Welcome Back Jacinta Vandenberg

The Nunawading Spectres have announced that they will be returning 6’5” Australian Jacinta Vandenberg for the 2020 NBL1 season, adding to the Spectres frontcourt signing of import Schaquilla Nunn earlier this week.

Vandenberg last played for the Spectres in the 2018 season before moving to Italian club Andros Palermo followed by a season with the Rockhampton Cyclones.

“I’m super excited to be returning to Nunawading,” Vandenberg said.

“The team had such an amazing year last year and I can’t wait to grow and extend on that. I love the culture that Nunawading has built from their domestic competitions and junior representative teams, right through to their senior program and NBL1 teams.”

“I can’t wait to get back into the gym with this amazing group of girls and wonderful coaching staff.”

Returning Vandenberg was a logical choice for Spectres Head Coach Paul Flynn, the opportunity to add a player back into the program that possessed an existing on court chemistry with other members of the roster too good to pass up.

“It’s great to welcome Jacinta back into the team at Nunawading,” Flynn commented.

“I’ve known Jacinta now for almost 10 years and what she’ll bring to the table for us. Back in 2018 she anchored the defensive end and offered great rim protection. She facilitates well out of the post and along with Schaquilla, presents another strong post target for us to work off.”

“We would have loved to have brought her back last season but the overlap with her Italian season and our need to have a frontcourt in place at the beginning of last NBL1 season just didn’t allow for that to happen. We’re excited that everything has aligned once again and I’m looking forward to what Jacinta can help us achieve in 2020.”

Vandenberg proved to be one of the league’s premier interior defenders when she last suited for the Spectres in 2018, a year she helped guide her team through to a Preliminary Final appearance. A genuine post with an ability to stretch the floor, Vandenberg graduated from the University of Oregon and brings international experience (Germany and Italy) to join Izzy Chilcott, Rachel Antoniadou, Rachel Brewster and Schaquilla Nunn as Nunawading’s confirmed signings ahead of the NBL1 season.

In 2020, the Spectres are set to play 11 home game double-headers (women’s / men’s) at The Graveyard – Nunawading Basketball Centre, with the season scheduled to start in April.