By Joseph Staszewski
Coming to her team’s rescue in a time of need helped Alexa [Weazel] Dietrich land at the college she loved from the start.
In May, the Molloy senior point guard needed to step up for her NYC Bulldogs travel team with Stanners teammate Amani Tatum not at the game. The Bulldogs faced highly-recruited Ossining guard Saniya Chong and her Hudson River Breeze squad at the Pre-Mothers Day Shootout at Pace University. Dietrich more than held her own, she didn’t get frazzled and ran the offense to perfection. She earned the win against the longer and more athletic Chong in front of the Pace coaches.
“For them to see me during that game keep my composure is really good,” Dietrich said.
From that point on, she was at the top of Setters recruiting list, and they had been her top pick all long. Dietrich made it official last weekend, verbally committing to the Northeast-10 school on her visit. She picked Pace and coach Carrie Seymour over Assumption College. She will join from Mary Louis standout Brianna Harris and St. Peter’s Victoria Jones at the Division II school.
“They want me to come in there, and they want to put the ball in my hands,” Dietrich said. “I know that I’ll have a starting spot. That’s a great think to know.”
Molloy coach Scott Lagas added, “I think both Pace and Alexa came out winners in this situation.”
Dietrich cited her relationship with the coaching staff and watching them interact with their players as big reasons why she felt comfortable at Pace. She was also looking for a school that was close to home so she can visit her family and one with a good environmental studies and biology programs. Pace is just an hour away.
The pass-first Dietrich is one of the city most underrated players. Her game is minus the flash that garners headlines, but her effectiveness is never in question. She is a strong defender and a point guard who can run an offense and fully understands the importance of tempo. Dietrich helped Molloy to the state Federation Class A title as a sophomore and to the CHSAA Class AA semifinals last season.
“She is a true point guard always looking to find the open girl,” said Bulldogs and former Molloy coach Tom Catalanotto. “She is always trying to get her teammates involved.”
That’s the skill set that attracted Pace staff to Dietrich and earned her a scholarship in setting, which she felt was exactly what she was looking for.
“That was the main goal, getting the full ride to college,” Dietrich said. “It’s an amazing feeling.”
