Last year, sophomore forward Hanna Crymble started every game and led the women’s basketball team in points and rebounds. It was her first season on the team.

Crymble was awarded the America East Conference Rookie of the Week four times that year and qualified for the All-Rookie team.

This season looks no different.

This year Crymble has started every game, and leads the team in both points and rebounds. On top of that she won the America East Conference player of the week after an incredible 37 point performance.

Crymble’s career started when she was in second grade over ten years ago, she said.

She joined a recreational team, and started as a point guard, Crymble said.

“[But,] at that age anybody with any basketball skill is a point guard,” she said.

Now, at six-foot-three, Crymble is a forward. In the paint, she hustles for every rebound, and is not afraid to shoot from both mid-range and on the post.

She mentioned that entering the game in the right mindset as important to her success in the past two seasons.

She stressed the importance of hard work and aggressive yet smart basketball, which can be observed not only in her play, but from the whole team.

Speaking about this season, she said that “team chemistry is going really well.” Crymble considers herself “fortunate” for this.

“Not a lot of Division I basketball teams get along very well,” Crymble said, “but UVM is different. We are like a family here.”

This, even though it seems like the exact opposite of a problem, has almost become one.

“We used to not get scruffy in practice,” Crymble said.

But they are working on separating their on and off court lives.

“We are starting to get scrappy in practice and making each other better,” she said.

Head coach Chris Day also helps the team work together and play hard.

“He’s always on our side,” Crymble said. “He’s very passionate about what he does.

After the team’s most recent loss to the University of New Hampshire, their record dropped to 5-13, but Crymble is confident that the unit is on the upswing.

“It’s looking up from here,” she said.

There are 10 games left in the season. The remainder of the matchups are all America East divisionals, the next being Wednesday Jan. 24 against the University at Albany.