Defending Big South Women's Basketball Champions Return One Month From Today

ASHEVILLE, N.C.- The UNC Asheville women's basketball team is back on the hardwood for another season after one of the most memorable in program history. With the 2016-17 tip-off only one month away, the Bulldogs are preparing to defend their Big South Conference titles and improve on their achievements from 2015-16.

“We are anticipating this season by focusing on the process of the day-to-day work and having as much fun as we can together. With the success that last year's team experienced the expectations of this program are high. We are where we want to be in terms of having a high standard to uphold coming into this season,” said head coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick.

The Bulldogs opened their record-breaking season with a historic start, tying the best opening in program history, a 9-1 start of the 1984-85 team from the program's NAIA days. Asheville's 2015 open stands as the program best start since becoming Division 1.

But 9-1 was just the beginning for Asheville. The Bulldogs went on to turn in a Big South Conference record of 16-4 en route to a regular season title, and an overall record of 26-7 including a Big South Conference tournament Championship title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. For their season efforts, the Bulldogs earned the NCAA's honor of top turnaround from a 9-22 season in 2014-15.

“We have always had high aspirations within the program but now those are recognized and shared by those outside of our team as well. However, the expectations or having a goal of winning another championship will not be the focus of this program. We have to be careful not to look back at last year too much nor look ahead to what the possibilities of this season are. We are not last year's team, we are a new team, with a new dynamic facilitated by both the departure of old and the arrival of new players, as well as the face that our returners have more experience both on and off the court.”

With the success they enjoyed in the 2015-16 season, the Bulldogs have many new eyes watching their program, however, their approach to 2016-17 will not be new at all.

“I have learned the hard way that focusing on results is not healthy for our kids nor does it lead to a productive outcome. Our jobs are to maximize the potential of this year's squad and see where the chips fall,” Kirkpatrick said.

Asheville and its' fans are looking forward to the return of twelve letter winners, including the reigning Big South Conference Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, Chatori Major and Big South Conference second team All-Conference selection, Tianna Knuckles.

“Chatori had a break out junior year displaying a diverse skill set on the court and becoming our most consistent scoring threat. Her unmatched ability to attack the basket partnered with her outside shooting make her one of the toughest match-ups in the league. She has worked on fine tuning her offensive arsenal and becoming a better defender. I am proud of her for committing to becoming a better player and leader for this program. We will be relying heavily on her ability and smarts both on and off the court. What makes Chatori so special is the unselfishness and humble disposition she presents to the team. She has credited her teammates for much of the success she had last season,” said Kirkpatrick.

“Tianna continues to be one of most dangerous offensive threats on the team and has the ability to break games open with her range. She has consistently improved on the defensive side of the ball and we will rely on her to play both the guard and the post positions for us once again. Tianna is working on being more of a play-maker in the paint and rebounding on a consistent basis. I appreciate Tianna for allowing me to push her on the court to maximize her potential. I have challenged her time and time again for more and she answers the call.”

The Bulldog senior class is rounded out by center K.J. Weaver, and guard Ja'Da Brayboy.

“KJ is the heart and soul of our team on defense and is one of the most invested kids that we have coached here at Asheville. She anchors the team by making big plays in big moments and doing the minute by minute dirty work. This summer she worked on her offensive skill set as well and has become more confident in her ability to score. As one of the most vocal and experienced players on the team, she will fill leadership gaps left behind from our 2 graduated seniors, Paige Love and Tyler Smith. She understands how hard it is to win and will be able to support the other players when adversity hits,” Kirkpatrick said.

“Ja'Da is one of two point guards on the team and is expected to take on more of a leadership role this season. Her transition scoring has greatly improved as well as her defensive tenacity, three point shooting and ball handling. I have challenged Ja'Da in many ways for the past three years and she has responded. She is poised to have a great senior year both on and off the court. I am proud of her growth and am looking forward to collaborating with her to lead this team.”

These four seniors will make up the first recruiting class to graduate for Coach Kirkpatrick. They carry and overall record of 46-49 over the past three seasons, including 26 wins in 2015-16 that surpassed the total number of wins from 2013-14, and 2014-15 combined.

“I am incredibly proud of our four seniors and have enjoyed seeing our first recruiting class evolve and mature into what I believe are great ambassadors for UNC Asheville. Their investment and growth is what we hang our hats on at night. I love all of our young ladies on this team and am excited and determined to all I can on and off the court to make this a successful and fun season for them,” Kirkpatrick said.

The Bulldogs will take the court for the first time this season on Friday, Nov. 11 in Blacksburg, Va. to take on the Hokies of Virginia Tech at 3:00 p.m.

“My staff and I are honored to be coaching at UNC Asheville. Carrying out the mission of not only our program, but the athletic department and the university on a day to day basis is a privilege. We are also excited about another competitive slate in the Big South. With the parity, level of competition, and excellent coaching in this league it will prove to be an exciting conference season,” Kirkpatrick said.