When she traveled to Italy with the Muhlenberg women’s basketball team during the summer of 2010, Alexandra Chili fell in love with the culture and European way of life (especially the croissants and cappuccino).

Now, she wants to make another trek across the pond. But this time she hopes the trip will be primarily about business.

After completing one of the most accomplished careers in both Muhlenberg and Centennial Conference history, the two-time All-American was invited to the 2012 Women’s Final Four Combine held in late March in Denver.

There, Chili took the next step in a journey she hopes will end in a place not normally associated with Division III athletes: professional basketball.

Chili was part of a group of about 80 players from all NCAA divisions, as well as former college players, who took part in a series of drills and games played in front of scouts from the WNBA and several European professional leagues.

And just like she had during her time in a Mule uniform, Chili stood out from the rest, thanks in large part to her lethal jump shot.

The school and conference career three-point leader for men or women, Chili knocked down 21 of her 25 attempts from beyond the arc, more than any other player at the combine. Then when teams were picked for the games, she found herself alongside players from conferences like the Big Ten and Pac 12.

And after taking a short while to get used to the thin air in the Mile High City, she felt that she more than held her own despite being one of just a handful of Division III players invited to the event.

“You could really notice the elevation difference,” she said. “But I feel like I played pretty well. I was a little nervous at first, but once we got going I didn’t really think about that.”

Chili played so well, in fact, that she’s already garnered interest from teams in Israel and Italy. Although there have not been any official offers yet, she received positive feedback from the combine’s director, who told her she had the ability to play professionally.

Now comes the hardest part for Chili, who made a habit of scoring points quickly: waiting. She’s done all she could to leave a positive lasting impression for the scouts, and as she gets ready for finals week, she’s anxiously hoping for the phone call that could come as early as today, or not until August or September.

But as she was during her entire career, Chili is prepared. After she dons her cap and gown and graduates in two-and-a-half weeks, she will continue working to improve her game. She has a summer job lined up in case she doesn’t hear back soon, but she’s also put her long-term plans temporarily on hold so she can chase her dream.

It’s not every day that an athlete is given the opportunity to make a living playing the sport they love. Then again, considering she’s the only player in conference history, male or female, to score 2,000 career points, Chili has shown she’s not like every other player.

Now she’s ready for the opportunity to take her game to the next level. All that she needs is a call.

“I had never really thought about playing professionally until this season,” she said. “But when I looked into it, I thought it might be pretty cool. It would be a great to get to live in Europe and experience the culture. I’ll probably never have a chance like this again, so I want to make the most of it.”

“Hopefully I’ll get a call soon; between that and graduation, it would really be time to celebrate.”

Here are excerpts from the senior profiles that ran in the Senior Day program for the women’s basketball team.

Alexandra Chili

What’s it mean to you to be the leading scorer in Mule basketball history? Becoming the leading scorer in Mule basketball history has been a tremendous honor and certainly one of my favorite achievements of my college career. I’ve worked tirelessly throughout my four years to be the best player I could be, but my efforts would be wasted if I was not blessed with such amazing teammates.

How did you become such a great shooter? I developed my shooting prowess like any other great shooter; hard work, persistence, repetition, dedication and some more hard work. When I was growing up, I would shoot 1,000 shots a day and wouldn’t rest until I had made 100 free throws. I’m not sure I can claim the same today, but that’s why you put in the work early!

What’s it like having a father that played at Duke? Having a father like mine, regardless of whether he played at Duke, has been such a blessing. My Dad has always been there for me as a coach, rebounder, my biggest fan (tied with my mother, whom I love dearly) and anything I’ve needed to be successful. Being a star at Duke does have its perks though. We usually go to a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium once a year, and he seems to know everyone there! I’ve even met Coach K. That was beyond cool!

What are your future plans? I’m hoping to play basketball professionally in Europe somewhere for a year since I was never able to study abroad. I really love to travel, and I think it will be a good experience for me to be out on my own for a little while. When I return to United States, I will seek admission to law school in either Maryland or California and begin my path towards becoming a lawyer.

What’s Katy Rossino like off the court? Wow, where to begin. When Katy is not collecting chapstick, she is meticulously grooming her financial savings. When she’s not doing that, she’s pulling a prank on someone; so watch out … Jokes aside, Katy is just as amazing off the court as she is on it. Brilliant, hardworking and my best friend.

Kimberly Mui

How great did it feel to be able to step back on the court this season? When I tore my ACL last summer, the hardest thing to comprehend was the fact that I would not be able to be on the court and play with my friends that season. Being able to step back on the court this season was an incredible and indescribable feeling. I have a great passion for basketball, so stepping back on the court with my teammates was amazing, and I’m lucky to have had a successful surgery to be able to play again in my senior year.

What’s the key to playing tough defense? Defense has always been my main focus in basketball. I’m a true believer in the saying “Defense wins championships.” I also believe that with good defense comes good offense. I think one of the keys to playing tough defense is to always keep your feet moving and stay lower than your opponent. Being fast and quick also doesn’t hurt 🙂

How many different ways have you heard your name mispronounced? Over my life, I’ve heard ridiculous mispronunciations of my name. It spans from Moo, Moo-i, Moo-ey, Mwee, to My. I think my favorite is Moo-ey because a lot of people call me that and yell out that name. Also, Moo-ey seems to flow off the tongue. Mew is a funny one too because my freshman year, all the senior basketball players used to call me “Kim Mew for Two.”

What are your future plans? I’m not exactly sure yet because I still have to send my resume to companies and go on interviews, but I would love to work at a marketing firm somewhere in New York. My dream is to work in the sports industry, like being on the marketing team for the New York Yankees.

What’s Kathleen Naddaff like off the court? Kathleen is probably the weirdest person you will ever meet. After living with her this year, I realized that she likes to make weird noises and scream randomly. All kidding aside, Kathleen is one of the most genuine and sweetest people I know. She would do anything for her family, friends and teammates, and that is one of the many things I admire about her.

Kathleen Naddaff

How would you describe your style of play? I am definitely a lot more defensive-minded when it comes to my style of play, and I know my role on the team is not to be a leading scorer, but to help the team win with rebounding, boxing out, screening and playing defense. I definitely would say I play to try and make the team better, and I don’t worry about my stats.

How have you improved since your freshman season? During my freshman year I was nervous, scared and very hesitant. I looked at all of the teams and thought they were much more experienced than I was, so that intimidated me. I can remember the first game of the Scotty Wood Tournament my freshman year, I literally thought I was going to throw up I was so nervous. Now I go out on the floor with the mindset that no one can guard me or get by me if I tell myself they won’t. I have prided myself on my defense, and if I just concentrate on that and get a few great stops, my offense will come. I am a lot more confident walking out on the court because I have done it many times before.

What’s it like having a father that was drafted by the Indiana Pacers? I am so proud of my dad, and I look up to him a lot. He and my mom have been such amazing role models in my life. Yes, my father’s shoes are very hard to fill (quite literally), but I know that he has been through a lot and knows the game of basketball. So I really do look up to him and respect everything he has to say.

What are your future plans? I actually have two job offers right now, with a few more interviews lined up. The job offers are at BE Furniture and BFI Furniture. They are corporate furniture companies in Parsippany, N.J., where I would function as a project manager. I am looking to stay close so I can live at home for a few more years. Mom and Dad are going to love it 🙂

What kind of teammate is Kimberly Mui? Kim is not only an amazing teammate, but she is also one of my roommates. Kim really makes me want to be a better teammate, because regardless of what happens, she is there for this team with a smile and encouraging words. I seriously give her all the credit in the world for what she went through last year and how supportive she was throughout the entire year for the team. Kim will cheer every single girl on, and she honestly is not just an amazing teammate but also a great friend.

Katy Rossino

What’s it feel like knowing you’re in control of the offense as a point guard? I love being a point guard. There was a time at the beginning of the season when I was nervous about it. To know that I was in control of the offense was a scary thing for me, especially since I hadn’t had that opportunity to see significant minutes since high school. I’ve become a much more vocal player, and have learned so much about each player on our team – where to get them the ball, how they are going to come off a screen, etc.

Have you always been so hesitant to shoot? I’ve never been one to take 20 shots in a game, but I did shoot more in high school. I’ve always tried to do what I need to help the team. My role has always been to be more of a passer, a provider of comedic relief and, most importantly, a role model to the younger girls. They really look up to me as a mature, inspirational and “larger than life” figure.

What off-the-court accomplishment are you most proud of? I’m very proud of my work with the Academic Resource Center. I’ve been a tutor all four years at Muhlenberg and have tutored about 25 students in math, finance and accounting classes. I enjoy tutoring because it is an extremely rewarding experience. It’s always great to know that I helped someone succeed in a class. I’ve learned a lot about how to adjust to different learning styles, which is a skill I have been able to use at various financal and accounting internships and plan to use in the future when I start working.

What are your future plans? Next October I will begin working as an auditor at Deloitte & Touche, a big four public accounting firm, in Boston. I’ll spend the summer studying for the CPA exam and hope to pass all four sections by my start date. Then I hope to transition into my dream job, which is winning the lottery and moving to Europe, where my only responsibilities will be eating and sleeping.

What kind of person is Alexandra Chili? Where do I begin? Chili has been my best friend at Muhlenberg since we were freshmen. We spend way too much time together playing basketball, becoming the dominating duo in team ping-pong tournaments, saying “Hey, what’s up” to all the wrong people, and everything in between. She has an extraordinary personality and can make anyone laugh to the point of tears. Sometimes we laugh so much we cry, and then the next morning we have no idea what we laughed about. She’s an unbelievable basketball player, student and friend. I’ve already promised her that I’ll name my first child “Alexander Chilington,” which has been my nickname for her.

When she looked up, Alexandra Chili admitted she got a little scared.

She had just knocked down a pair of free throws in the closing seconds of the Muhlenberg women’s basketball team’s Centennial Conference Championship win at Johns Hopkins. But the game had been all but decided for several minutes, so she had no idea why her teammates were charging at her.

The Mules and Coach Ron Rohn celebrate with Chili

When they picked her up, the announcement came over the P.A. system: Those foul shots, the 339^th and 340^th of her career, pushed her all-time point total to 1,966, the most in conference women’s history.

“I was really confused,” Chili said. “I didn’t know I was that close, so I had no idea what everyone was doing.

“I’m just glad they didn’t drop me like they did last year,” she added with a laugh, referencing the celebration after her game-winning 3-pointer against Williams in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Her 28-point effort was just enough to surpass the previous mark of 1,965 set by Swarthmore’s Heather Kile from 1999-02. She is just seven points shy of the conference record for men or women (1,973) held by Dennis Stanton from 2001-04 and 34 away from 2,000.

It’s just the latest of countless milestones for Chili, who also holds the conference mark with 328 career threes (ninth in Division III history) and the school records for career field goals (649) and the top four single-season scoring and 3-point marks.

But for all of her accolades, including second-team Academic All-America honors this season and honorable mention All-America laurels last year, Chili said none of the accomplishments ever came close to crossing her mind when she first stepped on campus three-and-a-half years ago.

Following an illustrious, yet somewhat frustrating, high school career in which she scored more than 2,000 points on a team that hovered around .500 most seasons, she was drawn to the Mules’ success.

She wanted to play for a winning program and had her sights set on team, rather than personal, goals.

“I never could have dreamed this when I was a freshman,” Chili said. “My goal was to just do whatever it took to help the team win. I’ve played with a lot of great players who have helped me during my career. This is not just about me; the record would not have been possible without so many great coaches and teammates.”

As she had hoped, all of her individual accomplishments have come hand-in-hand with team successes. Chili is part of a senior class that tied the school record with 92 career wins. The Mules have played in the CC title game in each of her four seasons, winning three, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament each year.

There have also been two trips to the “Sweet 16,” which she still rates as the two most memorable moments of her career. And she hopes there’s still a chance for one more run.

And that’s what has served as her motivation during her career. While spending countless hours in the gym taking thousands upon thousands of shots, Chili was not focused on numbers or records. All she could think about, she said, was winning, and more importantly, how much she can’t stand losing.

For as mild-mannered as she is away from basketball, Chili morphs into an ultra-competitor as soon as steps onto the court. And it’s that drive that has made her one of the greatest players in CC history, but more importantly, helped the Mules establish a tradition of excellence.

“It’s a great honor to break the record; there have been a lot of great players that have played in this conference,” she said. “But I’m even more proud of our team and how we came together to win the championship.

“I’m sure when I look back on my career the record will mean a lot more. But right now, I’m just worried about trying to keep on winning. I want to play at least a few more games.”