The University of the Fraser Valley women's basketball program has signed a pair of coveted high school seniors.
Jessica Zawada, a multi-talented guard/forward out of Richmond's R.A. McMath Secondary, and Katherine Holden, a sharpshooting point guard from G.W. Graham Secondary in Chilliwack, have committed to the Cascades and will suit up for head coach Al Tuchscherer's squad in the fall.
Tuchscherer's 2016 recruiting class now has four members, with Zawada and Cameron joining a pair of previously announced signees – point guard Victoria Jacobse (W.J. Mouat Secondary) and wing Jessica Cameron (Western Canada High School, Calgary, Alta.).
Zawada recently wrapped up a stellar senior season with the R.A. McMath Wildcats, leading her squad to a silver medal at the B.C. AAA senior girls championship.
Zawada was named the Wildcats' player of the game in the final after netting a team-high 13 points, and was voted a third team tournament all-star. She was also awarded the Quinn Keast Foundation AAA Girls Scholarship, given to the tournament's most complete player, and received one of five Telus scholarships.
"I think she'll be a great forward in Canada West," Tuchscherer said. "She's got the ability to put the ball on the floor, she's a great rebounder, and she's a very good mid-range shooter.
Zawada plans to major in science at UFV.
"My goals for my time at UFV are to train hard for the competitive university environment and to always play with tenacity."
Holden just finished leading the G.W. Graham Grizzlies to their first B.C. AA provincial championship tournament, at which they ended up in eighth place.
The point guard also guided her team to a silver medal at the Fraser Valley zone championship, earning second-team all-star honours, and picked up a player-of-the-game award versus Vernon at provincials.
"I think Katherine has a ton of potential," Tuchscherer said. "She plays the game with a lot of confidence. She's a very good shooter, and can score in a number of different ways.
Earlier this season, Holden earned all-star nods at the Seycove, Sa-Hali and G.W. Graham high school tournaments. She was named MVP of the Grizzlies senior girls basketball team in 2014-15, and showcased her multi-sport bonafides as MVP of Graham's junior girls volleyball squad in 2013-14.
"I chose UFV because of the chemistry I have with the coaches and some players already," said Holden, who will study kinesiology. "I had played on the Junior Cascades club teams since Grade 7 and I wanted to continue on as a member of the Cascade family. My dreams and goals are to build a strong connection with the whole team, from the players to the staff and everyone in between. I also want to become more of a threat in the paint and a quicker defender."