Women’s Basketball Signs Six Players to NLIs

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball head coach Brian Neal has announced the addition of six student-athletes to his 2017-18 roster. The six individuals recently signed National Letters of Intent during the NCAA's early signing period.

"We are pleased to welcome six outstanding young women into our program," Neal said. "Our coaching staff did a great job of identifying players who are talented and have strong character traits. They will be valuable additions to the Xavier family."

THE SIGNING CLASS

Name	Ht.	Pos.	Hometown (HS)
Jordyn Dawson	5-10	G/F	Huntington, W.V. (Huntington HS)
Aaliyah Dunham	5-4	G	South Charleston, W.V. (South Charleston HS)
A'riana Gray	6-0	F	Cleveland, Ohio (Maple Heights HS)
Alyson Reiff	5-11	G	South Whitley, Ind. (Whitko HS)
Deja Ross	6-0	F	Providence, R.I. (Pomfret HS)
Princess Stewart	5-9	G	Frankfort, Ky. (Franklin Co. HS)

JORDYN DAWSON

• Was named the 2016 West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year
• Was also tabbed the West Virginia Sportswriters' Player of the Year and the MSAC Conference Player of the Year in 2016
• Earned all-state first team honors as a junior
• Helped her team to a Class AAA Runner-Up finish in 2016
• Has helped her team compile a 60-12 record over the last three seasons
• Averaged 20.1 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game as a junior… added 7.3 steals and 2.1 blocks per game

NEAL ON DAWSON

"Jordyn has a high motor and was one of the most dominant rebounders we saw last summer. She's great in transition and can drive the ball. She can also guard any position on the floor and do it well, but above all else, we love the fact that when the game is at its toughest – so is she."

AALIYAH DUNHAM

• Was named the Kanawha Valley Player of the Year in 2016
• Earned all-conference first-team honors as a junior
• Helped her team capture the 2016 MSAC Conference Title

NEAL ON DUNHAM

"Aaliyah is a consummate leader with an energetic personality that raises the level of everyone around her. On the court, she has game-changing quickness. We love that she has the ability to score in many ways, but is smart and unselfish enough to get everyone involved."

ARI GRAY

• Competes in both basketball and track and field
• Earned all-conference first-team honors in 2015
• Was selected as team MVP as a junior
• Earned all-conference academic team honors in 2015
• Is also a member of the honor roll

NEAL ON GRAY

"Ari was the first commitment we received in this class. She's a great athlete and has the kind of instincts that's always around the ball. Her versatility is a big weapon. She's great in transition. She can play inside or step out and shoot it. We also love the fact that she's a relentless rebounder."

ALY REIFF

• Averaged 19.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game as a junior… added 3.8 steals per game
• Helped her team to a school record 19 wins in 2016… Whitko HS has recorded 51 over the last three seasons with Reiff on the roster
• Reiff has already become her school's all-time leader in scoring, steals and assists
• Set the single-season scoring record (497) in 2016… also set the single-season record for steals (100) and assists (143)
• Is a three-time Three Rivers Conference First-Team Selection
• Was named to the ICGSA All-State First Team in 2016

NEAL ON REIFF

"We love Aly's toughness and all-around game. She's a big guard and competes on each possession. Offensively, she can shoot it and score, but we love her intangibles and ability to help her team win."

DEJA ROSS

• Has earned all-conference first-team honors three times
• Has eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark in only three seasons
• Was a two-time Class C All-Star in women's basketball
• Has earned Class B All-Start honors twice in women's basketball
• Earned All-NEPSAC Conference honors in basketball and volleyball
• Was named to the ICGSA All-State First Team in 2016

NEAL ON ROSS

"Deja provides us with a lot of versatility as an inside-out presence. She's strong enough to battle in the post, but we love how offensively skilled she is stretching the floor with her shooting ability and drives it hard to the rim."

PRINCESS STEWART

• Helped her high school team to state-runner up finish in 2016
• Averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a junior… also added 3.0 assists and 2.9 steals per game

NEAL ON STEWART

"Princess is a big, versatile guard, who can play any perimeter position on the floor. She has the skill to make all the plays in a game and we love her basketball IQ and composure on the floor in tough situations."

CLOSING REMARKS FROM NEAL

"Across the board, this is a group of highly competitive young women who bring a lot of skill and versatility to our team."

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