Appleby leads WPIAL products on IUP women's basketball all-decade team

During her four years with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team through last season, Carolyn Appleby proved her worth as she helped the Crimson Hawks maximize their abilities in and out of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play.

The Greensburg Central Catholic graduate, second in program history with 1,723 points, was named the IUP Women’s Basketball Player of the Decade on Wednesday as the program announced its 2010s All-Decade Team.

The 2019 All-American, a three-time All-PSAC West selection, also finished fourth all-time with 406 assists and seventh with 168 made 3-pointers.

Appleby, a two-time PSAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, helped lead IUP to back-to-back national semifinal berths in 2018-19.

She returned to GCC this past winter as a volunteer assistant coach with the Centurions girls squad.

Decade of Dominance.

Best in the PSAC? How about one of the best in the country.

We’ve proven to be one of the top Division II programs over the last 10 seasons. #NoLimits | #TalonsUp pic.twitter.com/nianM8upXF

— IUP Women’s Basketball (@IUP_WBB) April 28, 2020

Appleby and nine other players were placed on first and second teams through votes from the IUP sports information office, the coaching staff and local basketball media.

Another WPIAL product, North Catholic graduate Laurel Wolosik (2015-19), joins Appleby on the first team. The three-time All-PSAC West selection recorded 530 career assists, the most in program history, and also owns the single-season mark of 175 set in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Second-team selections include Leslie Stapleton (Indiana High School) from 2011-16, Lexi Griggs (Vincentian) from 2016-20, Ashley Stoner (Thomas Jefferson) from 2011-15, and Marita Mathe (Indiana) from 2011-15.

Stapleton, a first-team All-PSAC West honoree in 2016, is the IUP leader with 218 3-pointers made and an 88.5 career percentage from the free throw line.

Griggs earned 2020 PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year as well as first-team All-PSAC West recognition. She’s fourth all-time in career field goal percentage at 54.8.

Stoner picked up second-team All-PSAC West laurels in 2015 and is second all-time at IUP with an 82.3 career free-throw percentage.

Mathe, a second-team All-PSAC West selection in 2013, ranks third all-time with 184 3-pointers.

IUP, in the decade of the 2010s, collected the most wins of any PSAC team with 241, while its .793 overall win percentage ranks eighth highest of any Division II program.

The Crimson Hawks, in addition to their two national semifinal appearances, won four PSAC West regular-season titles, two conference tournament championships and two Atlantic Regional titles.