AMHERST — Hailey Leidel isn’t shrinking from the expectations that will accompany her latest honor.
The UMass freshman shooting guard was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Wednesday. While she was proud of the trophy and what it meant, she had her sights set on more success in the future, individually and especially as a program.
“It’s nice to have it and to get the reward for all the hard work you do to prepare this season,” said Leidel, who was the only UMass player honored by the conference. “But it motivates me to work for the next award or the next list and to help our team get a better record and go further. It’s nice to have, but it’s a huge motivator for next year and years to come.”
Leidel’s talent, especially on offense, was evident from her first game when she hit four 3-pointers en route to a 16-point effort against Buffalo. It was the first of 25 double-digit scoring games that included eight of more than 20 points.
Her 15.5 points per game was fourth in the Atlantic 10. Her 39.2 3-point percentage was fourth in the conference. Her 78 3-pointers led the A-10 and set a UMass single-season record.
“This is a well-deserved honor for Hailey,” UMass first-year coach Tory Verdi said in a statement. “We are very excited about the year she had and where she can go from here. She has been our most consistent player on a daily basis. I’m excited for her and for the future of our program.”
Leidel won the league’s rookie of the week three times.
“I had a great season and I did a lot that I’m proud of, but I have a lot to improve on,” she said. “I have a huge list of things I want to start working on in the gym.”
That list includes becoming better off the dribble and stronger at the other end of the floor.
“Defensively I can always be quicker and have a quicker first step,” she said. “My defense is going to be a really big focus.”
Coming off a 9-21 season that was capped by a 91-51 loss to Saint Louis in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, Leidel said everyone in the program was motivated going into the offseason.
“Verdi has put into our minds what he wants us to do and what we need to do. Coach wants us to be in the top 25 or competing for an A-10 Championship,” Leidel said. “Hopefully that foundation was set. I do believe it is and we can move forward and progress to where all of our goals are. … That was not the way we wanted to go out. We have a lot to prove. We have to continue to work hard to get a better outcome next year.”
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage