2024-25 SOPOMHORE SEASON
Season: Played in 28 games and started in 26…Led Lady Lions in scoring with 433 total points, averaging 15.5 points per game as well as rebounds with 240, averaging 8.6 boards per game… Produced 15 double-doubles…Had 23 double figure scoring outings out of 28.
Awards: Three-time Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll… Garnered All-Big Ten honorable mention.
Bucknell (11/4): Made Lady Lion debut with 21 points and 13 rebounds… Also had four blocks. Canisius (11/7): Had 20 points and three blocks. Niagara (11/14): Posted 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field and shot four-of-four from the charity stripe… Also blocked three shots Monmouth (11/17): Produced 20 points and 12 boards. vs. Marshall (11/21): Had 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field… Also grabbed 11 rebounds… vs. Georgia (11/23): Hauled in 12 points and 11 rebounds. Drexel (11/27): Notched a career high 31 points to go with 11 boards. at Providence (12/14): Tacked on 24 points to go with a season high 18 rebounds. at Kansas (12/15): Recorded 12th consecutive double figure scoring outing with 22 points and collected 12 rebounds. Iowa (1/1): Had 13 points and 12 boards. at USC (1/12): Recorded 13 points and five rebounds. Ohio State (1/19): Produced 12 points and 10 boards in win over no. 9. Maryland (1/29): Recorded 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field. at Northwestern (2/9): Produced 13 points and 12 boards. at Illinois (2/13): Contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds. Wisconsin (2/16): Had second 28-point outing of the season… Also grabbed 12 boards. at Michigan (2/22): Notched 18 points and 10 rebounds for 15th double-double of the campaign. Purdue (2/27): Finished the year with final double-digit scoring game with 11 points.
BEFORE PENN STATE
2022-23 AT BELLARMINE
Played two seasons at Bellarmine University including medical redshirt year... 2023 ASUN Freshman of the Year... 2023 second team All-Conference and All-Freshman team... Nine ASUN Freshman of the Week awards which set a new conference record... Three ASUN Player of the Week selections... Led team in 2023 in seven major statistical categories; scoring (15.1), rebounding (11.0), field goal percentage (.702), blocked shots (2.3), field goals made (191), free throw attempts (140) and free throws made (87)... Set new program record for single season field goal percentage and single season rebounds (340)... Led the conference in rebounding, field goal percentage and double-doubles (19)... Eight 20-plus-point and 12-plus-rebound performances... Scored in double figures on 23 outings... Set conference season blocks record after a career high nine against Simmons... Posted perfect shooting from the field on Feb. 4, 2023 against Lipscomb (11-of-11).
HIGH SCHOOL
Played four seasons at Bullitt East High School in Kentucky... Joined the program's 1,000 point and 500 rebound clubs... Named 2022 Kentucky Miss Basketball... 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year candidate... Averaged 18.6 points and 10 rebounds in senior season... Three-time All-State honoree... Two-time 6th Region Player of the Year... Two-time Bullitt County Player of the Year... Finished high school career ranked second in Kentucky Class of 2022 by Prep Girls Hoops Kentucky.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Lorie and John Merkle… Has one older brother Hunter, a younger brother Shepherd and a younger sister Lily.