HICKORY, N.C. - Head women's basketball coach Emry Tsitouris has been named a WBCA Thirty Under 30 honoree. 

The WBCA Thirty Under 30 program was created to recognize 30 up-and-coming women's basketball coaches aged 30 and under at all levels of the game. Each honoree has exemplified their involvement in community service, mentorship and impact on others, professional manner, and attitude and professional association involvement.

In just her first season at the helm coach Tsitouris led the Bears to one of the best seasons in program history, finishing with a 26-6 (20-2 SAC) record, winning the SAC Regular Season Championship, and advancing to the team's first ever NCAA Regional Championship game. This year's squad set program records for points (2,701), threes (279), blocked shots (126), and consecutive wins (19). They finished their season as the second highest scoring offense in the country and broke the program record for conference wins, all while having no seniors on the roster. 

For her efforts coach Tsitouris was named the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year, becoming the third coach in program history to win the award.

Coach Tsitouris made her mark as a head coach at Mars Hill from 2022-25, leading the 2024-25 Lions to their best season in 14 years. Prior to taking the Mars Hill job, Tsitouris spent time as an assistant at Catawba and a graduate assistant at Wingate. A former Division II athlete herself, Tsitouris played for three years at USC Aiken before transferring and starring at Belmont Abbey for her senior year.