OPENING TIP

• Utah Valley University opens the 2021-22 season on Tuesday, Nov. 9 against Park University, an NAIA school out of Gilbert, Arizona. Tuesday also marks the opening of season three for head coach Dan Nielson and his staff.
• On Thursday, the Wolverines will host Mountain West favorite Fresno State at 7 p.m. MT in the UCCU Center. This week's games begin a stretch of five of the first seven games at home for UVU.
• Nielson is 1-1 in his first two season openers, including a win over in-state rival and future WAC mate Southern Utah last year. Since moving to NCAA Division I in 2003-04, the Wolverines are 5-13 in season-opening contests, going 4-7 when they open the year at home.
• After playing five of their first seven games at home, UVU will play seven straight road games including the first two of the WAC regular season.

THE 2021-22 WOLVERINES
Utah Valley returns four starters and eight letterwinners from last year's team, including first-team All-WAC selections Maria Carvalho and Josie Williams. Carvalho averaged 12.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while Williams led the Wolverines in points (14.2), rebounds (8.1) and a WAC-best 1.9 blocks per game, while hitting  53.0% from the field.

Also returning are starters Shay Fano (9.9 ppg) and Kayla Anderson (4.8 ppg) along with Madison Grange, Megan Jensen, Eleyana Tafisi and Elina Tausinga. Emma Martin (Jones), who redshirted in the spring after returning from an LDS mission, is also back. The Wolverine newcomers include BYU transfers Babalu Stewart (Ugwu) and Tahlia White and freshmen Saige Gibb, Ally Blackham, Abby Conlee, and Mae Afoa.

BY THE NUMBERS
In 2020-21, Utah Valley led the WAC and ranked 43rd in the country with a +5.0 rebounding margin. The team also led the league and was 45th nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 58.8 points per game.

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Park University has split the first two games of its season, defeating Ottawa University Arizona, 89-49, before a 99-81 defeat aginst Arizona Christian. The Wolverines and Buccaneers were scheduled to meet last season, but Covid caused the cancelation of the game, making this the first meeting between the programs. Former UVU player Macy Markus, who appeared in seven games during the 2019-20 season, is now with Park and averaging 12.0 points per game through the first two contests.

Fresno State is led by reigning Mountain West Player of the Year Haley Cavinder, who averaged 19.8 points per game last season. Her sister, Hanna, joined her on the Preseason All-Mountain West Team. The Bulldogs went 17-11 last season and won their opening round game of the WNIT over Missouri. They are coached by former Utah Valley All-American Jaime White, who is in her eighth season at the helm. White played for Tom Perkins and was an NJCAA All-American in 1989.

COMING UP
The Wolverines hit the road next week starting with a trip to Cedar City to face Southern Utah on Tuesday, Nov. 16. UVU will also travel to Nevada for an afternoon contest on Saturday, Nov. 20.