Blue White Illustrated

| W hen she entered the transfer portal after three seasons at Villanova, there was one call in particular that Kelly Jekot hoped she would receive. Jekot wanted to hear from new Penn State coach Carolyn Kieger. While playing for the Wildcats, Jekot had watched from afar as Kieger trans- formed one of their Big East rivals, Mar- quette, into a conference title contender and an NCAA tournament participant. So when Kieger left in April 2019 to take over Penn State's program, Jekot didn't have any hesitation about joining a team that had struggled in recent years. She had liked the glimpses she saw of Kieger's previous program and was confident that the Lady Lions were headed in a similar direction. "When I went into the transfer portal, I had Penn State in the back of my mind," Jekot said. "I thought, I hope she calls, because I would love to be a part of that. Even though Penn State didn't have a great record the past couple of years, I'm a Pennsylvania native, and I know what the school is all about. I originally wanted to come here as a high schooler, and when I heard that Coach Kieger was the head coach, that was my main draw to this campus." Kieger did call, and Jekot transferred to Penn State last January. She was on the sideline for the last two months of the Lady Lions' season, unable to play be- cause of a serious knee injury that she had suffered in her final game with Vil- lanova. But she's in the lineup now and was one of the keys to Penn State's hot start in nonconference play. Through four games, the 6-foot-0 guard was averaging 14.8 points to lead the Lady Lions and was also tied for the team lead at 7.5 rebounds per game. Boosting those averages were dou- ble-doubles against Coppin State and St. Francis, the second and third of her col- lege career. Against Coppin State, Jekot also went over 1,000 points for her career. Now in her second season at PSU, Kieger was thrilled to be able to bring in a veteran player like Jekot, especially with so little experience elsewhere on her team. The Lady Lions have eight freshmen this sea- son, and only three players on the current roster saw action last year. The abundance of youth makes Jekot's experience, partic- ularly her NCAA tournament experience, that much more important. "I coached against Kelly for three years, and I feel very fortunate to be in the gym with her every day and having an oppor- tunity to coach her," Kieger said. "She's been a joy. She's playing the best basket- ball of her life. She stretches the floor and has the ability to attack off the bounce and get in the paint. Her basketball IQ is off the charts, and that's been a differ- ence-maker for our young squad." Jekot grew up in a hoops-loving family in Enola, Pa., just outside of Harrisburg. Her parents were both varsity athletes at Lock Haven University, her father playing basketball and her mother field hockey. John and Jennifer Jekot passed their pas- sion for sports on to their four daughters, partly by bringing them to games at the Bryce Jordan Center. "I came and watched Talor Battle and the men's team play," Kelly said, "and I came and watched Mag- gie Lucas and the women's team play." Jekot scored 2,141 points in her high school career, leading Cumberland Valley to three consecutive Class AAAA state championships and twice winning Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year honors. She had Penn State in her top two when she was being recruited but decided that Villanova was a better fit. With the Wildcats, she was an immedi- ate success, winning Philadelphia Big Five Rookie of the Year honors while helping lead the team to the second round of the WNIT. A year later, she started 32 games, averaging 11.2 points and earning second- team All-Big Five notice, as the Wildcats reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. As a junior, she upped her averages to 13.8 points and 4.6 rebounds and was named first-team All-Big Five. But at the Big East tournament in March 2019, in the final minute of a quarterfinal game against Georgetown, Jekot's knee gave out while she was trying to plant her right leg, and a defender collided with her from behind. She had to leave the game after scoring 15 points. Afterward, her fa- ther tried to cheer her up, telling her that maybe it was just a sprain. It wasn't. "I went down with my ACL, my meniscus, my LCL, my MCL," she recalled. "It was everything." Jekot's recovery was complicated by her move to Penn State, as it meant that she had to adapt to a new training staff with a different rehab process. But she was able to use her time away from the court pro- ductively, learning about the Big Ten while watching from the sideline last sea- son. During the quarantine this past spring, Jekot practiced with her three sisters, two of whom have their own ties to the Big Five. Katie plays for St. Joseph's, while Julie recently signed a letter of intent with La Salle. "We were in the driveway every single day, working on our game," Jekot said. "Just staying fit was the main prior- ity for us, so it was helpful that we had each other." Jekot has hopes of playing profession- ally, and she said she's confident that Kieger and her staff can help her reach the next level, whenever the time comes to make that leap. She came to Penn W O M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L FEELING RIGHT AT HOME Transfer guard Kelly Jekot finds a perfect fit with new-look Lady Lions

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