New NIU women’s basketball coach Carol Owens chose a familiar name as her first signed recruit.

Owens recruited junior sociology major and guard Margaret Batteast, who signed June 14 to play for the Huskies.

The Batteast family is no stranger to Owens, who coached Margaret’s older sister Jackie Batteast while serving as the top assistant coach at Notre Dame.

“Margaret obviously doesn’t have her sister’s height, but I really like her toughness and she’s got all the intangibles,” Owens said in a press release. “She’s a great leader on the floor and has a real willingness to compete and battle. She’ll hustle after every loose ball and isn’t afraid to hit the floor.”

Owens was associate head coach at Notre Dame for three seasons before being named head coach at NIU March 15.

Batteast played two years as point guard for Vincennes University (Indiana), where she averaged 13.3 points per game as a sophomore, was the team’s No. 2 scorer and averaged 4.7 assists a game. Batteast shot .356 from behind the arc, hitting 53-of-149 shots.

Going to Notre Dame was not out of the question for Batteast, but playing time was a factor.

“I heard if I wanted to go there that I could walk on,” Batteast said. “I wanted to play, and being by my sister’s side, I would have loved the opportunity. But I wanted the opportunity to show I had the talent. I feel I have just as much talent as anyone on that team. You have to have confidence.”

More schools had shown interest in Batteast, but those prospects dried up when coaches got busier with the onset of the NCAA tournament, Batteast said.

“Only two schools showed interest, Saint Francis University and Northern,” Batteast said. “Saint Francis offered a full ride, but [Owens] is a great person and I was just waiting for her to call. The best part of coming to NIU is being able to athletically show off my talent.”

With her hometown of South Bend, Ind., about two hours away, Batteast said NIU would be a good fit because her family and friends could come see her play.

Making the transition to Division I basketball will be a challenge that Batteast said she is ready to accept. Getting used to the speed and physical level of the game could be the biggest on-court transitions.

“I feel the biggest challenge will be getting up and down the court faster, and the other players putting more pressure on me,” Batteast said. “I need to learn how to break presses. I am so used to playing and watching the Notre Dame girls, I think that I am there physically. I just need to work on my offense and defense, but I am ready.”

She also looks forward to the challenges of being on the road all of the time, and maybe even flying.

“There’s a lot more to do in D-I,” Batteast said.

Off the court, the junior transfer student will tackle many of the same challenges transfer students go through: meeting new people and developing time management skills.

“It will be a social change not seeing all the same people,” Batteast said. “It is a big campus. I like to talk with people; get their opinions and thoughts. Academics is very important to me and that is my priority.”

Although Batteast was offered a scholarship, she has not been promised a starting position. However, the coaching staff did make one thing clear to her.

“They want me to step up and be a leader, and change the record,” Batteast said. “They want me to be there to push [the other girls] and guide them. They said I had that quality.”

Batteast played point guard for Vincennes, but that is not as likely to happen at NIU.

“[Owens’] assistants said she wanted me on the wing. I had always been a guard,” Batteast said. “I will work for the starting position.”