Hoos' Spotlight: Ariana Moorer

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At the conclusion of the 2010-11 women’s basketball season, then-junior Ariana Moorer (Woodbridge, Va.) was the first-ever recipient from the University of Virginia of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Sixth Player of the Year Award.

She does not want to be a repeat winner.

That’s not to say she was not honored to receive the league’s accolade given to the player that had the most impact on her team without being in the starting line-up. But it does mean Moorer is looking to take her game to the next level in her final season as a Cavalier.

“This is just me, but I don’t think anybody really likes coming off the bench,” Moorer said. “It was what it was, and with that being said every time my name was called I had to be ready and I think I did a pretty good job with it.”

Moorer has started 47 of her 100 games at UVa, and last year was the team’s leading scorer (9.7 points per game). Through three games of her senior season, she has three starts and is averaging 10.3 points per game.

With a new coaching staff in place, Moorer is eager to find continued success in the 2011-12 campaign.

“I have put more work in this summer than any other preseason,” Moorer said. “I definitely have a different mentality than past years. This is my last year; there is no tomorrow. You have to come in work hard every single day because you won’t get this time back.”

During Moorer’s time at Virginia, the Cavaliers have played in two NCAA Tournaments (2009, 2010) and last year advanced to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. Joanne Boyle begins her first season on the UVa sidelines, and expectations are high.

For her part, one of Moorer’s goals is to become a more vocal leader.

“I definitely have to be more vocal,” Moorer said. “The coaches are getting on me right now about being vocal. Even when you’re tired or when you make a mistake – you can’t worry about those things – you have to keep staying positive.”

Moorer and the ‘Hoos continue their season with a Sunday (Nov. 20) match-up against No. 3 Tennessee. Tip-off is 2 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.