HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Catawba Valley Community College’s newest women’s basketball assistant coached last season at rival Louisburg College.
Red Hawks head coach Tisha England announced Monday she’s adding Tara Carver to her coaching staff.
Carver was named an assistant coach for Louisburg’s varsity women last winter and was head coach of the women’s junior varsity team. The varsity went 26-6 and 15-5 in conference play last season.
CARVER
“I’m so excited to have Tara be a part of the CVCC family,” England said in a CVCC press release. “She brings energy, knowledge of the game and passion. I look forward to another successful season.”
A former prep standout at Kalamazoo Central (Mich.) High, Carver was a three-year varsity player for the Maroon Giants, earning all-conference honors as a senior after battling two ACL tears.
She went on to become a standout at National Association of Intercollege Athletics (NAIA) Division II Goshen College (Ind.), where she earned all-conference honors twice and made the national tournament team as a senior, leading the Maple Leafs to a Final Four.
Carver finished her collegiate career at Goshen ranked in the top 10 in scoring, field goals made and attempted, 3-point field goal percentage and free throws made and attempted.
Following her collegiate career, Carver she played semi-professionally in the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League (WBCBL) for the Grand Rapids Galaxy (Mich.).
While coaching against each other last season, Carver made an instant connection with England, which drew her interest to the CVCC position.
“I kind of felt like it was destined for us to work together,” Carver said in the press release. “I felt this was a new opportunity for me to grow as a coach and as a person as well.
“I’m pretty excited about being here. I’ve learned more in two weeks here than I have in a whole year. I’m pretty excited about it. The facilities are nice. I enjoy the school.”
Carver said she likes CVCC’s approach to athletics.
“I love how it’s really academic based here,” she said. “At most junior colleges, you don’t really see schools focusing their athletes on being academically driven.
“I really like that a lot about being here. Academics are definitely more important than athletics at the end of the day.
“I’m just excited to be here, and I’m looking forward to the season starting.”
CVCC opens the season on Oct. 31 at home against Southern Wesleyan’s JVs.
The Red Hawks have three scrimmages prior to the opener that include two at home (Oct. 18 versus Combine Academy) and against the same team at home on Oct. 26.