The ECU women’s basketball program on Wednesday announced the signing of four athletes to scholarships.
Below are more details from ECU Sports Information.
Check out Pirate Radio
Website | Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | Instagram | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
=====
Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information)
The East Carolina women’s basketball team has added four newcomers to their 2026 recruiting class, head coach Kim McNeill announced on Wednesday.
“This group, I think we found five really good freshman who are going to compete for playing time,” said McNeill. “The theme of this team is toughness—toughness, grit, energy, versatility is what this group brings in.”
Rylie Hite | 5-8 | Combo Guard | Suffolk, Va.
Hite joins ECU by way of King’s Fork High School in Suffolk, Va. where she plays under the tutelage of head coach Maurice Fofana. A team captain, she averaged nearly 20 points per game in her junior season while helping King’s Fork to a State Quarterfinalist finish. As a result, Hite earned First Team All-State honors, having already earned First Team All-Region recognition as a sophomore in a year which saw her post over 17 points per contest after averaging nine per game as a freshman.
Hite comes from a line of athletes: her dad, Rick, played collegiate basketball at San Jose State before a professional career overseas; her mom, Shekira, was a college cheerleader; her brother, Jaylen Bond, played college ball at Texas and Temple before playing professionally in the G-League and overseas; her brother Ryan Hite is a current college basketball player at Hampton; her brother, Julian Bond, played collegiate basketball at Lock Haven.
Ava Rush | 6-2 | Guard | Mount Pleasant, S.C,
Rush joins ECU by way of Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, S.C. where she plays under the tutelage of head coach Jeff Emory. She is a team captain with two First Team All-State recognitions under her belt after earning First Team All-Region honors as a freshman. With her senior season imminent, Rush has recorded nearly 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 200 steals with over 150 assists and 100 blocks to her docket. She’s helped guide Wando to team success as well with a State Semifinalist result as a sophomore and a State Runner-Up finish as a junior. Rush is rated the No. 5 player in South Carolina by prepgirlshoops.com.
Rush has basketball in her family as her dad, Ken, was committed to play college ball at Auburn before being injured as a freshman and her sister Ericka, was a starter at Newberry College before transferring to West Florida for her graduate season.
Irieanna Smoot | 5-10 | Guard | Manassas, Va.
Smoot joins ECU by way of Virginia Academy in Manassas, Va. where she plays under the tutelage of head coach Walt Hamilton. A team captain, she helped her team to an EYBL Nike Championship as a junior.
Smoot’s father, Fred, is a retired NFL player who played for the Washington franchise.
Alexandra Vandiver | 6-1 | Guard/Forward | Annapolis, Md.
Vandiver joins ECU by way of St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis, Md. where she plays under the tutelage of head coach Leo Latonick. A now three-time team captain, she has scored over 1,100 points and grabbed nearly 750 rebounds—a school record—in her high school career while averaging nearly a double-double. A tall player capable of stretching the floor, Vandiver has also hit nearly 200 threes on a 40-percent clip in her high school career. She has earned First Team All-Conference and All-County honors three times while helping her team to one IAAM “B” Conference title.
Vandiver comes from an athletic lineage as her dad, Alex, competed in golf at Missouri before playing professionally on the Ben Hogan Tour, and her grandfather, James Vandiver, played collegiate baseball at Missouri Valley College.