SANTA CLARA, Calif. – One year removed from landing a nationally-ranked recruiting class, fifth-year head coach Jennifer Mountain and the Santa Clara University Broncos, have enhanced an already deep roster with four new players for the upcoming 2012-13 season.

"This is a very exciting time for us. I am thrilled with the depth we have on our roster and with the people we are bringing into the program," says Mountain. "Our talent level continues to improve and our collective pool of recruits will help us to compete at a higher level. My assistants have done a great job of targeting student-athletes that fit with the school, our team and our program."

The new class is comprised of three true freshmen and a sophomore transfer, who recently arrived on the Mission Campus to take summer courses and participate in offseason conditioning. Two of Washington State's best prep guards highlight the group, Brooke Gallaway (Greenacres, Wash./Central Valley High School) and Katie Hawkins (Snohomish, Wash./Glacier Peak High School).

Gallaway was the top scorer and MVP of the Greater Spokane League (GSL) last season. The 5-foot-11-inch off-guard led Central Valley to a 25-3 overall record in her final prep season, scoring 25-plus points eight different times as a senior. Gallaway took the Bears all the way to Washington State's Class 4A Championship game at the Tacoma Dome last spring.

Hawkins signed with Santa Clara in November of 2011 and went on to lead Glacier Peak High School to its second consecutive appearance in the Washington State 3A State tournament as a senior. At 5-foot-11, and possessing the ability to score and distribute, Hawkins promises to emerge as a key contributor in the years to come.

Mountain and her staff have done a remarkable job attracting some of the top local players to SCU over the past four years. Inheriting a roster with no homegrown talent, the Broncos now have eight players from some of the area's top programs, including four from nationally-recognized Archbishop Mitty High School. The latest addition from Mitty is 6-foot freshman forward Courtney Lisowski (Los Gatos, Calif.), a four-year letterwinner and team captain, leading the Monarchs to three straight Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships.

A McDonald's All-America nominee while playing at Bartlett High School in Illinois, 6-foot forward Christina Carlson has transferred to Santa Clara after a year at San Jose State. She led Bartlett to a 28-2 record as a senior and finished her career there among the all-time top-10 in both rebounds and blocked shots. She will utilize a redshirt season in 2012-13 per NCAA rules regarding transfers.

Santa Clara University's academic Summer Session II runs through the end of August. Following a break, the student-athletes will report back to campus for fall classes in mid-September. Official team practices in preparation for the 2012-13 season are scheduled to begin on Mon., Oct. 1. Throughout the month of October, SCU will hold extended practices, conditioning and have intrasquad scrimmages in preparation for a pair of home exhibition games against UC Santa Cruz (Thursday, Nov. 1) and Sonoma State (Sunday, Nov. 4).

Pictured above (l-r): Christina Carlson, Brooke Gallaway, Katie Hawkins and Courtney Lisowski