The 2024-25 basketball season is fast approaching, and the Saginaw Valley State University program is ready for it. The team finished 10-19 and 7-11 in the GLIAC last season ending the year in the GLIAC Quarterfinal with a 54-47 loss to the Ferris State Bulldogs who went on a run to the Division II Final Four. Looking to the upcoming season, the Cardinals return nine of their 13 on the roster and welcome three incoming freshman and one new senior.
Head coach Jenny Pruett enters her sixth season along with assistant coach Rob McDonald in his third. Ashley Wellman joins the staff as a volunteer assistant coach for 2024-25 campaign. Leading SVSU on the court are two seniors, Aleshia Jones and Saniaa Walker. Jones was the eighth leading scorer in the GLIAC last year with 308 points and averaged 12.3 points per game. Jones and Walker were also in the top 10 in average steals per game with 2.1 and 1.6 respectively placing them tied for third and tied for ninth. Leading the GLIAC in steals per game was Lydia Meredith who is one of the four returning juniors on the team. Meredith had 57 steals for an average of 2.3 per game. Joining Meredith in the junior class are Emma Dziezgowski, Lauren Sollom, and Maggie Keinsley. Returning from their freshman year as sophomores are Megan McCalla, Emma Riley, and Mari Bink. Elizabeth Stuart joins the team in her senior year as a dual-sport athlete. She enters her fourth year as a member of the SVSU tennis team and her first with the basketball program. Rounding out the team of 13 are the three incoming freshman, Lainey Yater, Beckham Hockley, and Ava Locklear.
The Cardinals kick off the season on the road on November 8 when they head to their rival, Northwood. The day after, the team will head to Findlay before coming home to welcome Hillsdale on Friday, November 15 for their home opener. SVSU heads back on the road to take on Pitt.-Johnstown the following Monday before hosting Ursuline on Sunday, November 24. Saginaw Valley wraps up November on the road at Walsh before starting GLIAC play with Grand Valley and Davenport in town the first weekend of December. They finish non-conference play with Thomas More and Tiffin over the holiday break before heading back into GLIAC play in January. SVSU will host 14 games at O'Neill Arena throughout the season.
Saginaw Valley placed seventh out of 11 teams in the GLIAC preseason poll. They acquired 44 points and sit behind Wayne State with 66. They lead Purdue Northwest with 31, Davenport with 29, Roosevelt with 20, and Lake Superior State with 18. Aleshia Jones earned preseason honors being one of the five named to the Preseason All-GLIAC second team.