Chambana Sun

Illinois women's golf team has announced the addition of two new transfers, Brielle Mapanao and Victoria Zheng, to their roster for the 2024-25 season. Head coach Renee Slone expressed enthusiasm about the new additions, stating, "We are thrilled to welcome Brielle and Victoria to our Illinois women's golf family." Slone highlighted their high standards in both academics and athletics, emphasizing their potential impact on the team.

Both Mapanao and Zheng have demonstrated significant achievements in their collegiate careers. "In their first two seasons, both Brielle and Victoria were two-time all-conference performers," Slone noted. Their experience is expected to enhance the team's competitiveness.

Brielle Mapanao hails from Sydney, Australia, and joins from Western Carolina University. Her accolades include being named to the All-Southern Conference Team multiple times and earning a spot on Western Carolina's career scoring charts with a stroke average of 73.53. On choosing Illinois, Mapanao said, "I chose Illinois because of the great support both academically and in athletics."

Victoria Zheng comes from Markham, Ontario, Canada, transferring from Augusta University. She has been part of championship-winning teams in the Southland Conference and qualified for prestigious tournaments like the U.S. Girls Junior Championships. Zheng stated her reasons for joining Illinois: "A major reason I chose Illinois was because of the balance between academics and golf."

The Fighting Illini look forward to integrating these accomplished players into their program as they prepare for upcoming competitions.