DeLand, Fla. – Picking up additions from a short way up I-95 and from across the Atlantic Ocean, Stetson University Head Women’s Basketball Coach Lynn Bria is proud to announce the signings of guards Mairead McNally (Belfast, N. Ireland) and Dashauna Truss (Jacksonville, Fla.) to National Letters of Intent.  McNally, a transfer from Northeast Community College, will be a junior next season while Truss will be a freshman.

McNally, whose first name is pronounced Mare-RADE, comes to Stetson from Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska where she helped lead Head Coach Matt Svehla’s Hawks to a 51-13 record and two conference championships over the last two seasons.  A two-time honorable mention All-Conference and All-Region IX Tournament Team selection, the 5’9” McNally averaged 7.9 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game as a freshman in 2007-08 and 5.9 points, 3.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game this past season as a sophomore.

In addition to her junior college experience, McNally has represented Ireland at the Under-16 and Under-20 levels of the European Championships, garnering 30 international caps (games played).  Before coming to the United States, McNally played basketball, soccer and Gaelic football at Our Lady and St. Patrick’s College Knock and club basketball for Ulster Rockets and Belfast Star.  Her teams were extremely successful, winning All-Ireland championships at two different levels and making the finals at a third level.  She was named the 2007 All-Ireland Player of the Year.

The daughter of Tom and Theresa McNally was born November 19, 1988 in Belfast and intends to major in Biology at Stetson University.  A fan of Manchester United and the Boston Celtics, she was also recruited by the University of San Francisco.

“Mairead will come in and play the point some for us, but she’s also versatile enough to slide over to the wing,” said Bria.  “Her fundamentals are really solid so I anticipate that she’ll contribute immediately.  Mairead plays hard, she’s extremely tough and I know that her international experience will prove invaluable for us.”

Truss will graduate this spring from Potter’s House Christian Academy in Jacksonville, where she is the team captain and an honor roll student for Head Coach Tony Bannister.  Bannister is also her AAU coach with the Jacksonville Lady Rams.  A 5’8” guard, Truss has been part of a top-tier PHCA squad for the last three seasons, leading the Lions deep into the state tournament as well as the NCSAA national tournaments the last two years, also garnering a National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) All-Tournament Team award.

The daughter of James Truss, Jr. and Renee McGraw was born August 22, 1991 in Queens, N.Y.  She intends to study Elementary Education and was also recruited by Minnesota, Jacksonville and Florida A&M.  Her first name is prounced day-SHAWN-a.

“Dashauna comes from an outstanding high school program where she has played against some of the best high school players in the country and for one of the best prep coaches around,” Coach Bria said.  “I know that she’ll have a great career here.  Dashauna will also play the point and see some time on the wing as well.  She’s very athletic and will fit in very well to our system.  Overall, we were very fortunate to get both players into our program.”

McNally and Truss are just a small part of the revamping of Stetson Women’s Basketball by Coach Bria, who recently completed her first season with team at 8-22 overall and 5-15 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.  The 2009-10 Hatters will feature eight new faces, just four active players returning from this season’s squad and only one senior.