Now she's an Eagle: Eustis' Cerina Rolle signs with Florida Gulf Coast

EUSTIS — Cerina Rolle has been a standout ever since she stepped foot on the basketball court and in the classroom at Eustis High School.

And the 5-foot-9 senior forward/center recently earned the ultimate reward for her athletic and academic efforts.

Rolle signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. This season, the Eagles are 7-1 and ranked No. 22 in the nation in the latest USA Today coaches poll.

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“Florida Gulf Coast University had the major I’m interested in, along with a great environment to lean and grow as an individual,” said Rolle. “The athletic department itself was super supportive of women’s basketball and has really invested into the greatness of the program. I wouldn’t want anything other than the abundance of support the university has to offer.

“FGCU definitely felt like a home away from home.”

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Rolle led Eustis to a 14-7 record in 2020-21 and a 49-24 overall mark in her three full seasons with the Panthers. As a junior, Rolle paced the Panthers in scoring (13.7 points per game), rebounding (6.4), and steals (3.5).

She averaged 12.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.1 steals and 3.7 assists per game as a sophomore.

Rolle burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2018-19 by averaging a double-double — scoring 15.2 points and pulling down 11.8 rebounds per game. She was named to the Daily Commercial All-Area First Team as a freshman and junior, and earned Second Team honors as a sophomore.

In addition to her athletic prowess, Rolle also ranks among the top 20 students in the Class of 2022 at Eustis and is an honor roll student. At FGCU, she plans to major in exercise science.

For the bulk of her high school career, Rolle played primarily both forward positions as well as center. At FGCU, she will make the switch to guard.

Eagles coach Karl Smesko is confident Rolle can handle the change in position.

“Cerina is a great athlete and a versatile basketball player,” said Smesko. “She is strong and fast. She can drive hard to the rim and hit the three. Most importantly, she has a strong work ethic and a desire to improve.”

Eustis is off to a 2-2 start this season and Rolle is averaging 14 points, nine rebounds, five steals, four assists and one block per game.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Girls basketball: Eustis High's Cerina Rolle signs with Florida Gulf Coast