ROCK HILL, SC – It's basketball time again in the mountains, and the UVA Wise women's basketball team has been hard at work getting ready for the season opener on November 14. With the start date fast approaching, the South Atlantic Conference released their annual preseason information with Caroline Mullins and Madison Looney being named Players to Watch for the 2025-26 season. The team was also picked to finish eighth in the Coaches Poll.

The team opens the season on Nov. 14 and 15 in the SAC vs. Peach Belt Conference Challenge, taking on Georgia Southwestern in the season opener on Friday before playing host USC Beaufort the next day.

They will play twelve home games this season and also have exhibition contests at Liberty and High Point. All but one of the home games will be SAC games, with the non-conference game coming against former Mountain East Conference rival (and Coach Jamie Cluesman's alma mater) Concord University.

Coker was picked to finish first, receiving nine of twelve first-place votes. Carson-Newman was picked second, followed by Wingate in third. Anderson, Lenoir-Rhyne and Catawba were next. The Highland Cavaliers placed eighth, while Newberry, Tusculum, Emory & Henry, and Mars Hill were picked 9-12.

Despite returning eight players from last season, youth is the key word for this season as the squad features no seniors, three juniors, seven sophomores and seven freshmen. Jalie Ruehling is back for a third season running the point and bringing her 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals a game with her, while Brooklyn Frazier also is back for a junior season.

Last season's large freshman class are now sophomores with a year in Coach Cluesman's system under their belts. All-SAC Freshman Team performers Caroline Mullins and Ella Karst. Mullins averaged 9.6 points last season and is the top returning rebounder, averaging 4.2 rebounds a game. Karst, the top returning scorer, averaged 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists a game last year. Lonney averaged 2.9 points and 1. 4 rebounds a game last season, while Alissa Cheek averaged 5.0 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds. Emilea Preece had 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds a game last year.

Two transfers join the team this season as Grace Vyborny comes to Wise from Rock Valley Community College, where she helped lead the Golden Eagles to a NJCAA Tournament round of 16 appearance. Izzy Proffitt makes the move from SAC rival Anderson, where she averaged 3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists a game.

Coach Cluesman has brought in seven freshmen this season, and all are looking to make an immediate impact. Local product Abbie Jordan was a four year starter for the Central High School Warriors, finishing her prep career with two state championships and a state runner-up finish. She has also earned All-District and All-Region honors. Mia Nienaber comes to Wise from Cincinnati and brings with her multiple postseason appearances, All-District, and All-State honors. Her family is no stranger to the NCAA Division II ranks as her father played at Lincoln Memorial from 1996-2000.

Katy Hoover comes to Wise from Christiansburg, where she is Christianburg High's all-time leading scorer as well as a multiple all-district and all-region player as well as was named the Montgomery County Player of the Year twice. Taylor Hawley helped lead Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC) to three appearances in the state final four, and was named Team MVP, All-State, All-Conference, and All-Region on more than one occasion.

Three freshmen from Tennessee also are joining the team this year. Kyndra West comes from Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville where she was named all-district three times, named the KnoxNews PrepXtra Player of the Week multiple times, and led the team in points, rebounds and assists per game. Jaci Neubert also comes from Knoxville where she was an all-district and all-region performer at Farragut High School. Shelby Higgins is a highly decorated player from Pulaski, Tennessee, where she earned all-district, all-region, all-state, and MVP honors during her career at Richland High School.

Also new to the sideline this season is the return of former Highland Cavalier standout Caitlyn Ross, who joins the team this season as an Assistant Coach. Ross was a force of nature during her Cavalier career, leaving as the program's third-highest scorer and not only the school's but the SAC's leader in assists.

You can keep up with the Highland Cavaliers all season on www.uvawisecavs.com.