QU Women's Basketball Overseas Update: Nikoline Ostergaard
10/27/2015 2:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HAMDEN, Connecticut – Although the collegiate careers of some former Quinnipiac Bobcats are finished, four members of the Class of 2015 are currently playing professionally overseas. Among the Bobcats' six-player senior class last season: Gillian Abshire, Samantha Guastella, Nikoline Ostergaard and Val Driscoll are all currently playing for professional teams in Europe. Today's release continues our semi-weekly overseas updates, featuring the start of Nikoline Ostergaard's professional career in Denmark.
Nikoline Ostergaard '15 – Virum Vipers (Danish Women's Professional League)
Playing in her home country in the Danish Women's Professional League (Dameligaen), Nikoline Ostergaard has been one of the top all-around players in all of Denmark through the first two weeks of the season for her new team Virum. Through three games, Ostergaard has flashed the sort of all-around ability Bobcat fans saw throughout her four-year career as a Bobcat as she is averaging close to a triple-double with 16.7 points (2nd on the team), 10 rebounds (2nd) and seven assists (1st) across a team-leading 39.7 minutes per game. Born and raised in her native Denmark, Ostergaard's 'Euro' moves in the post are being utilized to their full capabilities as she is shooting a blistering 61.3 percent (19-31 FG) from the floor and 85.7 percent (12-14 FT) at the free throw line through the early portion of the season.
Sharing the court with her Quinnipiac teammate Val Driscoll '15, the former Bobcat duo are leading the way for Virum as the Vipers currently stand in the upper half of the Dameligaen standings, tied with three teams for second place. In her debut game with Virum, Ostergaard tallied a double-double 16 points (5-9 FG, 6-6 FT) and 12 assists to go along with seven rebounds as Virum defeated SISU Copenhagen, 78-63. She followed that up with a similar line of 16 points (7-11 FG) 12 rebounds and six assists in a win over BK Amager and most recently she posted her second double-double of 2015 with 18 points (7-11 FG), 11 rebounds and three assists.
The 2014-15 All-MAAC Third Teamer recently caught up with the sports information staff of Quinnipiac Athletics, answering our recurring five question long Q & A section of the women's basketball overseas update.
QUESTION & ANSWER: NIKOLINE OSTERGAARD
Tell us about your favorite food in your new/old home?
"My favorite food in Denmark is the traditional Christmas dish called Flaeskesteg (roast pork with crackling) followed by rice pudding for dessert. My Grandma made me this traditional Christmas dish as kind of a welcome home when I arrived back in Demark. This food is the staple of Danish Christmas but is delicious year-round."
What is the biggest difference between the professional game and college?
"The biggest difference I've noticed between the professional and collegiate game thus far is the 24 second shot clock as opposed to the 30 second in women's NCAA basketball. This six seconds might not seem like much of a difference but it really get the game going much faster by getting the offense into their sets quicker. And when you add the six-second difference up over the course of the game, you end up with quite a few more possessions."
What're you enjoying most about the culture back home?
"The thing I'm enjoying most about Danish culture back home is soccer. I really missed how soccer is a way of life in Europe. You really don't get anything close to that in the United States for soccer. I've already been to a couple games at Parken this season, where I grew up watching FC Co."
What advice would you give any collegiate athlete thinking about playing professionally in Europe?
"I would tell any collegiate athlete who is considering playing professionally to definitely take advantage of the opportunity to play in Europe. Not only do we get to see and experience so much of the new culture but it is the perfect start to the transformation from collegiate athlete to a future career in the sport I love."
What has been the biggest lifestyle change after growing up in the United States?
"The biggest lifestyle change I've noticed after spending the last few years in the United States is readapting to reading and writing in Danish. Even my spoken Danish got a little rusty while in America but my reading and writing skills definitely need some polishing."
Nikoline Ostergaard '15 – Virum Vipers (Danish Women's Professional League)
Playing in her home country in the Danish Women's Professional League (Dameligaen), Nikoline Ostergaard has been one of the top all-around players in all of Denmark through the first two weeks of the season for her new team Virum. Through three games, Ostergaard has flashed the sort of all-around ability Bobcat fans saw throughout her four-year career as a Bobcat as she is averaging close to a triple-double with 16.7 points (2nd on the team), 10 rebounds (2nd) and seven assists (1st) across a team-leading 39.7 minutes per game. Born and raised in her native Denmark, Ostergaard's 'Euro' moves in the post are being utilized to their full capabilities as she is shooting a blistering 61.3 percent (19-31 FG) from the floor and 85.7 percent (12-14 FT) at the free throw line through the early portion of the season.
Sharing the court with her Quinnipiac teammate Val Driscoll '15, the former Bobcat duo are leading the way for Virum as the Vipers currently stand in the upper half of the Dameligaen standings, tied with three teams for second place. In her debut game with Virum, Ostergaard tallied a double-double 16 points (5-9 FG, 6-6 FT) and 12 assists to go along with seven rebounds as Virum defeated SISU Copenhagen, 78-63. She followed that up with a similar line of 16 points (7-11 FG) 12 rebounds and six assists in a win over BK Amager and most recently she posted her second double-double of 2015 with 18 points (7-11 FG), 11 rebounds and three assists.
The 2014-15 All-MAAC Third Teamer recently caught up with the sports information staff of Quinnipiac Athletics, answering our recurring five question long Q & A section of the women's basketball overseas update.
QUESTION & ANSWER: NIKOLINE OSTERGAARD
Tell us about your favorite food in your new/old home?
"My favorite food in Denmark is the traditional Christmas dish called Flaeskesteg (roast pork with crackling) followed by rice pudding for dessert. My Grandma made me this traditional Christmas dish as kind of a welcome home when I arrived back in Demark. This food is the staple of Danish Christmas but is delicious year-round."
What is the biggest difference between the professional game and college?
"The biggest difference I've noticed between the professional and collegiate game thus far is the 24 second shot clock as opposed to the 30 second in women's NCAA basketball. This six seconds might not seem like much of a difference but it really get the game going much faster by getting the offense into their sets quicker. And when you add the six-second difference up over the course of the game, you end up with quite a few more possessions."
What're you enjoying most about the culture back home?
"The thing I'm enjoying most about Danish culture back home is soccer. I really missed how soccer is a way of life in Europe. You really don't get anything close to that in the United States for soccer. I've already been to a couple games at Parken this season, where I grew up watching FC Co."
What advice would you give any collegiate athlete thinking about playing professionally in Europe?
"I would tell any collegiate athlete who is considering playing professionally to definitely take advantage of the opportunity to play in Europe. Not only do we get to see and experience so much of the new culture but it is the perfect start to the transformation from collegiate athlete to a future career in the sport I love."
What has been the biggest lifestyle change after growing up in the United States?
"The biggest lifestyle change I've noticed after spending the last few years in the United States is readapting to reading and writing in Danish. Even my spoken Danish got a little rusty while in America but my reading and writing skills definitely need some polishing."
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, April 01
Monday, March 09
Thursday, March 05
