HACKENSACK, N.J. – Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball head coach Angelika Szumilo announced four student-athletes have signed their National Letters of Intent (NLI).

Expected to join the Knights for the 2021-22 campaign are Ella Fajardo, Allie McGinn, Miranda Elebring, and Maddisyn Mahoney. Fajardo is a guard from Bergenfield, N.J., McGinn is a forward from Staten Island, N.Y., Elebring is a forward from Sweden, and Mahoney is a center from Latham, N.Y.

"We are very excited about this class and I applaud my assistant coaches for their hard work," stated Coach Szumilo. "All four of our future Knights will bring a lot of intangible and tangible skills our team needs as we continue to grow as a program."

Fajardo currently plays for the Gill St. Bernard's School in New Jersey and averaged 13.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals in 26 games last season. She played alongside current FDU freshman Devyn Scott. The senior is nearing the 1,000 point-mark after her first three seasons. The guard has also been a member of the Philippine National Team that earned a bronze medal in the 2019 FIBA U18 3x3 Asia Cup and finished eighth in the 2019 U18 FIBA 3x3 World Cup. She has also earned First Team All-Skyland Conference honors as a junior and Second Team All-Skyland Conference as a sophomore. She also plays for the New Jersey Sparks and was on the EYBL 16u and 17u teams. Off the floor, she has qualified for first honors throughout high school. Fajardo intends to study Biology at FDU.

"Ella is a prototypical guard with great basketball IQ," said Coach Szumilo. "She can shoot in a variety of ways, distribute the ball, and plays with a lot of confidence on both ends. Ella will also bring a lot of maturity on and off the court as soon as she gets on campus. She possesses tremendous leadership qualities and we look forward to Ella becoming one of the leaders of our program in the future."

McGinn is a captain and plays wing for Staten Island Academy. She averaged 15.0 points, 5.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds as a junior and was named Girls Varsity Basketball Team MVP. McGinn also plays for the New Jersey Scoreshots AAU Team and a four-year player on the varsity soccer team. Off the court, McGinn has been named a Scholar-Athlete, is a three-year member of the National Honor Society, a one-year member of the National Junior Honor Society and the National Latin Honor Society. Both of her parents played Division III College Basketball at The College of Staten Island. McGinn plans to study Biology at FDU.

"Allie is a 5'11 wing with the ability to post up smaller defenders," stated Coach Szumilo. "She can get to the basket, knock down an open shot all while being able to defend multiple positions. Just like Maddy and Ella, Allie is a blue-collar player who has proven herself to be a tough and physical player. She comes from very good high school and AAU programs, and we look forward to Allie bringing her winning attitude here."

Elebring plays for Marks Gymnasiekola in Sweden and is a member of the Swedish u18 National Team. She averaged 13.1 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game as a junior. Her 14.4 rebounds per contest ranked first among all players in the Swedish league. When Elebring was a member of the u17 National Team, she helped guide them to a Bronze Medal at the National Championships during the 2018-19 season. She is also a member of Mark Basket's AAU Team. Elebring intends to study Physical Therapy at FDU.

"Miranda is a 6'1 forward from Sweden who possesses an excellent ability to track down any rebound on both ends of the court," said Coach Szumilo. "She is a hustle and physical player who can defend multiple positions. Miranda can post up, drive, and is a threat from the outside. She is playing in the top Swedish division this year against older and more experienced professional players. This will only help her grow her game to a new level. We are excited for Miranda's arrival."

Mahoney plays for Shaker High School and averaged 10.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game as a junior. She recorded seven double-doubles across 22 games. Mahoney also plays AAU basketball for the New York Havoc. She has been named to the Averill Park All-Tournament Team, a Section 2 2nd Team All-Star, and a Suburban Council 3rd Team All-Star. Off the court, she is a member of the Suburban Council Leadership Summit Representative and has made the honor roll. Mahoney plans to study Psychology at FDU.

"Maddisyn is a 6'2 center who is going to provide an abundance of toughness and strong interior presence on both ends," stated Coach Szumilo. "She is a very physical forward who thrives off getting stops on the defensive end. Maddisyn has an infectious personality with a team first mentality and is going to fit very well with our team."

"They are not only very good basketball players but more importantly are great young ladies with high character and integrity," added Coach Szumilo. The Knights are scheduled to begin their season on Monday, November 25 when they travel to Manhattan to face the Jaspers.