CEDAR CITY, Utah -- The start of college basketball season is less than a week away, and the return of action on the court means a return to action for a dominant Southern Utah frontcourt that is looking to make a splash in the team's first year back in the Big Sky Conference.
Any team that can rebound well stands a good chance to win a lot of games every year, and the Thunderbirds were among the very best in the nation at cleaning the glass last season, finishing 21st among all Division I teams with 41.53 boards per game and outrebounding opponents by an average of 7.7. Southern Utah will look to do more of the same in 2026-27 as both of the team's leading rebounders return at forward, poised for special seasons.
Ava Uhrich returns for her senior season at Southern Utah after a stellar campaign that saw her finish top-30 in the country in rebounds with 9.9 per game, as well as second on the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game. Having played for the Thunderbirds her entire college career, Uhrich is poised to break the career rebounds record, as averaging eight rebounds per game would clear the 929 career boards Challis Pascucci collected for the Thunderbirds from 2007-11.
Brooklyn Fely joined Southern Utah last year as a transfer from Umpqua Community College in Oregon and immediately made a name for herself, averaging over 13 points and eight rebounds per game while shooting .478 from the field, good for second among all Thunderbirds with at least 50 field goal attempts. With one season at the Division I level under her belt, Fely is sure to have her sights set on an even bigger performance for Southern Utah moving into season two.
When asked about the impact of Uhrich and Fely returning to the team, Head Coach Tracy Mason said:
"It's pretty special to have them back because they're such emotional leaders for us … They're high-energy, competitive people. They really hold the team accountable and hold the team to a high level. They have great relationships with their teammates, but they also have high expectations of themselves and their teammates."
Denver Anderson returns for her junior season after appearing in all 32 games for the Thunderbirds last year, averaging 10.5 minutes per game. The best three-point shooter among Southern Utah's returning bigs, Anderson finished fourth in three-point percentage among Thunderbirds averaging at least one attempt per game, making 10 triples on 33 attempts.
The Thunderbirds have two forwards looking to make a name for themselves and work their way into a regular rotation spot. Redshirt sophomore Emily Scholtes appeared in nine games for Southern Utah in 2025-26, averaging 6.7 minutes in each contest, while freshman Diana Sorrondo comes to Cedar City from Oak Park High School in Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Winning at a high level requires great play from your frontcourt, and with a mix of strong veteran leadership, elite rebounding ability, and young players looking to prove themselves, Southern Utah's forwards are poised to play at the level required for the Thunderbirds to compete for a Big Sky championship right away.
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