ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- For the three new faces of the UMSL softball program, bringing a little family dynamic and postsecondary athletic experience with them to Tritons country was paramount.

The Tritons now have a trifecta from Illinois on campus as Rebecca Littrel (junior), Katie Schaake (junior), and Kayla Settles (junior) all transferred to UMSL from Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Il.

While being a transfer student-athlete does not deviate from the norm, having three from the same program transferring to the same university -- at the same time -- certainly is.

Rebecca Littrel

Littrel, a native of Canton, Il., said many variables factored into her equation, but family proximity certainly headlined her list.

Littrel made her decision fewer than six months ago.

"I decided that UMSL was the place for me in June 2021. After going on my visit and talking to [UMSL head coach] Amanda [Scott], I felt like this was the place for me. I was excited that she was so interested in my athletic self, as well as how I performed in the classroom. While it is three-and-a-half hours from home, a little piece of 'home' came with me in Katie and Kayla, making it a lot easier to be away from my family," said Littrel.

Going to a two-year institution simply broke in the Illinois native and, as the adage states, it's all downhill from here.

What did Littrel learn and bring with her from her time in Illinois?

"I learned that going to a two year doesn't make you less of an athlete. I made lots of relationships that were so hard to say goodbye to after my two years. I loved my two years at Lincoln Land, and I am excited for what UMSL has in store for me and my new teammates, as well as my two returning teammates," she said.

Competition varies from state to state, program to program, and level to level.

While the competition faced in Illinois wasn't anything to sneeze at, Littrel said the prospect of facing and becoming part of a more stringent competition pool has her itching for the 2022 spring campaign.

"UMSL for me has been a step up in my athletic and academic careers. While I played for two years before coming to UMSL, the competition just within the softball program shows me that this is the big leagues," she said. "I feel like I am pushed to be the best version of myself here at UMSL, athletically and academically."

According to the National Junior College Association of America (NJCAA), Littrel amassed a .360 average while slugging her way to .543 last season.

Littrel looks to bring some of that spunk to the Tritons in 2022.

UMSL head coach Amanda Scott said Littrel's competitive nature made her an attractive piece of the Tritons softball fabric.

"Rebecca [also goes by Boo], she is a kid who loves the game, loves to play," Scott said. "She was leadoff for them [Lincoln Land Loggers], so we got to see her hit quite a bit. I think she is going to make some things happen offensively. [She] also is a great defensive outfielder."

Katie Schaake

For Schaake, progressing from the small-campus ambience while staying geographically convenient was a large drawing point to UMSL.

"UMSL was a huge attraction to me because I originally did want to get out of Illinois and, of course, it presented that opportunity for me. Not only that, but I also find St. Louis is a good city to help me adjust out of my small hometown feeling while still going to a school that feels like home," Schaake said. "There is just so much to do in St. Louis and around our school that it was hard to pass up an opportunity like this school was giving."

Whether it be collegiate athletics, academics, or venturing into uncharted waters in a career setting, a new landscape can be a bit daunting, to say the least.

But having familiarity in her counterparts certainly has made for a more seamless transition.

Added Scott: "Katie is a great athlete who will help us on the mound and in the outfield. She has some speed and is a great defensive outfielder."

For Schaake, taking the learned experiences and the junior-college level and incorporating them into the UMSL landscape with the current roster should yield benefits on both ends of the spectrum.

Added Schaake: "Honestly, continuing on and playing softball with my community college girls is amazing. I feel like we still have that competitiveness from our two-year school and here we are bringing our passion to win and mixing it with UMSL players' competitiveness as well. To me, it feels like we are mixing in well and pushing our drive to win even harder and hopefully further. The best thing I can say about my LLCC girls is that it's a bit easier for us to adjust to the other girls because we already know each other and the way we three play. I know both will always have my back."

Kayla Settles

For Settles, playing within the same program as her younger sister, Courtney,  and joining her Lincoln teammates made the choice an obvious one.

"I picked USML because it is close to home, [as] my sister is a freshman who plays softball, and it allows to me to get started on my long journey of becoming a physical therapist. Coming down to St. Louis gives me multiple different opportunities to achieve my dream," she said. "With COVID, the whole recruiting process was very hard. For us, this was pretty much a last-minute decision and we were all very excited once we found out the news that Amanda was looking at all three of us as recruits. These girls became my family over the past two years. We were all planning to go our separate ways until our assistant coach told us the great news. This was not planned, but we were so excited to at least get two more years together, maybe three considering the COVID [eligibility] year! 

Settles -- a biology major -- said having a head coach with whom to talk and and in whom to trust resonated.

"My first impression was, 'Amanda is amazing.' She is so easy to talk to, and I feel as if I can go to her with anything," recalls Settles.

Scott said Settles's versatility was one variable that illuminated the scouting process.

"Kayla is going to be that all-around utility you can plug in anywhere on the field except for the mound and catching," Scott said. "She is someone who was excited to have the opportunity to continue to play the game. She really has passion for the game and is going to be a great program player."

Scott contended that when recruiting transfers, versatility is key, and all three players have that in their DNA.

"It is huge," she said.