Monterey Times

Vanguard University Athletics issued the following announcement on Oct. 29.

With November fast approaching, Vanguard women's basketball is gearing up for the season ahead. The Lions have added some new talent to their core of veterans that will make up the 2021-2022 team.  With a good slate of games ahead and a tough conference schedule, VU is ready to write another chapter in the storied history of the program, led once more by legendary Head Coach Russ Davis.

Last year, the Lions ended 7-5 overall and 2-4 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.  Vanguard began the year undefeated, taking a pair of games against Simpson and Hope International, and one against San Diego Christian.  After a slight reversal of fortune in the third game against the Royals, the Blue and Gold started a three-game series against Westmont.  All were quality games, but the Warriors took all three, leaving VU in the runner-up seat in the GSAC West.  

That still was enough to earn a berth in the NAIA National Championship, the 20th year in a row that the Blue and Gold have made it to the big dance, with the team traveling to Kansas to face Bethel in the Opening Round.  25 points from Tristen Rollon led the way as the Lions won 67-50.  The squad then took on the Pioneers of MidAmerica Nazarene but the game remained tied after the end of regulation.  Despite giving it their all, the Lions could not get past MNU and bowed out of the tournament 75-64.

The team averaged 64.3 points a game last year, 35.4 rebounds, and shot 39.2% from the field.

This season, the Lions return six players from last's year team, including four starters.  Rollon graduated and four other players moved on from the program as well.  To balance that out, VU welcomes five new faces to the team as they get ready for a run at the GSAC title.

Guards

Leading off the returning guards is NAIA Second-Team All-American Gabriela Rosas (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico), who returns for her senior season.  She led the team in points and points-per-game, as she averaged 16.1 a game.  She also shot 40.3% from the field and was close to that from downtown, shooting 36.9% on the year.  She had 24 points against MNU to lead the lineup, was second in scoring in the conference last season, and was also named to the all-GSAC team.

Joining Gabi is Lauren Baumgartner (JR/Meridian, ID), who scored 21 points against Bethel, which was second on the team, and she averaged 14.4 points a game, tied for second on the team.  She had the best marks on the team from three-point land, as Baumgartner nailed 28 of her 72 attempts for a 38.9% percentage.  She also scored 173 points on the year, second only to Rosas, who had 193.  Baumgartner also led the team with 64 assists, almost triple the amount of any other player.

Airiana Madanski (SO/Gilbert, AZ) and Maiya Bradford (JR/Brownsville, TN) are the other returning guards that played last year for VU.  Madanski averaged 9.3 points a game over 10 games, shooting 32.3% from the floor.  She also added in 16 assists and was 86.4% from the free-throw line, one of the best percentages on the team.  Bradford saw action in one game but will look to feature more this year with the departure of Rollon.  Hannah Monty (JR/Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) will also be in the mix for the Lions, as she did not play last year, the same as Natalia Willis (JR/Murrieta, CA).

Three players join the Lions at guard this season, as Alexa Silva (FR/Lemoore, CA), Alyssa Salgado (JR/Whittier, CA), and Faith Boss (FR/Cerritos, CA) will enter the program.  Silva comes from Lemoore High School, while Boss, who will redshirt this season, comes from Valley Christian High School.  Salgado played at Life Pacific last year, where she started in 28 games, averaged 10.6 points a game, and shot 22.4% from beyond the arc.

Forwards

The Blue and Gold return another NAIA All-American in Michaella Elad (SR/Ontario, CA), who was named to the Honorable Mention list last year.  One of the best rebounders in the NAIA, Elad was once again a beast in the paint, averaging 11 rebounds a game, 5.17 offensive rebounds a game (the best mark in the GSAC, seventh in the NAIA), and shot 39.3% from the field.  She was also named to the all-GSAC team and was named the GSAC Defensive Player of the Year.  She also shot 80.8% from the free-throw line.

Joining her will be Estefania Giner (JR/Chihuahua, Mexico), who started in nine games last year.  She averaged 10.4 points a game, 6.3 rebounds a game, and shot 41.8% from the floor.  She also had three blocks, tied with Elad for second on the team.  The newest forward to the team will be Arielle Hines (FR/Long Beach, CA), who graduated from Wilson High School in Long Beach.  She averaged 9.9 PPG her senior season along with 4.8 RPG to help the Bruins win the CIF Division 3A State Championship in 2019-2020.  She will be joined by Wilson HS teammate Teihani Sagiao (FR/Long Beach, CA), who will redshirt this season.  She averaged 5.8 points her senior year and 6.4 rebounds a game during the Championship season.

Center

VU has only one center on the roster, as Melissa Akullu (JR/Kampala, Uganda) will make her debut this season after missing all of last season.  The Ugandan is the tallest player on the team, listed at 6-1, and has been getting rave reviews from the coaches after practice.  The team will look to incorporate her size and skill set as the squad looks to hop Westmont for a GSAC title.

Conference/Schedule

The GSAC will be tough, with a number of teams ready to compete for the trophy.  Westmont got all the first-place votes in the preseason coaches' poll, as the Warriors look to defend their National Title.  WC returns most of their team, as will The Master's, who were picked to finish behind VU in third.  Menlo and Arizona Christian round out the top five in the poll.  The NAIA released the preseason national rankings earlier in the week, with Vanguard landing in 10th.  Westmont stayed at #1 and The Master's were picked 24th.

The team will open with two non-conference games against Bethesda and Saint Katherine before getting into GSAC play.  William Jessup and Menlo will open conference action, with VU then making their first road trip to play Life Pacific.  The Warriors will arrive on December 9 for the first game between the two rivals.  The squad will travel to Arizona for two games in December, against Rocky Mountain (Mont.) and St. Francis (Ill.).  The Blue and Gold will end the regular season at home against SDCC on February 17 and will have Hope International as the Senior Day opponent on February 19. 

Original source can be found here.