Sporio cherishing last Cal U run
As she was honored on Senior Day prior to the California University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 women鈥檚 basketball team鈥檚 win over third-ranked IUP, Abbey Sporio鈥檚 mind was racing.
The Elizabeth Forward graduate could not believe how fast her college career has gone, and how there were only a few more times she would get to wear a Vulcans uniform.
鈥淚t has gone really fast and I didn鈥檛 know it was going to be like this,鈥� she said with a smile. 鈥淧laying in high school, it was like a honeymoon stage where you can just go through it but when you get to college, it is like work and you work hard every day.
鈥淭here are no days off and you have to take care of your body, which I was not expecting it to be like this.鈥�
Sporio transferred to Cal from Pitt-Johnstown after the first semester of her freshman year, and she said the difference between the two programs was like night and day.
鈥淚 transferred in from UPJ and our practices are completely different,鈥� the business finance major said. 鈥淲e go at it every day here and never have an easy day (at practice).鈥�
After transferring in time for the spring 2016 semester, Sporio saw time in 11 games and was a member of the Cal U AD Honor Roll that semester.
As a sophomore, Sporio started 17 out of 34 games and finished second in assists and steals.
In the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament (Division II), Sporio recorded a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 11 assists against Glenville St.
Academically, Sporio earned PSAC Scholar Athlete honors (2016-17) and made the Cal U AD Honor Roll in the fall, and in both the fall of 2016 and spring of 2017.
During her junior season, Sporio started 16 of the 27 games she played in, and again earned PSAC Scholar-Athlete status (2017-18) and was a member of the Cal U AD Honor Roll in the fall of 2017 and spring of 2018.
So far this season, Sporio has started all 27 games and is averaging just under 10 points per game, while her 2.7 steals per game leads the PSAC.
In the Senior Day win over IUP, Sporio led the Vulcans with 18 points and her suffocating defense helped force the Crimson Hawks into 20 turnovers.
鈥淒efensively, she just gets after it,鈥� Cal coach Jess Strom said. 鈥淪he gave IUP problems with her energy and pressuring the ball.鈥�
Sporio was proud that the team chose IUP for the Senior Day opponent.
鈥淭he fact that it was IUP, usually people get easier teams on Senior Day and we knew we had to go hard,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e play really well against good teams and have four seniors and wanted to go out with a bang with our last (regular season) home game.鈥�
Cal hosts Gannon at 7 p.m. tonight in a PSAC quarterfinal game, and a win gives Cal a game with the winner of the Kutztown and Lock Haven game.
Pairings for the NCAA Tournament will be announced Sunday.
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