OREGON HOMECOMING
Junior Vonleh eager for trip back to old stomping grounds
When Aaronette Vonleh was in high school, her family grew accustomed to seeing her dominate on the basketball court.
Those opportunities don’t come around often now that she’s in college, but Vonleh is looking forward to playing near home this weekend when she and the third-ranked Colorado women’s basketball team takes a trip to Oregon.
CU (16-2, 6-1 Pac-12) will visit No. 25 Oregon State on Friday and Oregon on Sunday.
“My mom, sister and grandma will all be there, so that will be nice,” Vonleh, a 6-foot-3 junior center, said. “That’s usually the only games that they’re really able to get to easily. And I have a bunch of friends out there, so it’s just nice to be able to go home for a little bit.
“Just to see my friends and family and to have them be proud of what I’ve been able to do, yeah it’s nice.”
At West Linn High School, located about 20 minutes south of Portland, Vonleh averaged 17.1 points and 7.5 rebounds as a junior and was an ESPN Top 100 recruit.
During her freshman year at Arizona, Vonleh didn’t get into the games when the Wildcats made the Oregon trip, but last year with the Buffs, she was a starter. She posted 22 points and eight rebounds at Oregon and eight points and three boards at OSU.
With the Buffs leaving for the Big 12 this summer, this might be Vonleh’s last time playing in her home state, but her family and friends will get an opportunity to see her at her best. Vonleh is leading the Buffs with 14.4 points per game and also is posting career-best numbers for rebounds (4.8 per game), assists (1.9 per game) and field goal percentage (.615).
“I think it’s huge, especially for Aaronette,” CU head coach JR Payne said of her players having opportunities to go home. “She and her mom are really close and her mom is always watching and cheering, but to be able to be there in person is really big. Old teammates I’m sure will come, and coaches; just people that have grown up loving the Netty of high school, but also really loving to watch her thrive and grow and become this player that everyone who knows her knew she was capable of becoming. It’s really special for people to be able to see that in person.”
Vonleh said she doesn’t really pay attention to family and friends being in the crowd until the game is over, but going to OSU’S Gill Coliseum and Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena brings back memories.
“My high school team would go to a few games and they usually do the camps in the summer and we’d go to those, too,” she said. “It’s kind of weird thinking I used to be a camper in this building and now I’m playing against them. It’s crazy to think about.”
Vonleh’s main thoughts, of course, will be on helping the Buffs win. On Friday, that means battling against Beavers star Raegan Beers. The 6-foot-4 sophomore center from Valor Christian High School has been one of the best post players in the country this season, with 19.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.
She is third in the Pac12 in scoring, first in rebounds and tied for first with 12 double-doubles.
“It’s always a tough competition, tough matchup,” Vonleh said of facing Beers. “We’ve both gotten a lot better I think this year, too, so it’ll be nice to see what the game is like this year. She’s really young and having such an impact on the game. She’s always been physical, but she’s even more physical and she’s able to knock down 15-footers now.”
Vonleh impacts the game quite a bit, too, and she’s looking forward to having a big weekend.
“It’s just been fun to see how much more comfortable I am this year and not as hesitant or unsure of myself,” she said. “It’s kind of nice to just play and have fun and feel free.”