EMORY, Va. – Anne Crutchfield is now in her third season as the head coach of the Emory & Henry College Women's Basketball Team. With only two years under belt, Crutchfield is the third-winningest coach in school history and has won the second-most ODAC games. Last season, the Wasps finished with 19 wins for the first time since the 2001-02 season. E&H will not be satisfied, however, until it wins an ODAC Championship. Emory & Henry was picked to finish fourth in the ODAC preseason poll, but expects to finish at the top.
The team is very young this year with just 14 of its 17 players freshmen or sophomores. However, the three upperclassmen are key contributors. Megan Jacoby (Richmond, Va.), a second-team All-ODAC honoree, averaged 11.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals during her junior campaign. As a team captain, her teammates will look upon her for guidance and leadership. Senior Asja Jenkins (Richmond, Va.) started 13 of the 27 games she played in last season. She averaged 5.5 points and pulled down 4.1 rebounds a game. The lone junior, Chloe Harris (Bristol, Va.), continued her role as a shooter off the bench. Harris shot 33.3% from three while averaging 5.9 points a game.
The sophomore class is a big one for the Wasps. That class is led by Taylor Blevins (Abingdon, Va.). Blevins was named to the All-ODAC Second Team and was named Rookie of the Year by the ODAC, D3Hoops.com, and VaSID. Blevins led the team in scoring (12.7), rebounds (9.8), field goal percentage (58.2%), and blocks (24). Tessa Johnston (High Point, N.C.) played in 25 games as a freshman, averaging 4.6 points. Laken Blackburn (Wilkesboro, N.C.) and Jada Penn (Radford, Va.) played in 16 and 15 games, respectively, while Myesha Logan (Roanoke, Va.) and Jessica Rivas (Lawrenceville, Va.) saw action in nine and eight games, respectively. Courtney Martin (Martinsville, Va.) and Ally Pollard (Chesterfield, Va.) will provide great depth at the guard positions for the Wasps. With such a young team, E&H will look to several members of the sophomore class for leadership as well.
Emory & Henry's freshmen class is another exciting group. Brandy Watkins (Bluff City, Tenn.) will learn from Jacoby at the guard position. The other four freshmen are forwards and centers. Kara Stafford (Bristol, Tenn.), Peyton Williams (Saltville, Va.), and Sydney McKinney (Big Stone Gap, Va.) are going to provide significant minutes for the Wasps. And Aubriana Peebles (Mocksville, Va.) and Jessica Hoilman (Banner Elk, N.C.) both stand over six feet tall and look to be great assets in the post.
The Wasps kick off their season on Tuesday, November 15 versus Averett University. The game tips off at 8:00 p.m., on Bob Johnson Court in the John Rutledge King Center.
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