By Chris Raimondi, Sports Editor
Current women’s basketball players at Kennesaw State University have defended head coach Nitra Perry amid recent allegations of verbal and physical abuse within the program.
Five players, Kelly Dulkoski, Karly Frye, Clara Young, Deandrea Sawyers and Jasmine McAllister sat down with the Marietta Daily Journal last week said they had never seen or heard of any abuse coming from Coach Perry.
All attempts from The Sentinel to speak to the current players were denied.
Last week reports surfaced via a video released by KSU Owl Radio that Perry had participated in verbal, and in one instance physical, abuse towards her players. Former player Breonna Mosely cited verbal abuse that led to her exit of the program while Valescia Dixon described an incident during a preseason practice prior to the 2013-14 season in which Perry “roughed” up Dixon physically by pinning her against a wall.
Sawyers, KSU’s leading scorer this past season, was present at the time of the altercation between Dixon and Perry and stated nothing happened in front of the team. Sawyers told the MDJ that the two left the court and went in to a hallway where Perry attempted to Calm Dixon down.
Dulkoski told the MDJ she was in the trainer’s room while the confrontation took place and she heard the entire conversation. Dulkoski said there was yelling, but it was an attempt to calm Dixon down and it never turned physical.
Frye, the Owls’ point guard, said Perry yells, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary. “Of course there’s yelling,” Frye told the MDJ. “I want her to yell. If she didn’t, I would think something was wrong.”
“Of course there’s yelling,” Frye told the MDJ. “I want her to yell. If she didn’t, I would think something was wrong.”
Dulkoski and Frye both told MDJ they believe the former players sparking allegations against Perry is a result of jealousy and not being up to Division-I standards.
“I think they are jealous of the success we’re having and the expected success from here out,” Dulkoski said to the MDJ.
“It seems obvious to me the people speaking out weren’t getting playing time,” Frye told the MDJ. “They were talking about leaving us. It wasn’t anything more than that.”
KSU Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams stated there is an internal investigation ongoing. The review is believed to conclude sometime this week.
