SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara Women's Basketball Head Coach Renee Jimenez signed her first two recruits of the 2025 class during National Signing Day on Wednesday. Chauncey Andersen and Ava Rawlins will join the Blue and Gold for the 2025-26 season.
CHAUNCEY ANDERSEN
"We were immediately drawn to Chauncey because of her character and toughness," said Jimenez. "She is about family and winning, two of our programs core values. She has a relentless spirit that drives winning and Gaucho fans are going to love to watch Chauncey compete every night. She is a fierce competitor who plays with an old school toughness that is hard to find. She has the ability to play and score from multiple positions on the floor which will make her a tough matchup for our opponents. The grittiness that got Chauncey here will help her chase and achieve championships with us."
Chauncey Andersen, a Portland, Oregon native will join the Gauchos after an impressive high school career. During her time at Jefferson High School she has been named All-City three times while holding a 4.0 grade point average. Two of the three times she has been named All-City she has been a first team selection. Andersen chose Santa Barbara over Air Force and Cal Poly.
"I chose UC Santa Barbara because I wanted to believe in a program as much as they believed in me and I found that with Coach Jimenez and her entire staff," said Andersen. "They saw me for more than I am, they saw me for what I can become and they have shown their commitment to helping me become the woman that I aspire to be."
AVA RAWLINS
"Ava's unwavering character and dedication to her team, basketball and her family is what immediately set her apart to our coaching staff," Jimenez said. "She is going to make an immediate impact on Gaucho basketball. She is a dynamic scorer and playmaker who can affect the game in so many areas. Ava is a proven winner and embodies all the standards we are looking for in building a championship program. The Santa Barbara community is going to love watching Ava compete each night in the Blue and Gold."
Rawlins, a Folsom, California native comes to UC Santa Barbara out of Folsom High School. In her career at Folsom she has been named team captain, won a Sectional Championship as well as being named to honor roll every semester. Ava is also a member of her youth church leadership group and mentors youth basketball players. She choose UC Santa Barbara over BYU, Hawai'i, UC Davis, Cornell and Davidson.
"I chose UC Santa Barbara because the coaching staff believes in me and my potential as an impact player on the court," said Rawlins. "Not only do they care for me as a player but they also took the time to build a genuine relationship with me. They recruited me with the vision that I could play a role in building something special and achieve the athletic and academic goals that I have set for myself. I have complete confidence that I will develop as a player and person while enjoying the beauty of Santa Barbara!"
