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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference announced the 2025-26 women’s basketball preseason poll and all-conference selections on Tuesday morning, naming High Point University as No. 1 in the poll with two players on the All-Conference list. This is the programs third straight year earning the No. 1 spot following a Regular Season and Tournament Championship in 2024-25.
Leading the Panthers to their second Big South Tournament title and a 21-12 overall record, Head Coach Chelsea Banbury enters her seventh season looking to repeat as champions.
Nevaeh Zavala – Preseason Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference
Starting in 32 of 33 games last season, Zavala set a new career-high in every category on her way to earning First Team All-Conference honors. Averaging 10.4 points per game, she led the team in points (342), free throws (59), rebounds (187), and blocks (25). On January 15, Zavala recorded a career-high 33 points against Longwood, shooting 13-18 from the floor. The Panthers saw Zavala tally three double-double performances on the year, one being in the Big South Championship game where she had 16 points, and 10 rebounds.
Aaliyah Collins – Second Team All-Conference
In her senior season, Collins played in 28 games, starting 24 of those and averaging 10.3 points per game. Leading the team with 75 steals, Collins also showed up on the other side of the ball dropping double-digit points in 17 games, and in each of the four tournament games, including 18 points in the NCAA Tournament.
Below is the full list of selection for the 2025-26 Big South Preseason Polls
Rk Team (first-place votes) Points
1. High Point (6) 77
2. Longwood (1) 69
3. Radford (1) 67
4. Winthrop 48
5. Charleston Southern 41
6. USC Upstate 33
7. Gardner-Webb 25
8. Presbyterian College 23
9. UNC Asheville 22
Note: points are based on a weighted system. First-place votes received 9 points, followed by 8 points for second-place, and so on.
2025-26 Big South Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
First-Team
Nevaeh Zavala, High Point (Preseason Player of the Year)
Joi Williams, Radford
Amourie Porter, Winthrop
Amor Harris, Longwood
Cate Carlson, Radford
Second-Team
Aaliyah Collins, High Point
Anaya Harris, Gardner-Webb
Cassie Gallagher, USC Upstate
Malea Brown, Longwood
Tyonna Bailey, Charleston Southern
The Panthers open the season with an exhibition at North Carolina State University on October 18 at 7:00 p.m. The regular season opener will be on November 3 as Johnson C. Smith University comes to the Qubein Center for a 7:00 p.m. tip.
#H3U x #GoHPU