Sierra Tapley commits to play for Maine Black Bears
Dynamic MDI guard becomes the first Firecracker to head to Orono
Maine Firecracker and Mt Desert Island standout Sierra Tapley decided today she would make her college decision. The dynamic 5’7″ guard had offers from St. Anselm, Assumption, and Merrimack of the Northeast 10 and was also being heavily courted by Army and Bryant but in the end the opportunity to play in her home state near family led her to accept a four year scholarship to the University of Maine at Orono.
Tapley was the Big East Player of the Year and was a Bangor Daily News 3rd Team All-State selection. She and fellow Firecracker Kelsey Shaw (together known as the “Downeast Duo”) led MDI to an 18-0 regular season record while scoring 16.3 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.5 steals per game. After being coached by Mike Nelson’s regional Firecracker team last season, she was moved up to the National team in July, where she helped her team to a U.S. Jr Nationals Silver Division Championship.
Firecracker Coach Brian Clement believes Tapley will make an impact at Maine, “Sierra has excellent handles and is a gifted scorer but what seperates her is her will to succeed and her work ethic. She drives 3 hours each way to practice even when it’s optional and is always disappointed when practice is over- she’s got a bad case of gymratitis. Her energy is contagious and she is a great teammate. I am so proud of her and very happy to see her hard work pay off. I am also excited to have our first Firecracker playing for our home state.”
Maine coach Richard Barron recently finished his third season at the helm in Orono, where he orchestrated a remarkable turnaround by winning 13 more games than the prior season. Maine finished 17-15 and was rewarded with a WNIT tournament birth. Tapley will join fellow Mainers Parise Rossignol and Maddy McVicar on the Black Bear roster. The versatile guard becomes the 14th member of the Firecracker program in the last three years to be offered a scholarship.