WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Nov. 5) – For a second-straight season, the Waynesburg University women's basketball team will be able to rely on a large, talented senior class to guide it through the rigors of a Presidents' Athletic Conference schedule. This year's squad, led by 19th-year head coach Sam Jones, will look to not only improve on last year's 12-13 overall record (8-8 in PAC), but return to the conference tournament for the first time in six years.
Despite graduating a six-woman class that included second-team all-conference point guard Kalista Friday, Waynesburg has no shortage of proven, experienced producers. Senior backcourt mates Kara McFadden (Painesville, Ohio / Fairport Harding) and Mia Henkins (Morgantown, W.Va. / Morgantown) started a combined 41 games while appearing in 49 contests this past winter.
McFadden leads all returners in points scored per game (10.6 ppg), free throw percentage (90.2%) and assists (63). Henkins averaged 9.5 points per contest and added 36 assists and 19 steals, while playing some of the best defense on the team.
There's no shortage of experienced depth between that pair. Senior Maddie Hall (Spencer, W.Va. / Roane County), senior Hannah Ault (Romney, W.Va. / Hampshire), senior Ray Baniaga (Kalihi, Hawaii / Sacred Hearts), junior Gracelin Corley (Elkins, W.Va. / Elkins), junior Macie Justice (Washington, Pa. / Trinity) and sophomore Elayna Thomas (Three Springs, Pa. / Southern Harrington) all saw action in multiple contests last year. Justice leads the group with seven starts over 25 games played.
Waynesburg is also getting a boost from the return of senior Jaden Sturm (Clarksburg, W.Va. / Robert C. Byrd), who missed all of last season. Sturm logged 19 starts over 23 games as a sophomore.
Moving to the low post, the Jackets will lean heavily on senior Julz Mohrbacher (Freedom, Pa. / Freedom) for rebounding and interior defense. She led the squad with 7.2 boards per contest and tallied a team-best 14 blocks despite not joining the team until December because of her responsibilities to the Jacket women's soccer team.
Jones expects a much larger impact in the front court from this year's nine-person class of newcomers, as compared to the guards due to a smaller returner group and solid size amongst the new additions. However, a healthy Kayla Howard (Midway, Pa. / West Allegheny), would be a welcome sight. Howard was cleared for action this offseason after missing all of last year and most of the 2024-25 campaign with a serious injury. During her one healthy campaign in Orange and Black (2023-24), Howard ranked third in the PAC in blocks per game (1.6), while also posting 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest over 21 starts.
Waynesburg tips off the 2026-27 schedule on Friday, Nov. 6, with a 7 p.m. non-conference matchup at Mount Aloysius. The Jackets play their first game at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 11, against Pitt Greensburg. That will be the first of four home clashes in five games that includes the PAC opener against perennial league powerhouse Washington & Jefferson on Saturday, Nov. 21.
