DAVIS, Calif. — The four-time defending Big West Conference champion UC Davis women's basketball team reloaded its roster during the NCAA's November early signing window, as Head Coach
Jennifer Gross announced the addition of three standout high school student-athletes who have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers with the Aggies.
In alphabetical order, Sydney Burns, a 5-foot-9 guard out of Wilsonville HS in Oregon, is joined by a pair of Californians in Marley Langi, a six-foot wing from Archbishop Mitty HS in San Jose, Calif., and Megan Norris, a 6-foot-3 post from Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton, Calif. All three will begin their UC Davis careers beginning with the 2021-22 season.
"We are so excited about the addition of these student-athletes to our Aggie family," said Gross, the winner of the last four Big West Coach of the Year awards. "We identified all three of them early in the recruiting process as players we knew would be a tremendous fit for our program.
"They are all extremely talented and driven, excelling not only on the basketball court but with their academics as well. Sydney, Megan, and Marley, will add depth at some key positions and will help us continue to raise the bar for our program. Most importantly, they are all incredible teammates who will enhance the family culture that we have established in our women's basketball program."
Brief bios on all three signees are below.
Sydney Burns (5-9, PG, Fr., Wilsonville, Ore. / Wilsonville HS '21, Oregon Elite)
Entering her senior season at Wilsonville HS in Wilsonville, Ore… Named the Northwest Oregon Conference Player of the Year and first-team all-conference selection as a junior… Averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.7 steals per game, as a junior, helping her team to a 24-3 overall record and a share of the NWOC title… Also shot 38 percent from three-point range… Helped Wilsonville HS to a share of the league title as a sophomore and junior… Team finished third in the state as a sophomore and earned a share of the state title as a junior… Honorable mention all-conference selection as a freshman and a first-team selection as a sophomore… Two-time all-state selection as a sophomore and junior… Named to the state tournament first team as a sophomore… She also played soccer and ran cross country for the Wildcats, earning first-team all-league honors as a sophomore and second-team all-state laurels as a junior in cross country.
Head Coach Jennifer Gross: "Sydney is a perfect fit for our program at the point guard position. She has great court vision, excellent ball handling skills and an advanced understanding of the game. I love the energy she brings to the court. Sydney can score in multiple ways and possesses all the intangibles that we value in our program. She is definitely someone who makes those around her better and I can see her being a great leader for us in the future."
Marley Langi (6-0, Wing, Fr., Redwood City, Calif. / Archbishop Mitty HS '21, Cal Stars EYBL)
Entering her senior season at Archbishop Mitty HS as one of the top players in Northern California… Ranked a four-star recruit by the website ProspectsNation.com… Helped the Monarchs to a 26-3 overall record and a berth in the CIF Open Division State Championship game against La Jolla Country Day as a junior before the COVID-19 pandemic hit… Claimed West Catholic Athletic League, CIF section, and NorCal titles as a junior… Named to the WCAL second team as a sophomore… Also competed in track and field for the Monarchs… Transferred from Eastside College Prep where she played her freshman season… Played club with the Cal Stars in the Nike EYBL.
Head Coach Jennifer Gross: "Marley is a versatile player who can really do it all. She is a consistent threat from 3-point range and also uses her superior ball skills to attack the basket off the dribble. She has great size and strength and can score inside with an array of moves. Marley is also an outstanding rebounder and someone who will be able to guard multiple positions for us on defense. Best of all, she is a total team player and I can't wait to see all that she can brings to our program."
Megan Norris (6-3, C, Fr., Atherton, Calif. / Sacred Heart Prep '21, Peninsula Elite)
Three-year letter winner for the Gators in both basketball and water polo… Entering her senior year after averaging 10.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a junior, shooting 46 percent over 21 games… Second-team All-West Bay Athletic League Foothill Division selection and a Cal-Hi Sports All-State nominee in 2019-20… Named to the All-Bay Area Preps HQ honorable mention team… Averaged 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore over 28 contests, posting 1.2 blocks per game (34 total) and shooting 45 percent from the floor, en route to all-league honorable mention honors… Helped the Gators to a section title as a freshman, a finals appearance as a sophomore, and a quarterfinals appearance as a junior… Is also a goalkeeper for the Gators' girls water polo team, earning West Catholic Athletic League first team honors as a junior after making 222 saves and posting a .597 save percentage… Claimed a section title in water polo as a junior with a 27-4 record and a semifinal appearance as a sophomore… Her mother, Cynthia, played tennis for the Aggies from 1992-96.
Head Coach Jennifer Gross: "Megan is a skilled post player with a great work ethic. She can score inside with either hand and is very comfortable from behind the three-point line, which will make her a difficult match up for our opponents. Megan is very bright and is passionate about her improvement in basketball. She is all about the team and is equally as excited about her teammate's successes as she is her own. I am confident she will develop into a dominant post in our program and can't wait to start working with her."
2020-21 UC DAVIS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
Name (Height, Position, Hometown / High School, Club Team)
Sydney Burns (5-9, Guard, Wilsonville, Ore. / Wilsonville HS '21, Oregon Elite)
Marley Langi (6-0, Wing, Redwood City, Calif. / Archbishop Mitty HS '21, Cal Stars EYBL)
Megan Norris (6-3, Post, Atherton, Calif. / Sacred Heart Prep '21, Peninsula Elite)
ABOUT UC DAVIS
With the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, more than 700 student-athletes represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation on one of 25 intercollegiate athletics teams.
UC Davis, a national leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, is centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley; and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
Ranked annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.
