Merissa Quick, junior crime and delinquency major, and forward for the Emporia State lady Hornets basketball team, had as good of a freshman season as one could have asked for.

She started 29 games and was the leading rebounder and second leading scorer for the 23-9 squad and last year. In the Lady Hornets’ second exhibition game, she picked up precisely where she left off two years ago, grabbing a double-double against the University of Kansas women’s hoop squad where she was able to get 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Jory Collins, head coach, thinks her work in practice and her leadership ability is what makes her a special talent.

“Off the floor, Merissa’s biggest attributes are her work ethic and desire to get better,” said Collins. “She asks for more one on one time and individual workouts than anyone else. She had a terrific summer and got in the best shape she’s been in since she’s been here. A lot of people want to get better but not a lot of people want to do what it takes to get better, and she does.”

One of Quick’s biggest attributes, Collins said, is her ability to put pressure on the defense. The Kansas native dominates the paint with her athletic ability to consistently score on one-on-one situations. At 6’3,” she is also very hard to score against on at the other end of the court. During her career at Cheney High School, Quick averaged 14.7 points per game and nearly nine rebounds.

“Merissa has always had very good practice habits and has always led by example. This year, she’s becoming more vocal, which doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people,” Collins said. “She has matured a lot in her time here as a person and I think she’s much more focused going into her junior year. Her expectations are high for herself and our team.”

Rheanna Egli, senior guard and mathematics major, also praised Quick’s work ethic.

“The biggest key to her success is her work ethic. She improved herself so much over last summer.”

Quick was, well, quick to take the attention off of herself and reflect it back on how much her head coach has taught her and she says that the leadership is a team thing not just one individual.

“We are an older team, so we all speak up when we need to and we all listen to each other,” said Quick. “Jory has definitely taught me a lot about the game. When you come to college you think you know how to play, but I had no idea how to play defense like I do now. I’m definitely a more complete player than I was coming in.”

In life and in basketball, not much is certain or guaranteed, but one guarantee is that Quick is back and, according to her coach and teammates, better than ever.