MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s basketball team welcomes six newcomers to its lineup for the 2011-12 season.  Over the course of the summer, usajaguars.com is sitting down with the incoming players so that fans have an opportunity to get to know each of them off the court.  The fourth in the series is Rachel Cumbo a 5-9 guard from Westside High School in Houston, Texas.

This past season, Cumbo was named first-team all-district after averaging 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds. 2.5 assists and 3.1 steals per game and helping lead WHS to a second-place finish in its conference with a 26-11 record. After a solid senior campaign, Cumbo was selected to participate in the Greater Houston Area All-Star Game held during the spring where she recorded nine points.  She also earned honorable mention all-district honors during her sophomore season.   As a senior, she also excelled in the class room, earning Houston ISD (Independent School District) first-team all-academic honors.

Where do you call home?
“Houston, Texas is where I call home.  I have always lived there.”

What line of work are your parents in?
“My dad is a football coach and a part-time basketball for the school he works at – St. Joseph’s High School. It’s a private school.  My mom owns a restaurant.”

What led to your decision to play at South Alabama?
“The coaches.  I love the coaching staff here.  The players also just made it feel like home.”

What are you majoring in here at South Alabama and what do you are plan on doing after graduation?
“I came here wanting to go into sports marketing, but having worked with our trainer Megan (Harper), I’ve found that I like physical therapy too.  If I can minor in that, I might also do that.”

How has the transition from high school life to college life been for you?
“It’s kind of like I expected, but a little more intense.  Especially with the work outs and weight lifting.  In high school, we never lifted weights.  In college, that’s all we have been doing in the early mornings.  The classes here at USA are also longer and require more work.  You have to actually do outside reading on your own.”

Has there been an upper classman that you have sought out advice from to help with that transition?
“Yes.  Mansa (El), who is like my big sister, has helped me out a lot as far as giving me advice on how to work with my professors.  She told me to make sure I communicate with them and stay on the same page with them.  As far as everything else, she just told me to always work hard and the results will pay off.”

With three freshmen on the team with each of you here for the first term, how have you three gotten along?
“When I first met Amanda (Toliver) I had no idea about her personality.  She came off as someone who was quiet and normal, but I’ve since found out that she is definitely not quiet.  Breanna (Hall) reminds me a lot of my sister, so that bond is good.”

Who is your favorite basketball player to watch, college or pro?  What about their game do you like?
“Derrick Rose.  He is always so calm and he never gets rattled.  He is also a great leader.  Those are two things I try to imitate in my game.”

What do you believe to be a strength to your game?
“I would say shooting and rebounding.  I am really aggressive both on the offensive and defensive glass.”

How many siblings do you have?  Do they play any sports?
“I have an older brother and an older sister.  My brother just turned 23 and my sister turned 19 in May.  Neither of them play sports so they look up to me, surprisingly.”

Who would you say has had the biggest impact on your life, either as a person or as a player? Why?
“My dad.  He taught me that life isn’t about me and if you want something, you have to go get it.  Nothing is going to come to you.  You have to work hard for it.  He’s also big on being disciplined.”

Do you have any other talents other than playing basketball?
“I played volleyball from sixth grade to 10th grade, but I stopped so I could focus on basketball.  I was a middle blocker and loved it.  If I could play both, I would, but I have to focus on one and basketball is it.”

Who was the main assistant coach at USA to recruit you?  Describe your relationship with that coach during the recruiting process.
“Coach (Aisha) Stewart.  I like how she opened our relationship up.  It wasn’t strictly just a coach and player relationship.  It was more like a friend and she was there any time I needed to talk to her.  I could just call her or text her.”

What other schools did you have offers from or recruited you?
“U of H (Houston), Howard, Wichita State, Tulsa, Memphis, Boston College, San Diego State, Northern Arizona all recruited me.”

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

OFF THE COURT WITH...
Kierra Johnson
Camille Reynolds
Breanna Hall
Rachel Cumbo
Amanda Toliver
Jennifer Johnson

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