Lady Dawgs Start the New Year with a Business Trip to the Virgin Islands
ST. THOMAS, USVI – Blue waters and sandy beaches sound like a beautiful place to be in January. For the Fisk University Lady Bulldogs, a trip to the Virgin Islands is a chance to start 2024 on a good note when they take on the University of the Virgin Islands Lady Buccaneers in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference play.
"While it is good to be in a vacation spot, we have some business to take care of," said Fisk Head Coach Victoria Crawford. "They will have some fun, but we will not let them get distracted. This is a conference game so this counts as two games. We need to start 2024 on a positive note."
The Lady Bulldogs (7-6, 4-1 GCAC) have been on a roll, going 5-1 in December, including winning against Talladega College and the University of Tennessee Southern for the first time in school history. Power forward Maya Buckhanon won GCAC Player of the Week all four times in December and was named the NAIA National and Tennessee Sports Writers Association Player of the Week on December 11.
The WMG "Pick 2 Click" is Laila Eliotti. Before the break, Eliotti has been nursing a lower-body injury. She is now 100% and can open things with her outside shooting.
Game 14: Fisk University (7-6, 4-1 GCAC) at the University of the Virgin Islands (0-6, 0-2 GCAC)
Date/Time: Thursday, January 4 | 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Watch: HBCU Plus
Live stats: Fisk (TN) at Virgin Islands | PrimeTime | Thu, Jan. 4, 2024 6:00 PM AST (uviathletics.com)
Location: Elridge Sports Fitness Center, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Crawford Charisma
Head coach Victoria Crawford has gained a lot of ground in the community after only being in Nashville for a little over a year. She put on a fundraising golf tournament this summer that was well attended. Crawford has crossed with some of the Who's Who of the Nashville scene, including Johari Matthews of the Tennessee Titans, politicians like Deputy Mayor Brenda Haywood, State Representative Dr. Harold Love, and Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry. When she arrived to play at the University of Memphis, she followed Nashville Judge Rachel Bell there.
Maya's Many Accolades
Maya Buckhanon returns this season after being named to the NAIA All-American Second Team. Buckhanon was the GCAC Most Valuable and Defensive Player of the Year. So far this season, she has been named the GCAC Player of the Week five times, the TSWA Player of the Week twice, and she was voted as the NAIA National Player of the Week once.
Hanging With Coach Cooper
Last season, Anthony Cooper was named the GCAC Assistant Coach of the Year. Cooper is one of the hottest prospects around the country for a head coaching job.
Gibbs Giving Game
Liz Gibbs came to Fisk this season as a highly touted transfer from Division I Austin Peay State University. After a slow start, she has been on fire for the past two games, scoring 16 points in each game and earning the final GCAC Newcomer of the Week award for 2023.
Eliotti Excels
Junior Laila Eliotti has represented Fisk well on and off the court. The Computer Science major spent part of her last two summers in Seattle, Washington, interning with the Meta University Software Engineering Academy and Zillow.
Zip, Fast and in a Hurry
Senior Zipporah Davis is the lone returner named to the GCAC all-preseason team. She is ranked second in returner scorers on the team at 9.3 ppg. Her quickness on the defensive end will also be depended upon for the Lady Bulldog's success this season.
Old Faces, Same Spaces
Some old faces are back on the court for Fisk. After taking a year off, junior post player De'Lesia Scott and classmate power forward Mya Robinson are back in uniform. They, along with A'NIya Young and Eliotti, were part of the Notorious Nine recruiting class of 2021.
NEXT UP:
The Lady Bulldogs will state a three-game homestand with a game against GCAC foe Oakwood University on January 9.