Women's Basketball | 4/11/2018 10:13:00 AM
Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University women's basketball team has announced the signing of Esther Castedo to a National Latter of Intent.
Castedo, a native of Lugo, Spain, most recently played for Porta XI Ensino de Lugo, a junior category team in Liga Femenina 2. Prior to that, she was a combo guard for Estudiantes de Lugo, helping the team claim three top-four finishes at the State of Galicia tournament, including a runner-up effort in 2015-16. The newest Colonial played for the club's first division team in 2016-17, assisting in a championship State Cup run along with a runner-up finish in the league. In the 2015-16 Spanish National Championship Tournament by States, Castedo was the fourth best scorer in the invitational's first phase and ninth on efficiency ratio, helping lead the club to a 16th-place finish.
"Esther proved over the course of the recruiting process that she was a great fit for our program," said head coach Charlie Buscaglia. "It was very evident to see her strong work ethic both in the classroom and on the court. Esther has a tireless motor to go up and down, and also a solid ability to have extended outside range."
Named the Best Player in the city of Lugo following the 2014-15 campaign, Castedo also has played for the U15 and U16 Spanish National Teams. With the U15 squad, she has a gold medal from the HMY Tournament in Zaragoza, Spain, and a silver medal from the International Tournament de La Amistad that was held in Pesaro, Italy. The next season with the U16 team, she helped them claim silver at the International Tournament Le Pionconnet in France and also competed in Guadalajara.
"The quality that really separated (Esther) from the others is her passionate mindset to defend hard on every possession," added Buscaglia. "Defense is always our backbone at RMU and she has shown how much she loves to defend. We look for her to fit in very well and we are very excited to have her joining our program."
Castedo, a soon-to-be graduate of IES Ollos Grandes, plans to study management at Robert Morris. She will join early NLI signees Julia Chadwick (Ottawa, Ontario / Henry Street), Bella Posset (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver), and Natalie Villaflor (Ashburn, Va. / Loudoun County) as freshmen with the Colonials in 2018-19. Castedo also becomes the second player from Spain on the roster, joining Laura Carrasco.
Robert Morris concluded the 2017-18 campaign with its eighth postseason appearance since 2007 as it competed in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Colonials captured a share of their sixth Northeast Conference (NEC) regular-season championship and eclipsed the 20-win mark for the 11th time in program history, finishing with a school record 25 victories.
