In a small town with no stoplights, Maria Moeller is silently celebrated for directing a different kind of traffic. The reserved woman from the tranquil town of Maria Stein, Ohio was an award-winning director on the basketball court for the Marion Local Flyers. It would be around that revered court that the quaint people of that community would gather.

“It’s a really tight-nit community where everyone knows each other,” Moeller said. “Everyone is involved with sports so the fan support is really great.”

Moeller, now at Ohio State, finds herself in a familiar atmosphere. Despite the drastic difference in size and the two-hour drive that feels like time travel, there are some notable similarities between the two schools. On the oval many faces have no names, but the OSU campus is a close-nit community bonded by the love for athletics, especially when successful.

As a Flyer, Moeller guided teammates to a state title and near-perfect season on her way to three player of the year awards in the Midwest Athletic Conference, along with numerous other local and state honors.

Despite those honors, the shy Moeller had a muted reputation. Coach Jim Foster said the recruiting process to get Moeller to OSU was modestly simple also.

“She made up her mind up early,” Foster said. “There were a lot of schools that would’ve been involved and she just chose Ohio State.”

Moeller concurred.

“Basically, I chose Ohio State because of the coaching staff and the team,” Moeller said. “And because it was close to home so my family and friends would be able to come see me and support me … Ohio State was always No. 1.”

She said basketball was always No. 1 for her as well.

“Basketball was my first love,” Moeller said. “I started playing organized basketball, AAU, when I was nine years old. But I started playing in my driveway long before that.”

Now, the true freshmen point guard starts for the OSU women’s basketball team and is the floor general in an offense full of veteran starters.

“We are not asking her to come in here and be this unbelievable scorer,” said assistant coach Debbie Black. “We have some of the best players in the country on our team and Maria just has to direct traffic.”

Point was a position that was one of the few holes in the OSU roster coming into the season. Ironically, Moeller was a round peg that fit that square hole. She admits the transition from small town school to Big Ten powerhouse university was unexpectedly effortless. The five new freshmen all started school during the summer quarter to adjust to the campus and college life in general.

The basketball transition was painless as well. It’s rare to start true freshmen in any sport at any position, as only nine teams out of the 324 Division I schools started a true freshman at point guard in the opening game of the season. The starting spot was not a lay-up, however.

“We have a couple freshmen that could probably run the point beside her,” Black said. “Brandie Hoskins can always run the point too. In our offense anyone can bring the ball up so it’s not critical. We have plenty of ball handlers. It is a very competitive position.”

As if being a freshman starter was not enough, playing the point can have its pressures as well.

“Learning the subtleties and nuances of that position are difficult,” Foster said. “She’s got a good skill set. She has got to learn to be more verbal. But some of that is just being on the floor. I think she has got a good sense of where people are supposed to be and where she is supposed to be. She just has to be confident enough to verbalize that.”

Moeller has always been a point guard and always been a leader. People can lead in different ways; Moeller has just done so in a more restrained manner.

“She is more toward the shy side, but she needs to be more verbal,” Black said. “That is the next step for her.”

Point guards are Black’s responsibility and specialty.

“Point guards are the quarterback of the team,” Black said.

So far this season, the “quarterback” has lead by example. In the two games, one win at Army and one over USC at home, Moeller played more minutes than any other Buckeye; averaging 35.5 minutes per game. Her other statistics have been equally impressive in the limelight of a seventh-ranked OSU team. She is averaging 7.5 points per game, three rebounds and 2.5 assists. She is also a perfect 4-4 at the nerve-wracking foul line.

Following the home win versus USC, Moeller commented on her first game at the Schottenstein Center, an arena that has eight-times as many seats than her town has people.

“It was great,” Moeller said. “I was really excited about playing on our home court and feel the home atmosphere at the Schott.”

Foster was excited in the post-game as well.

“We did an excellent job of setting the tempo from the beginning, especially with a freshman point guard,” Foster said. “You think you know, but you never know, and I think she did a great job and the veterans and how they played would give you confidence.”

Even USC’s head coach Mark Trakh noted Moeller’s play after the game.

“Moeller also played hard and hit some big threes,” Trakh said. “She kept her poise and ran their offense.”

Maria Moeller had six steals against the No. 19/20-ranked Trojans on Sunday. It was the most by a Buckeye since Kim Wilburn had seven against Dayton on Nov. 30 last season.

Moeller and OSU played Boston College late last night. It is the first meeting since the Golden Eagles knocked them out of the NCAA tournament last year.

“I am looking forward to the season, competing everyday in practice, and just getting better,” Moeller said.

This attitude and winning personality seems to work for Moeller. Her modest, selfless persona matches her basketball game. She is determined to involve her teammates and relentless on defense.

Both coaches and players seem impressed by Moeller, and not only on the court.

“She is fun to have in the gym,” Black said. “But she also does all the right things. She is a hardworking kid that is going to help our program.”