Women's Basketball | July 08, 2022

AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken, in conjunction with head women's basketball coach Mark Miller, is pleased to announce the addition of five student-athletes for the 2022-23 academic year.

Olivia Ellis, Breanna Gustave, Marta Rivera, Rhiannon Saller and Kelsie Woodard will continue their athletic and academic careers at USC Aiken beginning this fall.

Ellis is a native of Claremont, N.C. The 5-6 guard attended Bunker Hill H.S. A two-time all-county and all-conference selection, Ellis garnered all-district accolades as a junior. She guided her team to a conference and sectional title as a junior. As a senior, she netted 18 points per game and drained 46 percent of her shots from distance. Ellis poured in a career-high 29 points during her senior season. As a junior, she accounted for 15.6 markers per contest. Outstanding off the court as well, Ellis is a member of the National Honor Society and is in the top five of her class.

"Olivia is a hard-working persistent guard who strives to be her best," Miller stated. "Her drive and bubbly personality will be an asset to our program. Olivia's ability to shoot from the outside is something we are looking to add to our already talented back court."

Gustave is a native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The 5-7 guard attended St. Thomas Aquinas H.S. A two-time all-county honoree, Gustave guided her team to a pair of state championships. The BCAA MVP as a senior picked up three BCAA all-tournament team accolades during her career. Gustave was the team MVP as a senior and garnered the Coaches Award as a junior. She also helped her Florida Girls Basketball AAU team win a national championship.

"We are thrilled to add Breanna to our USCA Family," Miller said. "She is a versatile guard who has the ability to play many different positions. She can score in several different ways and make those around her better. Breanna comes from a winning program and brings the toughness and energy needed to compete."

Rivera is a native of Villanueva del Pardillo, Spain. The 6-0 forward attended Quincy University for three seasons. There, she poured in a career-high 16 points against MacMurray. Rivera snagged a career-best 17 rebounds at Illinois Springfield as a sophomore. She accounted for 4.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game through 77 contests for the Hawks. Prior to attending Quincy, Rivera led her team to a title in the Spanish Championship in 2019 and to a pair of titles at Madrid's Final Four in 2019 and 2017.  

"We are excited to welcome Marta to USC Aiken women's basketball," Miller stated. "Marta brings valuable playing experience and the flexibility to play both post positions. Her versatility of being able to stretch the floor, as well as play inside will be beneficial to our young team."

Saller is a native of Beecher, Ill. She attended Beecher H.S. There, Saller was named to the all-conference team all four years. She picked up all-area accolades as a senior. Saller poured in 12 points per game and snagged eight rebounds a contest as a senior. In all, she grabbed over 550 rebounds during her career.

"Rhiannon brings athleticism, versatility and depth to our post play," Miller commented. "She has the ability to play on the perimeter, score off the bounce post someone up and score on the block. Her length will be beneficial in defending inside as well as rebounding."
  
Woodard is a native of Frenchburg, Ky. She attended Menifee County H.S. The 6-1 center poured in 2,343 points and snagged 1,687 rebounds during her career. Both marks are the most in county history. An all-state selection as a senior, Woodard picked up all-district accolades four times and all-tournament team honors three times. A two-time all-region honoree, Woodard left Menifee County H.S. as the winningest player in history.   

"Kelsie is a strong, hard-nosed post player that also brings great versatility to our roster," Miller said. "She is an outstanding passer for a big, who will help open up some other options on the offensive end. Her length and size on the inside, along with her ability to rebound will help alter our opponents offensive game."

The five will join fellow newcomers Mary Cartee, Annalise Malone and Hailey Unger on campus this coming season.