Wilmington, UMBC and Queens.
Coach's Thoughts on Soraya
"When I first laid eyes on Soraya [Ogaldez] at an evaluation event last summer, I knew a point guard of her caliber would change the game for us. Simply put, Soraya is a hooper. She is so dynamic. She's a long, athletic scorer and ball-handler, who is an equal threat inside and out. Soraya is very crafty and explosive getting to the paint, but you also can't leave her open from three. She pushes the pace of the game and has tremendous court vision and passing ability. She'll create offense for us with deflections and steals on defense. The Ogaldez family is from Belize by way of Seattle, so we're excited to bring Soraya back to the land of sun & sand! We can't wait to get her to Jax."
-- Erika Lambert, North Florida head coach
"Soraya [Ogaldez] is one of the most impressive kids I've ever had the privilege of coaching, on the court and off the court. She's an extremely gifted basketball player, but more importantly, she's a great person. We are extremely proud of her."
-- Dequan Rose, Lady PUSH head coach
Masiel Reyes will be staying in the Sunshine State moving from Tampa to Jacksonville to play for the Ospreys as a junior from Hillsborough CC. Freshmen Abby Knauff and Soraya Ogaldez joins Reyes as guards, as they both will be coming from the high school level.
Knauff will stick with her roots as a hometown kid coming in from The Bolles School just 20 minutes west of UNF. Ogaldez, on the other hand, comes from across the country as a Washington native making her way to the First Coast.
Masiel Reyes
Position: GuardClass: Junior
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Previous School: Hillsborough CC
High School: Riverview HS
Height: 5-8
Intended Major: Engineering
Statistical Breakdown
Her freshman year for was nothing short of extraordinary, leading the Florida Region 8 NJCAA in points...averaged an impressive 22.2 points per game, which ranked second in the nation in scoring...her exceptional scoring ability led her to tally a total of 665 points in the season...her outstanding performance also earned her numerous accolades, including First Team Citrus Conference and First Team All-State Conference honors...multiple Division I offers from Georgia Southern and Norfolk St.
Coach's Thoughts on Masiel
"Masi [Reyes]'s experience, toughness and production will make an immediate impact on next year's roster. She's a blue-collar wing player, who is a skilled driver and strong finisher around the rim. Masi is also a three-point threat. What stands out to me most, though, is how hard she works on the boards. She'll be a great rebounder from the perimeter for us. We'll be able to cross-match with her on defense because her strength and physicality allow her to guard multiple positions. On top of all that, Masi has the heart of a lion. She plays with passion and courage. She's going to make a great addition to the Osprey community and we're excited to add the Reyes family to our crew!"
-- Erika Lambert, North Florida head coach
"As coaches, it's a joy to see a student-athlete like Masiel [Reyes] achieve their goal of moving on to the next level. She's not only incredibly talented, but also a fantastic leader and an even better person. We wish we could keep her for all four years, but we're excited to see what she'll accomplish at UNF."
-- Chris Springs, Hillsborough CC head coach
Abby Knauff
Position: GuardClass: Freshman
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
High School: The Bolles School
Club Team: East Coast United
Height: 5-9
Statistical Breakdown
One of Florida's top three-point shooters in the state with the quickest release...has scored over 1,350 points in her high school career...averaged 15.1 points per game in 2023-24 as a junior and made 74 threes last season...recorded a 3.6 GPA in the classroom for excellence on and off the court...multiple Division I offers from App State, Samford, Central Arkansas, Stetson, Robert Morris, Kent State, West Georgia, Campbell, Mercer, UNC-Greensboro, ETSU and Monmouth.
Coach's Thoughts on Abby
"During my first week on the job here in 2023, I was just getting my bearings. I got a tip to check out a sophomore over at Bolles, so I got to work on my research. After one conversation with Abby [Knauff] on the phone, I knew I wanted her on my team! She is a winner who loves to be in the gym. She has high-level work ethic. We've watched her play a ton and it's been fun to see Abby expand her game. Everyone knows she's one of the best shooters in Florida, but she's become a stronger ball-handler and driver as well. Abby has competed against top-tier talent throughout her high school and AAU careers. We are thrilled that she decided to stay home and help us make history at UNF! We're looking forward to having the Knauff family and Abby's many local fans supporting her in the Blue & Gray."
-- Erika Lambert, North Florida head coach
"I loved coaching Abby [Knauff] for the last four years and know she will be in great hands at UNF. She continues to grow as a player every day and will be ready to step in and be a key player for the Ospreys!"
-- Kelly Stevenson, The Bolles School head coach
Soraya Ogaldez
Position: GuardClass: Freshman
Hometown: Lacey, Wash.
High School: North Thurston HS
Club Team: Lady PUSH
Height: 5-7
Statistical Breakdown
True point guard that led the team in assists last year, while averaging double-digit points throughout the season...has surpassed 1,000 points in her high school career...South Sound Conference MVP in the 2023-24 season...finished seventh place in state tournament...2024 WIAA State Championship Tournament is at the Tacoma Dome...first time ever that the Lady Rams have won a game at the Dome...key piece to one of the best teams in school history during the '23-24 season...multiple 30-point games as a junior, including 36 points against Gig Harbor...she had 28 points against Timberline HS that clinched the league title...multiple Division I offers from Norfolk St., Monmouth, Sacramento St, Hawaii, Mount St. Mary's, Seattle, UNC-Wilmington, UMBC and Queens.
Coach's Thoughts on Soraya
"When I first laid eyes on Soraya [Ogaldez] at an evaluation event last summer, I knew a point guard of her caliber would change the game for us. Simply put, Soraya is a hooper. She is so dynamic. She's a long, athletic scorer and ball-handler, who is an equal threat inside and out. Soraya is very crafty and explosive getting to the paint, but you also can't leave her open from three. She pushes the pace of the game and has tremendous court vision and passing ability. She'll create offense for us with deflections and steals on defense. The Ogaldez family is from Belize by way of Seattle, so we're excited to bring Soraya back to the land of sun & sand! We can't wait to get her to Jax."
-- Erika Lambert, North Florida head coach
"Soraya [Ogaldez] is one of the most impressive kids I've ever had the privilege of coaching, on the court and off the court. She's an extremely gifted basketball player, but more importantly, she's a great person. We are extremely proud of her."
-- Dequan Rose, Lady PUSH head coach
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