Dual-sport winger to play hoops

Jessica Sodich to play basketball

Recruiting class adds second guard

WAXAHACHIE, Texas  --  The women’s basketball team at Southwestern Assemblies of God University has announced the signing of their second recruit.

Head Coach Arlon Beadles, with a large returning cast, inked Jessica Sodich to a letter of intent. The 5’8” wing player (3-guard) hails from nearby Ovilla, Texas, where she was a two-time All-State performer for Ovilla Christian School.

The sophomore won Second Team All-Conference (RRAC) in volleyball as the Lady Lions leader in kills a year ago. Sodich (SOH-dich), like her teammate Kassy Cox (Lufkin, Tx), will join the basketball team at the conclusion of the v-ball season, likely in December.

Cox, a 6-footer, managed to play 20 games after the volleyball season concluded. She scored 2.6 points per game, but made her mark by grabbing 5.6 boards.

“We’re both excited for one another,” Sodich said on Wednesday. She won more prep honors in hoops than in volleyball, but remains strong in bumps, sets and spikes.

“I think she will be a great player in our league,” Coach Beadles said this week. “She is a hard-nosed rebounder and has a nice 15-foot jump shot.”

Her Eagles teammates called her J-So (JAY-soh). She usually let her scoring reflect her “say so.”

While playing at Ovilla (OH-vill-ah), Sodich poured in 1,741 career points, a 21.1 points per game average. The right-hander often had the hot hand, verified by 158 career three-pointers.

Sodich’s competitive nature showed up in her aggressiveness on the boards. She had a 6.9 rebound average.

She was chosen First Team All-State in Class 2A of TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) in both her sophomore and senior campaigns.

Sodich, with an effective range for knocking down trifectas, drew the recognition of local coaches. They named her to the All-District First Team in all four years under Head Coach Michael Welch.

During her senior year she was chosen the district’s Most Valuable Player and the Offensive Player of the Year. She was the Eagles’ team captain in her junior and senior seasons.

Sodich, of Slovakian decent, is one of five children to parents Ernie and Nancy. Jessica (19) is the youngest of Megan (28), Erica (26), Elizabeth (24) and brother Trey (22).

She joins point guard Taylor Hill (Waxahachie, Tx), who signed during the spring.

About SAGU women's basketball

The Lady Lions went through a rebuilding season last winter after graduating their top four ball handlers from the 2011 team. SAGU posted a 10-21 mark, but still qualified for the Red River Athletic Conference tournament.

Southwestern averaged 24 wins per season the three previous campaigns. The Lady Lions earned a berth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national tournament three years ago when they rolled to a 25-7 record.

That season they defeated an NCAA Division I team for the first time. The Lady Lions were ranked in the Coaches Poll during the season.

They also finished third in the nation in the National Christian College Athletic Association two years ago with a 23-13 mark.

Coach Beadles’ team brings back a solid core and look to return to their customary contender position.

Fans can follow all of the action of home games via LiveStats, a digital play-by-play on-line. Starting in January, SAGU TV will broadcast each home contest with a high definition livestream, a service no other NAIA team in the nation offers.

The team will open the 2012-13 season in Oklahoma City for the Southwestern Christian University Classic, November 2-3.

The Lady Lions opens a 15-game home slate during the Nov. 9-10 SAGU Classic.

Contact: Mark “Link” Warde, SAGU Sports Information Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 469-658-2847.