Virginia Tech will welcome five newcomers this upcoming women’s basketball season. They include: (from left) Dara Mabrey, Shanniya Jones, Chloe Brooks, Trinity Baptiste and Alexandrine Obouh Fegue.
Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks is excited about the state of the program heading into the summer months and with good reason. After this past season’s historic 23-win season that saw the Hokies set several program records enroute to an appearance in the WNIT Championship, Brooks and his staff are thrilled to announce their full signing class of five young women who will be joining the program in the coming months.
“These three spring additions will blend seamlessly with our fall signees, Dara Mabrey and Shaniya Jones,” Brooks said. “They all exemplify what we want in our student-athletes in the spirit of Ut Prosim and will help take Virginia Tech women’s basketball into the future.”
Dara Mabrey
Hometown: Belmar, New Jersey
High School: Manasquan High School
Position: Point Guard
An ESPN 3-star recruit, Mabrey has been named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year for both 2017 and 2018. During her senior season she averaged 22.9 points per game and eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for her career.
She was a First Team All-State selection in back-to-back years, 2017 and 2018 and led Manasquan to two New Jersey State Championships in 2018 and 2014.
The 5-foot-8 point guard, is the third Mabrey to play ACC basketball as her sister Marina is a guard on Notre Dame and their oldest sister Michaela also played at Notre Dame.
SHANIYA JONES
Hometown: High Point, N.C.
High School: Wesleyan Christian Academy
Position: Point Guard
Jones is an ESPN 4-star recruit and the No. 88 overall player in the class of 2018. The 5-foot-6 point guard has been lauded as one of the best play makers in the class and featured as a two-time All-State selection.
The guard was also a McDonald’s All-American nominee, leading Wesleyan to a 27-5 season in 2017-18, winning the North Carolina State Championship.
Chloe Brooks
Hometown: Harrisonburg
High School: Spotswood High School
Position: Shooting Guard
Brooks will join her older sister Kendyl on the Hokies’ roster this fall, becoming the third member of the Brooks family to take part in the women’s basketball program at Virginia Tech.
Her sophomore season, alongside Kendyl, Brooks helped Spotswood win the Virginia State Championship. In her senior season, Brooks led the Trailblazers to a 23-2 record. In her career, Brooks was named First Team All-District, Second Team All-Conference twice and was honored as the 2017 She Got Game MVP.
Coach’s comments: “I am very excited about the addition of Chloe to our Virginia Tech family. Chloe will bring a wealth of knowledge to my system and will add mental and physical toughness to our program. Multiple late night film sessions with Chloe have demonstrated an extremely high basketball IQ which will benefit our team. I’m glad Chloe is officially a Hokie.”
Trinity Baptiste
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
Previous School: Northwest Florida State
Position: Forward
Baptiste averaged 13.0 points and 8.3 rebounds at Northwest Florida, a junior college that won 24 games this past season. A versatile forward who began her career at Sam Houston State, Baptiste will have three seasons of eligibility with the Hokies.
Coach’s comments: “I’m very happy to add Trinity to our program. She will bring a toughness that is needed from our post position and she is one of the hardest working young ladies that I’ve recruited. I think she will bring a mentality that will be infectious and she will represent Hokie Nation on and off of the court in a tremendous manner.”
Alexandrine Obouh Fegue
Hometown: Paris, France
Previous School: Eastern Florida State College
Position: Center
Obouh Fegue will join the Hokies beginning in the spring semester of 2019, following her graduation from Eastern Florida State in December.
She averaged 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds this past season, leading the Titans to a 24-7 record and a runner-up finish in the FCSAA State Tournament Championship. Obouh Fegue was named D1 All-America honorable mention from the National Junior College Athletic Association
Obouh Fegue brings international experience, having competed with the French junior national teams, most recently with the U-20 squad.
Coach’s comments: “I’ve watched Alex and her progress since the day she arrived in the U.S. Her improvement has been remarkable and I think she was one of the best post players in the junior college ranks. Alex adds the ability to rebound, run the floor and score the basketball, all which will be a welcomed asset to our program. Hokie Nation will love Alex.”
