WISE - - Each year the athletic department at UVA Wise presents a Team of the Year award to a team that has had an outstanding season. The team has shown unity, sportsmanship, and has been a role model on and off the court. They are model representatives for the College and have met or exceeded their goals this year. This year the award goes to the women's basketball team.

The women's basketball program at UVA Wise put together the best season of an athletic team at the college since the school joined the South Atlantic Conference. Led by SAC Coach of the Year Jamie Cluesman and First-Team All-SAC student-athletes Caitlyn Ross and Kalee Johnson, the Cavaliers posted a 15-5 record and spent the second half of the season in contention for a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Following a season opening loss, Cluesman's crew rolled to 10 consecutive victories as the Cavs did not lose from Nov. 25 to Feb. 5. During the stretch, UVA Wise swept local rival Lincoln Memorial, including the program's first win in Harrogate, Tenn. since 1978. The win over the Railsplitters was the eighth in the 10-game winning streak as the team was off to the best start in school history.

The Cavs spent the entirety of the season in the top half of the SAC standings while receiving votes in the national poll for the first time as a NCAA Division II member. UVA Wise also received regional recognition throughout the course of the year.

The highlight of the season came in the final game of the regular season. Nationally ranked Tusculum visited the Prior Center with a chance to win the regular season conference championship. Behind a 28-point, 15-rebound performance from Johnson and a 25-point, 12-assist effort from Ross, UVA Wise claimed an 80-72 victory to secure an opening round bye in the SAC Tournament.

The Cavs would win a game in the league tournament, marking the first conference tournament win for any athletic program at the school since joining the league, before bowing out in the quarterfinal round.

The SAC Coach of the Year honor for Cluesman was the first for any women's basketball coach in school history. Johnson finished the season averaging 17.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while tossing in 11 double-doubles as she earned first-team all-conference honors for the first time in her career. Ross finished the year as the only player in NCAA Division II to average at least 15 points (15.4 ppg) and seven assists (7.0 apg) per game as she garnered all-conference recognition for the second straight season.

Additionally, Nia Vanzant took home Honorable Mention All-SAC honors. The guard ranked 10th in the league in scoring at 14.6 points per game while adding six rebounds a night. It was the second time the sophomore received postseason accolades; as a freshman, she was named to the SAC All-Freshman squad.

Vanzant was also one of three UVA Wise student-athletes to earn SAC Player of the Week honors. Vanzant took home the honor after averaging 23 points per game in a pair of wins over Mars Hill and Coker in January. A week later, Johnson took home the award after averaging 21 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 steals in a pair of wins. Meg Crawford was the first Cav to win the award as the center went 7-for-11 from the field while grabbing 11 boards and blocking four shots in an early season triumph at Wingate.

The team graduated two seniors as both Hanna Oliver and Ada Stanley earned their degrees and graduated in May. Oliver tied the single-game school record for made 3-pointers with eight against Mars Hill as she finished her career as one of two players in the NCAA Division II era of the program to eclipse 200 made 3-pointers in her career. Stanley scored in double figures 29 times in her career while starting in every game last winter.

This is the first team of the year award for the women's basketball program. Previous winners may be found below:

Previous Team of the Year Winners