Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place in Washington, DC this weekend and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD will be covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our series with Northeastern dancer Lexie Vasciannie as she talked about being a high school valedictorian and going to Salt Lake City for last year’s NCAA tourney.
You were valedictorian of your high school class: how do you balance your work in the classroom with all of your other activities? I try to schedule everything in advance and have a plan/calendar for when everything is. I enjoy dancing but am also in a sorority and a pre-dental club so I try to maintain all of my commitments.
You grew up in New York: what made you choose Northeastern? I grew up near Buffalo in a small city so I wanted to be in a bigger city. Boston feels like home: not too big and not too small. My brother went here so that made it an easier decision.
You are a biology major: what do you want to do after graduation? I also have a business/psychology minor and am in the process of applying to dental schools. I worked in a pediatric dental office as well as at Tufts Dental School.
What was the atmosphere like on campus last week now that your team is ready to defend its tourney title from last year? Everyone was really excited to see us begin our journey again. Senior Night was really special and we want to continue that momentum.
What has been your favorite moment so far this season: beating Harvard, Senior Night, other? Senior Night: it is always nice to see my friends at their final game and watch all of their families come out to support them.
How did you 1st get into dancing, and what is the best part of being on the dance team? I 1st started dancing when I was 2 years old. I looked into different dance team websites, tried out, and was so excited to make the team. We do a lot of things together at practices/games as well as outside sports and really support each other.
Will we see your group doing anything extra-special for the CAA Tournament this week? Yes: we prepared a special routine that incorporates our cheer team/mascot, which is an important thing for us to do.
What do you think the role of a college dance team is today? I think the role is to cheer on the team on but we also maintain the energy during timeouts/halftime while keeping the crowd entertained.
How does your school decide who gets to go to DC, and what does it mean to you to see your group doing their thing in front of a national TV audience? The same 6 girls are going to the men’s and women’s tourneys this year. The coach chose us based on several factors including leadership/performance/availability. We want to put on our best performance and put our best foot forward in representing our school.
What are your memories of your team’s postseason run last March (you had an 8-PT win over Hofstra in the CAA tourney title game, then flew to Salt Lake City for the NCAA tourney before losing to Kansas)? I watched the Hofstra game from home and was very excited when they won. I did get to go to Salt Lake City and it was an amazing opportunity. Everyone at the game as well as those of us back home were excited.
Any predictions for tonight’s game vs. Elon, and if your team makes it to the title game tomorrow then do you think a lot of fans might come down from Boston to check it out in person? I hope we bring the same energy tonight that we did last night. If they make it to the title game I think more fans might come down like they did in Charleston last March.
