Yotes Women's Basketball Earns 2 First Place Votes in 2025-26 CCC Pre-Season Poll

MEDFORD, Ore. - The Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) announced it's women's basketball preseason poll. The Yotes earned two first place votes and were picked to finish fourth in a competitive field. They were only 10 points behind first place Lewis-Clark State College who took the top place. The Yotes return a strong core that matched their best ever finish in the national tournament after they upset the No. 5 seed University of Providence (Montana) in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament. " We are excited to build off of last year's success" said Head Coach Kyle Erickson. "We have a core that is coming back with experience and ready to make the next jump".

Key returners include veteran senior Taryn Riley. The 5-4 guard averaged 8 points per game last year. The two-way guard has 65 assists to go along with 33 steals. Her tenacity on the board notched her 84 rebounds on the year.

Junior Brooke Beresford looks to continue her momentum from last year. She led the team last season in points, averaging 10.8 points per games. The 5-10 post has 589 career points, 40 blocks, and 43 steals. She makes her presence known on both sides of the ball.

Kylie Waltermeyer looks to improver on her All-CCC honorable mention 2024-25 campaign. Her 40% from the field made her a dangerous offensive threat all year. The junior's persistence in rebounding grabbed her 119 boards on the season. Her quick hands nabbed 42 steals.

Key additions to the Yotes include newcomers Riley Beck and Rachel Jones who look to make instant impacts. Riley Beck will show off her athleticism and ability that earned her 2024-25 Southern Idaho Conference Player of the Year honors while playing for Owyhee High School in Meridian, Idaho. Rachel Jones standing tall at 6-1, brings strength and height to the Yotes roster. Her skill set earned her first team All-League honors while playing at Sam Barlow High School in Gresham, Oregon as well as Honorable Mention All-State.

Primed and ready to turn some heads nationally, the Yotes begin their regular season at Montana Tech on November 1st in Butte, Montana. Their first home game will be against The Master's University (Calif.) on November 21st during the Caldwell Classic basketball tournament.