Good Morning! And happy holidays to all of the Hoos out there!

An important note: the Brew will be taking a break until next week to spend time with family through the holiday season. We look forward to being back with you on Thursday, Jan. 2!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 New To The Team. Virginia football welcomed in the 2024-25 signing class recently — check out the Hoos’ National Signing Day Central page to view the signing day class!

🏈 READ MORE: 2025 National Signing Day Central

🔼 Getting Comfortable. In his two seasons at San Diego State, Elijah Saunders attempted only 31 free throws, and he rarely went to the line in pressure situations.

Saunders, a 6-foot-8 junior, has a larger role at Virginia. Twelve games into his first season as a Cavalier, he’s shot 34 free throws (and made 28 of them).

“It’s a luxury when one of your power forwards is the guy that you can get the ball to at the end of the game and have him try to seal the game for you,” UVA interim head coach Ron Sanchez said.

📰 FEATURE: Saunders Finding His Comfort Zone At UVA

🔼 Back To Health. This has not been an easy season for Edessa Noyan. A second-year forward on the University of Virginia women’s basketball team, she came down with pneumonia last month and spent nearly a week in the hospital, thousands of miles from her family in Sweden.

Noyan missed six games before being cleared to play again. Three of those games were in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the Cavaliers went 1-2 in the Discover Puerto Rico Shootout.

It took Noyan a while to get her rhythm back, but in the Hoos’ final non-conference game of the season against Coppin State on Dec. 21 she scored a career-best 16 points and grabbed a season-high six rebounds.

📰 FEATURE: Hoos Thankful For Noyan’s Return To Health

⏪ ICYMI

We like our Brew hot ‘n’ fresh, but we’re not opposed to you reheating your cup. Here’s some news you may have missed recently…

Anonymous Donor Pledges $3 Million Matching Gift For Football. From December 19, 2024, through August 30, 2025, every donation made to the Football Enhancement Fund will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the anonymous donor, doubling its impact. The matching funds will enhance the overall student-athlete experience by prioritizing nutrition, while also enhancing travel and recruiting.

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📅 UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Sunday, December 29
🏀 Women’s Basketball at Notre Dame @ noon

Tuesday, December 31
🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. NC State @ noon

Thursday, January 2
🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Wake Forest @ 7 p.m.

⚔️ ​Have a great holiday season, y’all!