TIP OFF: The Dixie State women's basketball team will officially dive into Division 1 play as it will play host to the Buccaneers from Park University this week.

The Trailblazers (0-0, 0-0 WAC) welcome Park to St. George for its first taste of D1 with this Buccaneers vs. Trailblazers showdown. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Live video and live stats will be provided for the game. Links can be found at 
www.dixiestateathletics.com.

ALL-TIME VS. PARK: Saturday's matchup with the Buccaneers marks the first official meeting between Dixie State and Park. 

KNOW YOUR FOE:  Park finished last season with a 13-15 over
all record. The Buccaneers return eight players from last years squad.  Park opened the season at SAGU-American Indian University and picked up an 89-62 win back on October 29. They have played two games this week facing off against Arizona Christian and falling 71-56. They also took on SAGU-AIC for a second time and came away with a 78-61 victory. 

Destinee Vigil leads Park with 15 points per game. Marlene Salazar is the Bucs top rebounder with 10.3 boards per game. 

Park averages 74.3 points per game and are shooting 41 percent from the field, 34 percent from the three and 61 percent from the line. The Buccaneers average 44 rebounds per game. 

ALL-TIME IN SEASON OPENERS: Saturday's game will mark just the fifth time Dixie State has opened the season at home.  The Trailblazers are 7-7 all time in season openers including 2-2 in home games.

ENTERING THE WAC: Dixie State enters its first season of Division 1 and as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Dixie State will play a 21-game schedule including 5 non-conference games and 16 conference games.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN: Dixie State will play 21 games during the 2020-21 regular season.  This schedule will see the Trailblazers play 11 home games and 10 road games.  DSU's season hasn't started as hoped with the first three games originally scheduled being canceled due to COVID-19. DSU is still set to take on Southern Utah and added a game against Portland State.  Dixie State will play 16 conference games, two games against each of the other 8 teams in the conference.  Games will be played in a pod-style format where teams play each other twice in one location on back to back days.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED 8TH IN PRESEASON POLL:  Dixie State was picked to finish eighth in the WAC preseason coaches poll receiving 13 points.  Utah Valley was the favorite receiving 2 first place votes and 57 total points.  California Baptist (55 points), Grand Canyon (47 points), New Mexico State (45 points), and UT Rio Grande Valley (44 points) round out the top 5 with Seattle U (29 points) in sixth, fellow D1 and WAC newcomer Tarleton State (23 points) in seventh, and Chicago State (11 points) picked to finish ninth.

2020-21 TRAILBLAZERS: With a record of 18-12 overall, Dixie State is coming off its winningest season since the Trailblazers notched an 18-8 mark in the 2011-12 season and the most conference wins since 2012-13 with 12.  Dixie State was 10-5 at home in 2019-20.  This is coming off an 11-4 record in 2018-19 which marks the most home wins in a two-season stretch since the Trailblazers won 21 games in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

The Trailblazers will aim to make a mark in Division 1 during the 2020-21 season while returning 7 players from last year's teams, including 2 starters.

Junior guard London Pavlica (8.1 ppg/6.7 rpg/4.1 apg), and Senior guard Keslee Stevenson (9.1 ppg) represent Dixie State's two returning starters, while Sophomore guard Breaunna Gillen (3.3 ppg/2.7 rpg), Senior forward, Breana Moea'I (2.4 ppg), Junior center Makayla Johnson (2.4 ppg) and Sophomore guard Maggie McCord (0.4 ppg), return as reserves from last season.  Dixie State also gets Emily Isaacson (4.8 ppg/6.5 rpg) back after the Redshirt Freshman forward missed most of last season due to injury.

Dixie State added five transfer players for the 2020-21 season, including Sophomore guard Bryn Parker, Senior guard Shanaijah Davison, Junior guard Mada Mooring, Sophomore forward Hannah Robins, and senior forward Shay Potter.  Parker was a four-year varsity starter and averaged 10.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game as a senior in 2019. Last season she played in 15 games and made one start for Ole Miss. Davison was a two-time All-Big West Honorable Mention selection and was the team's leading scorer in 2017-18 (13.8 ppg) and 2018-19 (14.0 ppg). Mooring made 26 starts while averaging 5.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and earned All-Region 18 second team honors for Snow College last season. Robins was a three-time All-State selection at Juab High School where she recorded 1,051 career points and 780 rebounds. She appeared in 11 games last season at SUU.  Potter comes to Dixie State with one year of eligibility left after playing last season with Montana Tech.

Dixie State brings in three new freshman including guard Vegas Camacho, forward Brooke Vance and Center Anabelle Muscoreil. Camacho was a varsity athlete at Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas in both basketball and track and field where she helped the Crusaders to the Mountain Region Championship game and a Class 4A State Playoff appearance as a senior.  Vance averaged 17.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a senior at Salem Hills HS, won the award for Most Outstanding Athlete as a Junior and was named Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year and lead helped the Skyhawks to a 4A state title that same year.  Muscoreil earned first team All-Region honors and was named Regional Offensive Player of the year at Marana High School in Tucson, Arizona.

COACHING STAFF: J.D. Gustin begins his fifth season at the helm for Dixie State in the 2020-21 season.  Gustin is joined by fifth-year assistant Nicole Yazzie (Westminster, 2013), second year assistant Matt Legerski (Utah, 2001) and fifth year video coordinator Jonathon Long (Dixie State, 2018).

UP NEXT: Dixie State will host the Portland State University on Dec. 16 in St. George with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. Before taking on Southern Utah University Dec. 21 in Cedar City.