BETHLEHEM, Pa. – American University women's basketball senior Jade Edwards became the second player in program history to be selected as the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year, the league office announced on Thursday. 

The Eagles were predicted to finish fourth in the Patriot League behind defending champion Lehigh, Boston University, and Bucknell. Holy Cross was next in fifth behind AU, followed by Navy, Army West Point, Lafayette, Loyola Maryland, and Colgate.
 
This is the highest preseason ranking for the team since 2018 when American came in second before finishing as runner-up in the Patriot League Tournament, advancing into the WNIT. Since their entrance into the Patriot League in 2001, the Eagles have ranked in the top-three in the Patriot League Preseason Poll 10 times, and in the top-five 19 times including the last seven consecutive seasons.
 
American closed the 2020-21 season with its sixth Patriot League Tournament semifinal round in the last eight years. 
 
Edwards led the team last year with a career-high 17.4 ppg and 7.4 rpg, including four of her 11 career double-doubles and three games with over 20 points. Of those 20-point performances was the 10th-highest single-game performance in program history after she scored 31 against Lehigh early in the season.
 
A four-time All-Patriot League selection, including First Team and All-Defensive Team awards last season, this marks her second consecutive Preseason All-League Team and the program's second Preseason Player of the Year after Michelle Kirk ('11) earned the nod in 2010.
 
The Chicago, Ill., native has been poised to make waves in the program record books since her sophomore season. Despite a shortened schedule in 2020-21 due to COVID-19, cutting down from the usual 29-game regular season slate to nine, she has her sights set on becoming the fifth player in program history to break into the top-10 lists for scoring, rebounding, and blocks.
 
Now, heading into her fourth season and already committed to a fifth, Edwards sits nine blocks outside of her first spot in the career record books and needs 142 rebounds and 395 points to add her name to the other two. Both are well within her range for later this season when considering the averages from her sophomore (14.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and junior (17.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg) seasons.
 
The Eagles return four starters from last season including Edwards. Joining her is senior guard Emily Fisher, senior forward Taylor Brown, and junior forward Karla Vres. Fisher was second on the team in both points and rebounds while Brown was third. Vres led the team with 14 blocks during her sophomore season.

Junior forward Lauren Stack also returns after earning a starting spot in four games last year along with sophomore Ivy Bales who picked up three. The Eagles also bring back seniors Maddie Doring and Laura Graytok, both of whom opted out of the 2020-21 season. Doring stepped into a starting role during the latter part of the season in 2019-20.
 
American welcomed in an exciting pair of freshmen this season with Bailey Garbee (Sewickley, Pa.) and Jordyn Meunier (Longmeadow, Mass.), along with sophomore transfer Riley DeRubbo (Washington, Pa.).
 
AU will start its 2021-22 campaign on Tuesday, November 9, with a short trip to crosstown rival George Washington. The first four games of the season will be on the road before the Eagles host George Mason in their home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 23.
 
For the latest on American University women's basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_WBasketball) and Instagram (@auwbasketball).