Hearvey post up
Andrew Mills
Peyton Hearvey is one of four junior forwards bringing experience to the Grizzlies in 2025-26

Forwards to Provide Experience for Approaching Inaugural Women’s Basketball Season

With the inaugural Georgia Gwinnett College women’s basketball season just weeks away, Head Coach Tory Wooley is confident in a quartet of forwards and their past collegiate experiences will pave the way for success during the Grizzlies’ 2025-26 campaign.

Juniors Nylaa Fuller, Peyton Hearvey, Maddie Preshá, and Shayla Sandiford bring experience to a historic squad that not surprisingly doesn’t have a senior and has five freshmen. The team has spent the preseason uniting players from six states to become cohesive offensive and defensive units.

GGCAthletics.com begins its preseason position preview highlighting the forwards and post women’s basketball players that will tip off the season for GGC on Thursday, October 23, against Brenau University (Georgia) inside The Convocation Center.

Preseason has been going great. We’re now at the point of preseason of installing our offense and defensive coverages. We are excited about the upcoming season. The players are working extremely hard,
- Head Coach Tory Wooley, who came to Lawrenceville after winning more than 200 games in 11 seasons at Point University (Georgia)
Sandiford offense
Junior Shayla Sandiford is one of five players standing 5-foot-10 or taller on the Grizzlies roster

Fuller and Hearvey played for very successful junior college programs at Wallace State Community College (Alabama) and Pearl River Community College (Mississippi), respectively. Fuller helped guide the team to a conference title, while Hearvey guided teams to a junior college state championship and high school state runner-up finish.

“Nylaa and Peyton have experience and played deep in the postseason at their junior colleges. They played under some good teams, so their experience is extremely valuable for us. Both are great defenders and rebounders who can score the ball. We’re going to call upon all of our transfers experience, because we don’t have any seniors,” stated Wooley.

Meanwhile, Preshá once played at Toccoa Falls College (Georgia), but that was during the 2023-24 season. The Conyers, Georgia, native joined the GGC program shortly after Wooley was hired in July 2024 and practiced on campus for one year.

At 5-foot-10, Sandiford brings size to the roster and was a third National Junior College Athletic Association academic team selection at Hillsborough Community College (Florida). Freshman Hope Taylor stands as the tallest player on the roster at 6-foot-1 and adds depth to the post players.

Taylor box out
Freshman Hope Taylor boxes out for a rebound during a drill during a preseason practice
We have players who can hit the midrange shot as well as stretch the floor and shoot the 3-pointer as well. They can score in a variety of ways and can make plays for their teammates as well,
- Head Coach Tory Wooley

Read More