BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today we continue a new series called Student-Athlete Spotlight, presented by Coca-Cola, that will highlight Samford's outstanding student-athletes. Today's episode features women's basketball junior, Annie Ramil.
 
Ramil transferred to Samford after playing two seasons at Binghamton University in her hometown of Binghamton, N.Y. She talked a little about what brought her to Samford.
 
"I think I just wanted to grow as a player and just change up the way my team plays, or the team that I am on plays," Ramil said. "Obviously, I like more of a post-game, more of the high-lows and this team does that. But, it's also a very team-oriented team. Everybody wants everybody to do better and I think that is just amazing. Coach Carley (Kuhns) does amazing with that, all of the coaches do amazing with making sure that everybody wants the best for everybody. I think that is what makes this a great team."


 
Ramil talked a little about the transition she had to make after transferring to Samford.
 
"I have 40 cousins back in Binghamton, New York," Ramil said. "I was just around family a lot, my best friends are my cousins. I have an aunt that lives down here, but I think moving down here is kind of creating my own life. But, it's been a really fun ride, and I know COVID has really affected everything, but Coach Carley and the team make it fun. This team is my family down here. It's just a different thing, because at home, I felt like my team was my team and not family, but here, it's family and it's a lot of fun."
 
Ramil had lived her entire life in New York, before making the move to Alabama prior to the start of the fall semester. She talked about some of the cultural changes she has experienced as well.
 
"I would say food," Ramil said when asked what the main differences are. "The Italian in New York is a lot better. Especially where I'm from there are five Italian restaurants two or three blocks away from each other. Also, scenery and weather. Weather is a big thing. Right now, it's five inches of snow where I'm from. Last week was 40 inches, it was a lot. But, I think the food down here is pretty good, the barbecue is a lot different."
 
The Samford women's basketball program has lost four games so far this season due to COVID-19, and have had to add two new games, against Alabama-Huntsville and Birmingham-Southern, on short notice. Ramil talked about what it has been like dealing with that situation.
 
"We were kind of brought down by the fact that this happened to us," Ramil said. "But, we knew it was going to happen. It's happened to basically every team, some teams aren't even playing. But, Coach Carley and the coaching staff worked really hard to get these two games, and, this break really helped us become a better team as teammates, and getting to know each other off the court. But, getting these two games, and letting people come in who don't usually play, that was huge."
 
The most recent game, against Birmingham-Southern, saw Samford break six school records and one Southern Conference record, on its way to a 135-60 win. Ramil talked about what it was like to play in a game like that.
 
"It was just a lot of fun," Ramil said. "You know, confidence was up. People that don't usually score and are role players, were scoring. Everybody was just hyping each other up and it was just a lot of fun. I don't even know how to describe it. Audra (Leipold) went off, Katie Allen's been going off. Kat (Kathleen) Wheeler had a heck of a game. Tootie (Kiersten) Nelson, just everybody contributed in different ways, but it was just a lot of fun."