Rebounding. To some, it's a lost art in the modern game of basketball. But not for Charlotte O'Keefe. The Vaqueros star senior is second in the entire country among all Division I programs in rebounds per game. The skill has her atop the UTRGV record books in that category.

"The biggest thing is just effort," O'Keefe said. "I probably just got a lot of rebounds just because I tried. Effort mixed with being tall is most of the battle. There's a bit of position that goes into it. A lot of rebounds either go directly back to the shooter or directly opposite so if I can get directly to the opposite position I'll try to go there. It's not something that I work on, it's just something that I've figured out over the years."

O'Keefe's rise to legendary status in the UTRGV women's basketball program goes far beyond her rebounding prowess. She's now a two-time Southland All-Conference selection, two-time All-Defensive team selection, the only player in program history to achieve both the 1,000-career point and 1,000-career rebound milestones, and the program record-holder for blocks.

"It means a lot really," O'Keefe said when asked about what it means to her to hold such a strong place in UTRGV women's basketball history. "I'm glad I made an impact on this program, and I think the reason that it'll be hard to break is because people don't stick around for four years anymore. But I care a lot more about winning than any of this stuff so I'm just really happy." 

Just as the art of rebounding is lost in the modern game, so is staying all four years with one program. O'Keefe's reason for doing so boils down to one major factor.

"This community is great but the one thing that has kept me here is Coach Lord," O'Keefe said. "There is no one else I want to play for. He's the best. He's a joy to be around every day and I feel so grateful that not only have I gotten to spend the last four years with him but all the belief and confidence he's instilled in me. I didn't feel it was right to leave him. As long as he was here, I was going to be here as well."

"If you walked in here today you would've seen her working out," Vaqueros head coach Lane Lord said of his star senior's work ethic. "She does extra workouts with the assistant coaches every day. She's the hardest worker we have and what she does on a daily basis is really what makes her special for our program."

Now, the team prepares to make its second appearance in the SLC tournament. In their first season as part of the Southland Conference, O'Keefe and the Vaqueros suffered a first-round exit. This time around, with each game looming as the potential last one in a Vaqueros uniform for O'Keefe, she's hoping to make sure things go differently. 

"It would be everything," O'Keefe said when asked about the opportunity to win a conference championship. "That's been the goal since I got here so that would be everything. If it happens that would be incredible and if it doesn't, I still feel completely fulfilled with my journey here. I'm really content but of course I really crave that championship as well."