The Benedictine College women's basketball program, under head coach Chad Folsom, who is entering his 26th season at the helm, is adding seven new recruits for the 2026-2027 season. Freshmen Ava Bruner, Kaitlyn Folsom, Ellie Helms, Ella Medlin, Kate Miller, and Elle Robinson, along with transfer Maria Luisa Montes will be joining the Lady Raven program that finished the year 24-8 last season and second in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
"These seven young ladies will be great additions to our Benedictine College women's basketball program," Coach Folsom said. "They have all been a part of very successful basketball programs and all know what it takes to be successful both on the court and in the classroom. In addition, they are all great people who will fit in very well with our Lady Raven culture. We welcome them all to our Lady Raven family and are looking forward to another great season."
Ava Bruner is a 6'5" post player who is coming to Benedictine College from Kansas City, Missouri, where she led her Faith Christian Academy basketball team all four years and was a 2x conference MVP. Her senior year, Ava averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 blocks per game. For her career, Ava scored 1,713 points, grabbed 1,270 rebounds, and had 345 blocks. She was also a state qualifier in cross country her senior year and was a member of the National Honor Society.
According to Coach Chad Folsom: "With her height and length, Ava has the ability to change the game on the defensive end. She is also a strong rebounder, runs the floor well, and has nice touch around the basket."
Kaitlyn Folsom is a 6'0" forward/post coming to Benedictine College from Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison, Kansas. Her senior year, Kaitlyn helped lead her Maur Hill-Mount Academy team to a 17-8 record and a sub-state runner-up while averaging 12 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, and 1.8 steals per game. Kaitlyn was a 3x First Team All-Conference and a 2x Honorable Mention All-State basketball player. She was also a multi-sport athlete in high school who earned 1st Team All-Conference honors in both volleyball and soccer her senior year. Kaitlyn was also a member of the National Honor Society.
According to Coach Chad Folsom: "Kaitlyn has good moves around the basket and has the ability to knock down the outside shot. She is a hard-worker and a great teammate who will fit in well with our Lady Raven program."
Ellie Helms is a 5'6" combo guard who is coming to Benedictine College from Columbus, Kansas. Ellie led her Riverton High School basketball team to an 18-5 record her senior season, while averaging 15 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2 steals per game. Ellie was a 2x First Team All-conference and a 2x Honorable Mention All-state basketball player at Riverton High School. She was also a multi-sport athlete excelling in track and field qualifying for state in both the triple jump and the 4 x 100 meter relay. Ellie was also a member of the National Honor Society.
According to Coach Chad Folsom: "Ellie is a very quick guard who sees the floor well and can score the ball at all three levels. She is also a strong defender who works extremely hard on both sides of the ball."
Ella Medlin is coming to Benedictine College from Lee's Summit, Missouri. She is a 5'8" guard who helped lead her Lee's Summit West High School team to a 28-4 record and a 3rd Place finish at the Missouri Class 6 State Tournament, while averaging 4.5 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.4 rebounds per game her senior season. Ella played her first three years of high school basketball at St. Michael the Archangel and was a 3x All-Conference and 3x All-District basketball player there. Ella was named to the Academic All-State team her senior year and was a member of the National Honor Society.
According to Coach Chad Folsom: "Ella is a great three-point shooter who also has the ability to attack the basket. She is an very hard worker on both ends of the floor and has a high basketball I.Q."
Kate Miller is a 5'8" guard coming to Benedictine College from Walton, Nebraska. Her senior year, Kate helped lead her Lincoln Pius X High School to a 21-5 record, while averaging 10 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game. Kate earned 2nd Team All-City and 2nd Team All-State Class B in Nebraska honors her senior season. Kate is also a multi-sport athlete who helped to lead her high school soccer team to two state runner-ups her sophomore and junior seasons and a state title her senior year. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.
According to Coach Chad Folsom: "Kate is a tenacious defender who plays very hard on both ends of the floor. She is aggressive at attacking the basket and has the ability to knock down the outside shot."
Elle Robinson is a 6'0" forward who is coming to Benedictine College from St. James Academy in Lenexa, Kansas. Her senior season, Elle helped lead her St. James Academy team to 23-5 record and a Kansas 5A State Championship, while averaging 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. Elle was named 1st Team All-League and 1st Team All-State her senior year. She was also a multi-sport athlete who helped lead her high school soccer team to a state runner-up her junior year and was named 2nd Team All-Conference her senior. Elle is also a member of the National Honor Society.
According to Coach Chad Folsom: "Elle is a very athletic player who can score all over the floor. She is a good defender, good passer, and a great teammate who will fit in very well with our Lady Raven family."
Maria Luisa Montes is a 5'10" forward from Sevilla, Spain who will be transferring to Benedictine College from NCAA Division II Emporia State University. Before Emporia State, Maria played two seasons at Central Arizona Community College in Coolidge, Arizona. While at Central Arizona College, Maria played in 56 games and averaged 9.5 points per game her sophomore season.
According to Coach Chad Folsom: "Having played three years of college basketball, Maria should provide great leadership and experience to our team. She is a versatile player who can shoot the three-point shot as well as score around the basket."
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