JOLIET – Crest Hill native Andriana Acosta, a former standout basketball player for Joliet Catholic Academy and the University of St. Francis, is currently in Australia, where she is a member of the Diamond Valley Eagles in the NBL 1 League.

Acosta, who graduated from St. Francis with her bachelor’s degree in International Business and Marketing and her Master’s degree in Management, relishes the chance to spend another season overseas. She spent last season with the Limerick Celtics in Ireland and saw her first game action with the Diamond Valley Eagles in their April 14 game, where she did not score but contributed four rebounds in just less than six minutes played.

“I am excited to get going,” Acosta said as she prepared to leave for the Southern Hemisphere. “I really enjoyed my time in Ireland. It was great to experience the country. I had never been there before.

“Ireland is very green, especially when the sun comes out. It’s a little like living in Illinois, because you never really know what the weather is going to be like. I didn’t get a chance to do any golfing, but a lot of people in the little pubs told me I should.”

Acosta feels that the overseas experience will help her, not only with her basketball career, but for whichever career she decides to enter when basketball is done.

“The dream is to keep playing basketball and keep moving up in competition,” she said. “The Australian league is a step up from the league in Ireland. Who knows? If I keep moving up, maybe someone in the WNBA would give me a shot. I know that the Eagles like to get out and run, and that will help me. I am not as big as a lot of bigs in the league, but I can get out and run. That suits my game a lot better.

“It’s also nice to be able to make contacts in these other countries that I might be able to use in the future. I met the parents of some of my teammates in Ireland, and they told me that if I ever need a reference I can use them.”

Basketball is a family affair for Acosta, whose parents, Felipe and Maria, have been a constant source of support, as well as her siblings. One of her brothers, Ante, is a member of the Joliet Junior College men’s basketball team, and the two spent much of the offseason training together.

“The games were streamed online from Ireland and my parents were able to watch,” she said. “My sister came over to Ireland. I am going to try to get my mom to make a trip to Australia. The season runs until the end of July or the beginning of August, so I hope she has the time to make it.

“I am excited for this opportunity. I have heard that Australia is wonderful. I reached out to the girl that’s going to be my roommate. She’s from Minnesota, and she has been playing in Australia for nine years. My agent has told me that I might not want to leave. Once I am there, I am going to make some more connections. I want to keep playing basketball as long as I can.”