NEW ORLEANS – Seniors
Daisia Mitchell and
Joi Williams earned spots on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, with Mitchell securing first-team honors and Williams earning second-team selection, the conference announced Monday.
Mitchell returns to the Mountaineers following a breakout junior campaign in which she finished second on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and rebounding (3.9 rpg) across 30 games, starting 29. She posted 19 double-digit scoring performances last season, including a five-game stretch where she surpassed 17 points three times. Mitchell's top performance came against Norfolk State on Nov. 11, 2025, when she scored 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, alongside five rebounds and three assists.
Williams joins App State after a standout career at Radford, where she earned All-Big South First Team recognition in back-to-back seasons (2025, 2026). A 1,000-point scorer, she earned Big South All-Tournament Team accolades in 2024 and 2026, setting the third-highest single-tournament scoring total in conference history during the 2026 event. Williams wrapped up the 2025–26 season averaging 15.1 points while shooting 37% from 3-point range.
The Mountaineers open the 2026-27 campaign Nov. 2 in the first leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge, traveling to face Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Season and single-game tickets for the 2026–27 season are available at
appstatesports.evenue.net or by calling the App State Athletics Ticket Office at 828-262-7733.
Preseason Player of the Year
Crislyn Rose, Arkansas State [4th | G | Sachse, Texas]
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Tessa Grady, Coastal Carolina [R-Jr. | F | Dublin, Ohio]
Jordan Marshall, Louisiana Tech [3rd | F | Little Rock, Ark.]
Daisia Mitchell, App State [Sr. | G | Riverside, Calif.]
Bree Robinson, James Madison [4th | G | Mississauga, Ontario]
Crislyn Rose, Arkansas State [4th | G | Sachse, Texas]
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Imani Daniel, Louisiana [So. | F | Gramercy, La.]
Aniya Hubbard, Troy [5th | G | Hoover, Ala.]
Olivia Olson, Marshall [So. | G | New Smyrna Beach, Fla.]
Zakiya Stephenson, James Madison [4th | G | Virginia Beach, Va.]
Joi Williams, App State [Sr. | G | Leesburg, Va.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Kayla Cleaveland, Georgia Southern [2nd | F | Woodstock, Ga.]
Grace McDonough, James Madison [2nd | F | Harleysville, Pa.]
Chrysta Narcisse, Southern Miss [R-Jr. | G | Lafayette, La.]
Riley Stack, Old Dominion [4th | F | Piedmont, S.C.]
Alexia Weaver, Louisiana Tech [4th | G | Louisville, Ky.]
Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. James Madison – 189 (11)
2. Troy – 166
3. Arkansas State – 165 (1)
4. Marshall – 151 (1)
5. Louisiana Tech – 148 (1)
6. Old Dominion – 106
T7. Coastal Carolina – 99
T7. Southern Miss – 99
9. App State – 79
10. ULM – 77
11. Georgia Southern – 62
12. South Alabama – 61
13. Louisiana – 42
14. Georgia State – 26
*
Parentheses indicate first-place votes
