Harvey senior Dani Oddo of Cross River commits to Salve Regina

Dani Oddo Commits to Salve Regina

Harvey School senior Danielle “Dani” Oddo of Cross River has signed her letter of intent to attend Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island where she will play NCAA D3 basketball for the Seahawks in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

Oddo, who transferred to Harvey this year after helping Forman win the HVAL title last season, is the Cavs’ second-leading scorer, currently averaging 14.37 points per game with a total of 273 on the board. Her highest number in a single game was the 34 she scored at home against Master’s.

A two-time All-New England All-Star selection, two-time HVAL All-Star, two-time team MVP and leading scorer while at Forman, Oddo features solid ball-handling skills and strong 3-point shooting, along with being a dominant force under the boards. The 5’5” versatile guard/forward, has played an instrumental role in helping Harvey go from a 7-11 team last year to a squad poised to play for a league title this year. She has dedicated herself to helping Harvey bring home the championship this season. “With our senior leadership, we have a good chance to go far in the playoffs,” Oddo said. She consistently notches double figures in scoring and rebounding. She says she enjoys distributing the ball to her teammates because “we have so many scoring options.”

Harvey coach Melissa Zeffer says Oddo does so many things well on the basketball court. “Dani is such a well-rounded player - speed, strong ball handling, quick instincts, and ability to sink shots both inside and outside of the 3-point line,” said the coach. “We knew going into this season, after years of building the program, that this year would be strong, and having Dani join us was the icing on the cake,” coach Zeffer added.

Oddo, who has played organized basketball since the third grade and competed for several years on travel teams through AAU basketball, was recruited by a number of teams in the Commonwealth Coastal Conference, as well as by teams in the Empire 8 Conference, among others. She is very happy to have chosen Salve Regina, saying, “Everything just felt right, both athletically and academically. I got to attend classes and spend time with the team. The more time that I spent on campus, the more I knew Salve was the right fit.” 

On hand for the ceremonial signing Thursday, Feb. 1, in the school's athletic center were head coach Christina Binns, and coaches Zeffer and Shawn Mallon.