SPARTANBURG, S.C. --- Chattanooga women's basketball saw three student-athletes take home All-SoCon honors to wrap up the 2024-25 regular season, as was announced by the league office on Tuesday.
Caia Elisaldez found a spot on the All-Southern Conference First Team for her efforts over the course of the season, while Sigrun Olafsdottir and Gianna Corbitt each found their way onto the SoCon All-Defensive Team and SoCon All-Freshman Team, respectively.
This now marks back-to-back seasons in which UTC has finished with at least one player on the SoCon's First Team All-Conference, All-Defensive and All-Freshman Team lists all in the same season.
Elisaldez made waves in the SoCon in just her second season of college basketball, as the Whittier, California, native sliced and diced her way to becoming the 60th Chattanooga women's basketball in program history to earn a spot on the All-Conference First Team.
Arguably one of the most fun players to watch in the conference, Elisaldez had a breakout year in which she led the Mocs in both scoring (14.2 points/game) and assists (4.7 assists/game) while also averaging 2.7 rebounds/game and 1.2 steals/game. Her points/game and assists/game figures are currently both good enough to rank second in the entire league.
"Caia has grown so much this year," head coach Deandra Schirmer said. "We have relied on her night in and night out and she has been consistently dominant for us. She has worked so hard and she is showcasing just how talented she is. I am so proud of her and how far she has come,"
Elisaldez wrapped up 2024-25 as a two-time SoCon Player of the Week for the Mocs, having won the award on Nov. 26 as well as March 3. This season alone, Elisaldez has been a double-digit scorer for the Mocs a total of 20 times including each of the last 10 games. Elisaldez has also scored 20+ points for UTC on six separate occasions, all of which have come during SoCon play this year.
Now a two-time SoCon All-Defensive Team honoree, Olafsdottir heads into what will be her final SoCon Tournament in a UTC jersey after cementing herself as one of the conference's premier on-ball defenders. This is just the sixth time in program history that a Moc has been named to the league's All-Defensive Team, and Olafsdottir now joins Abbey Cornelius as one of only two Mocs to be a multi-time All-Defensive Team honoree.
Olafsdottir is capping off a 2024-25 campaign in which she had a career year on the defensive side of the ball, setting a new single-season high in her career with 64 total steals and a team-high 2.4 steals/game average. Often matched up against the opposition's leading scorer, Olafsdottir has gained a reputation over the last five seasons for being a thorn in the side of whoever she is guarding, no matter the name.
"Sigrun is the glue that holds our team together," Coach Schirmer said. "She is so vital to our success and she never gets the recognition she truly deserves. She is the best defender in our conference and has led our team throughout the season."
This season also saw Olafsdottir etch her name into UTC's record books on multiple occasions, as the Iceland native officially became the program recordholder for most career games played (147) and most career game started (144) this season, while also entering the program's Top 10 in career steals (195). Her defensive prowess become all that more impressive when noting that Olafsdottir actively leads the entire NCAA in minutes played/game (38.32) this season.
Corbitt caps off what has been a productive rookie campaign for the young, Oakland Park, Florida, native. She is now the 17th Moc to be named to the conference's All-Freshman Team. Chattanooga has now had a freshman make the list in each of the last three seasons.
The six-foot-one forward has blossomed as her first season of collegiate basketball has progressed, with Corbitt ending the regular season averaging 10.4 points/game, 7.1 rebounds/game, 1.5 steals/game and 0.7 blocks/game. Corbitt's rebound (sixth), steal (sixth) and block (eighth) totals are also good enough to rank inside of the Top 10 in the entire conference. Corbitt also leads all SoCon freshmen in double-doubles this season, as her five total on the year are not only more than the rest of the league's freshmen combined, but rank 11th amongst all freshmen in the NCAA.
"Gianna has been that X-Factor for us this season," Schirmer said. "She has been a consistent scorer and elite rebounder for us. Even as a freshman, she has never shied away from the moment and has shown how much of a true competitor she is."
Corbitt also made some major waves earlier this season by being named as the Southern Conference Player of the Week back on Feb. 18. By bringing in the honor, Corbitt became just the fifth freshman in program history to take home the league's Player of the Week award.
Elisaldez, Olafsdottir, Corbitt and the rest of the Chattanooga women's basketball crew now turns their attention to the 2025 Southern Conference, which kicks off for the Mocs this Thursday, March 6 at 1:15 p.m. ET when two-seeded Chattanooga takes on seven-seeded Mercer in the opening round of the tournament. A win would see UTC through to the semifinals, pitting the Mocs either against No. 3 seed ETSU or No. 6 seed Furman at 1:15 p.m. ET on Friday, March 7. The SoCon Tournament title game is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 9 in Asheville, North Carolina. All tournament games are to be played at the Harrah's Cherokee Center.
2024-25 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE AWARD & ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
Player of the Year: Evangelia Paulk, Wofford
Defensive Player of the Year: Evangelia Paulk, Wofford
Freshman of the Year: Nya Smith, UNCG
Sixth Woman of the Year: Nya Smith, UNCG
Coach of the Year: Trina Patterson, UNCG
Ann Lashley Inspiration Award: Meghan Downing, ETSU and Libby Privett, Wofford
First Team All-SoCon (expanded due to tie)
Courtney Moore, ETSU
Nya Smith, UNCG
Caia Elisaldez, Chattanooga
AC Carter, Western Carolina
Evangelia Paulk, Wofford
Helen Matthews, Wofford
Second Team All-SoCon
Tate Walters, Furman
Jayde Gamble, UNCG
Khalis Cain, UNCG
Kennedy Langham, Samford
Claire Johnson, Samford
All-Defensive Team
Meghan Downing, ETSU
Khalis Cain, UNCG
Emily Bowman, Samford
Sigrun Olafsdottir, Chattanooga
Evangelia Paulk, Wofford
All-Freshman Team (expanded due to tie)
Carmen Richardson, ETSU
Clare Coyle, Furman
Nya Smith, UNCG
Claire Johnson, Samford
Gianna Corbitt, Chattanooga
Molly Masingale, Wofford
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