Fraser Valley – The UFV Cascades women’s basketball team announced the signing of three stand-out recruits in advance on the 2024-25 season on Saturday.
Ankita Chopra, Kyanna Knodel, and Miah Schuurman will look to step in and make an instant impact for a UFV women’s basketball squad that has spent most of the past two years in the top-10 of the USPORTS national rankings.
“With these three we have taken a big step in solidifying our programs future success on and off the court,” explained UFV head coach Al Tuchscherer.
“Our current group has represented our university in such an outstanding way, our challenge is to keep that momentum going. We think these three really fit what our program is looking for. They love to get in the gym, they are competitors, great students, and really good teammates.”
“Additionally, this is one of the more athletic recruiting classes we’ve had and that’s an area we were hoping to add to our team. I know they have already made some connections with our current team and its really intriguing to see how they will impact our program next season and beyond.”
Miah Schuurman
5’11” Guard / Forward
Chilliwack, BC
Unity Christian School / Excel Basketball
Starting for Unity Christian since grade 10, Schuurman has led the team to back-to-back second place finishes at the BC Single A Provincial Championships, while also being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player both years.
“I chose UFV because they push their players but they also value team culture as much as they value their wins,” explained Schuurman. ‘The players go head-to-head at every practice and never let up on one another, but they also laugh together, encourage one another, and celebrate their victories as a team, not as individuals. UFV practices, trains, and strengthens with purpose which you can see in all the players and coaches. This is something that stuck out to me. I can’t wait to practice, train, and strengthen with a purpose here.”
“I want to play an important role on the team, both on and off the court, and know that everyone is working towards getting the win and pushing each other to become the best version of themselves. I want to push the envelope of what I can accomplish, and what this team can accomplish together.”
The Cascades continue their 2023-24 season this weekend as they visit the Mount Royal University Cougars in Calgary on Friday and Saturday. Both games can be seen live at canadawest.tv.
The Cascades are also getting set to host the 2024 Canada West Women’s Basketball Championships from February 21-25. Tournament passes are on sale now, with single session tickets to be released at a later date. For more information, visit gocascades.ca/canadawestwbb.
