ETTRICK, Va. – The Virginia State University women's basketball team will begin its 2018-19 season on Friday, Nov. 9 – Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Tip-off Classic hosted by Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. The Trojans will take on the Fighting Scots of Edinboro University on Friday at 7:30 p.m., followed by a tilt with Cheyney on Saturday at 2 p.m. on Virginia Union University campus.

The Trojans finished the 2017-18 campaign with a 23-6 overall record, 12-4 CIAA, where the Trojans made an appearance in the 2018 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Atlantic Region Tournament.   

The Trojans will return four players from last year's roster. Key returners include: senior Aja Robertson, senior Chrisanna Green, senior Taylor Hayes and junior Ebony Reynolds. Robertson, the senior guard from Bells, Tennessee, averaged 7.2 points a game will be leaned on for her senior leadership.  Green is a senior from Jamestown, New York averaged 13.1 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.  Taylor Hayes and Ebony Reynolds will be leaned upon to help out with leadership and keep the team focused. Shayln Washington (Richmond, Va.) is returning and will make an immediate impact to the team.

Newcomers to the team that are looking to make an immediate impact are sophomore Autumn Hopson (Gainesville, VA), junior Yazmen  Hannah (Hickory, NC), junior Tajah Clark (Clayton, NC), senior Asia Timmons (Virginia Beach, VA), freshman Jalynn Spaulding  (Lawrence, NJ), freshman Jeane' Robinson(Stafford, VA), junior BriAllen McIver (Williamsburg, VA), junior Zhane Barnes (Fredericksburg, VA) and sophomore Brianna Jones (Waverly, VA).are coming off a 6-23 overall record in 2017-18 and will look to improve upon that mark with the addition of nine newcomers and two starters from a season ago in senior guards Tahniya Sweatt (Pasadena, CA) and KlinTisha Martin (Atlanta, GA) who posted 11.8 and 11.1 points per game, respectively.

Virginia State was recently picked to finish 3rd overall in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference. Head coach James Hill Jr. will begin his 13^th season at the helm of the program.

Edinboro, a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opens the 2018-19 slate coming off a 27-4 overall record in last season's campaign. The Fighting Scots were predicted to finish in the top spot in the PSAC Wester Division, returning four starters including PSAC West Athlete of the Year and Defensive Athlete of the Year Ciara Rosten. Rosten averaged 15.8 ppg., second on the team, while leading the team in rebounding at 12.2 rpg. In addition, she was second on the team in assists (108).

Friday's clash will mark the third consecutive time that both Virginia State and Edinboro have faced with both schools meeting in the NCAA DII Women's Basketball Atlantic Regional Tournament with the score in favor of the Fighting Scots 80-55 on March 9, 2018.

Cheyney is coming off a 6-22 overall record last year. Virginia State and Cheyney last met was on November 28, 2014 with the Trojans taking a 88-53 win in Daniel Gymnasium.

Following this weekend's tip-off classic, Virginia State will host a Paine College in the VSU Multipurpose Center on Nov. 12. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m.

For the most up-to-date information on VSU women's basketball, visit www.govsutrojans.com and follow Trojan Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports.