(October 2, 2006) ?C Nettie Respondek, a former standout at Vanderbilt University, was named assistant women??s basketball coach at Fordham University it was announced today by head coach Cathy Andruzzi. Respondek joins assistant coaches Kira Orr and Dionne Dodson on Andruzzi??s staff. ??We are pleased to have Nettie on our staff,?? said Andruzzi. ??Nettie comes to us with a good basketball foundation being under the tutelage of Coach Jim Foster as a player at Vanderbilt University.?? Respondek joins the staff after a successful basketball career at Vanderbilt University, where she helped Vanderbilt to two NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances, as well as one trip to the NCAA Elite Eight. Playing at Vanderbilt from 1994-99, she was a four-year starter, playing both point guard and shooting guard, and led the Commodores in assists in 1996-97 and in three-pointers in 1997-98. She also served as a team co-captain, was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times, and received the 1997 Vanderbilt Spirit Award for women??s basketball. While at Vanderbilt, she worked at a number of Vanderbilt Summer camps, serving as counselor and camp director. She managed the adult counselors and coordinated daily activities and camp schedules for five summer camps in Nashville, Tennessee. Away from the court, Respondek worked as an intern at the Women??s Basketball Coaches Association in Atlanta in 1997, where she planned activities for summer camps and scheduled trips for WBCA executives. Following her time at Vanderbilt, Respondek received her first coaching experience at the high school ranks, where she coached at Owattona High School in Owattona, Minnesota. She helped the boys?? team to an 11-win improvement from four wins to 15 wins in her one season at Owattona. In addition to the start of her coaching career, Respondek still found the time to participate in the 2006 Empire State Games, where as captain of the Manhattan team, she led the team in scoring, and helped them to a silver medal. A 1998 graduate of Vanderbilt, Respondek received a Bachelors?? degree in Business Development from the school before going on to earn a Masters?? degree in Counseling Psychology, also from Vanderbilt in 2000. Founded in 1841, Fordham is New York City??s Jesuit University. With 22 men??s and women??s varsity sports teams, the Fordham Rams are members of the NCAA Division I and compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track, women??s rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis and volleyball and in the Patriot League (NCAA I-AA) for football. TRANSACTIONS: Fordham - Names Nettie Respondek assistant women??s basketball coach.