EMMITSBURG, Md. (April 19, 2022) – Mount St. Mary's women's basketball announces the signing of three transfer students, improving an already talented roster as the team looks for a repeat run to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Natalie Villaflor and Jo Raflo come to town as featured wing players for Presbyterian and Robert Morris, respectively, along with post player Kemia Ward from Austin Peay. Villaflor is a fifth-year graduate student, Ward is a rising junior with three years of eligibility, and Raflo a rising sophomore.
 
"This off season, we wanted to add length, athleticism and intelligence to our roster." Head Coach Antoine White said. "Natalie, Jo and Kemia check off all the boxes we need to continue competing at a championship level. They're high academic student-athletes who work hard on and off the court."
 
Villaflor boasts an established college basketball career, with 87 games played for the Colonials. A productive role player there, she logged 1,357 minutes of game time and scored 291 points. Natalie added 219 rebounds, 49 steals, 43 assists and 26 blocks during her tenure in Moon Township. Off the court, Villaflor was an honors student, member of the Colonial Leadership Academy and recipient of the Outstanding English Studies Major in Writing Award. While in high school at Loudon County, she competed in cross country and track as well as basketball, and was named Player of the Year for All-Dulles in 2017-18.
 
Raflo competed 26 times for the Blue Hose, starting six contests. Averaging 15.8 minutes per games, she registered a season-best nine points in a game against St. Thomas last November 20^th. Before making the journey to South Carolina, Raflo scored 813 points for Osbourn Park High School in Virginia, connecting on 37.5 percent of her three-pointers. A two-time First Team All Cedar Run District Performer and Team Captain, she helped guide the Yellow Jackets to a 6A State Runner Up season in 2020-21 before graduating cum laude with an advanced diploma. Hailing from an athletic family, Raflo's father J.P. competed for Wofford baseball from 1990-94.
 
Ward played two seasons for the Governors, making impacts in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. Across 29 games and eight starts, the 6-foot-1 forward registered 102 points, 84 rebounds and 17 blocks while averaging 10.6 minutes a contest. Her career high at Austin Peay was nine points in a freshman year game against Trevecca Nazarene. Before Ward's time in Clarksville, she was a member on back-to-back 7A Champions at McEachern High School, then transferred to Holy Spirit Prep, winning another title there. As a senior she earned a First Team All-State distinction. Academically, Ward has earned spots on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll, the Dean's List, and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
 
Following their 16-13 season and trip to the NCAA First Four, eight players return for the Mount, headlined by rising graduate student Michaela Harrison. Three freshmen signed NLI's as well, bringing the current roster total to 14 with the transfers coming in.