While most high school athletes took the summer off after a long, grueling school year, the Mount Mercy Academy basketball team was getting ready for the 2014-15 season in grand fashion.

The Magic competed in the Hamburg Recreation summer league, posting an undefeated record and winning the championship over the Lady Eagles, who consisted of players from Cleveland Hill High School and the city of Buffalo.

"We went undefeated all summer," said Mount Mercy coach John Glose. "We won the Hamburg Recreation girls varsity summer league, which they do an excellent job running that league for years. We played extremely good team basketball. Every single game a new person stepped up.

"It was awesome, and I am really excited for the basketball season. They deserved to win the game. And, they deserved to go undefeated. It was not a fluke. It was hard work and being dedicated."

The league is made of up 14 varsity teams from throughout Western New York. Teams such as the Lady Eagles, Frontier and East Aurora highlighted the strong competition. Glose said being able to play some of the best public schools should get them ready for the grueling Monsignor Martin Athletic Association season.

"We started AAU a week after we came from Albany," stated Glose. "All six of the returners from the basketball team played AAU together. And, they were motivated from the very start. We had a very excellent AAU season starting in late March all the way to June. As soon as that ended we went right into summer basketball. These young ladies did not not stop playing. They have made a commitment to play year round. They want to be the best they can be and all that work has payed off.

Unlike in years past, the Magic will be the hunted heading into the high school basketball season. Coming off a Class B title win and a run to the finals of the state tournament, Mount Mercy will not be able to sneak by anybody.

The Magic will return one of its best players in senior Emily Sheehan. A two-sport star, Sheehan played with the Empire State team this summer in a tournament in addition to her offseason work with the Magic.