START 'EM OFF : Wednesday's game will against Portland State will be against the first Division I opponent as a Division I program.

ENTERING THE WAC: Dixie State enters its first season of Division 1 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.

FAST BREAK: Dixie State is coming off an 81-53 victory over Park University. DSU is currently 1-0 on the season.

STAT LEADERS: Dixie State is led by London Pavlica who scored 24 points against Park in the season opener. She is also currenlty leading the team with nine total rebounds and eight assists. Pavlica shot 67% from the field.  Brooke Vance follows Pavlica with 12 points shooting 5-8 from the field for 62%.

ALL-TIME IN SEASON OPENERS:  DSU's game against Park marked just the fifth time Dixie State has opened the season at home.  The Trailblazers are 8-7 all time in season openers including 3-2 in home games.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN: Dixie State were originally scheduled to play 21 games during the 2020-21 regular season.  That schedule had the Trailblazers playing 11 home games and 10 road games.  DSU's season had a slow start the first three games originally scheduled were cancelled due to COVID-19. DSU is still set to take on Southern Utah and added the 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: Dixie State  is coming off the Trailblazers winningest season of an 18-12 record.  DSU is returning seven players from last year's team, including two starters in London Pavlica and Keslee Stevenson.

Dixie State added five transfer players for the 2020-21 season with sophomore guard Bryn Parker, senior guard Shanaijah Davison, junior guard Mada Mooring, sophomore forward Hannah Robins, and senior forward Shay Potter.

The Trailblazers brought in three new freshman including guard Vegas Camacho, forward Brooke Vance and Center Anabelle Muscoreil.

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 head to Southern Utah on Dec. 21 to take on the Thunderbirds in Cedar City. After that the Trailblazers have a 14-day break for the holidays. DSU will return to action on January 4 at the Burns Arena against Simpson University before starting WAC play against New Mexico State.