ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T Women's Basketball has announced their 2025-26 signing class of five additional players.

Megan Aulbert | Forward | Lake St. Louis, MO

A 6'2 Redshirt-Sophomore transfer from Tennessee Tech, Megan Aulbert will join the Miners with three years of eligibility. Aulbert was a three-sport athlete at Lutheran High School in St. Louis, with performances in basketball, softball and track and field. In her most recent season with the Golden Eagles, Aulbert played in 15 games and helped the team post a 26-6 overall record and an OVC Championship. 
 
"Megan is a player that we were aware of through her high school career," head coach Kira Carter said. "We are happy to have her back in her home state. She adds a unique post presence with her strength, her ability to face up and play back to the basket. She will add complementary skillsets to our other post players, each of which provides a different look and element of depth to our roster."

Adriana Benassi | Forward | Lee's Summit, MO

A 5'9 forward from Lee's Summit, Missouri, Adriana Benassi joins Missouri S&T as a transfer from UMKC. After playing basketball in high school, she played one season of soccer with the Roos. She scored five goals with 867 minutes played in her freshman season. At Lee's Summit High School, she was a First Team All-District performer in basketball. She joins the Miners with her brother Alex on the Men's Basketball team. Her father Tom played football for the Miners.

"We recruited Adrianna out of high school, and we are excited for her to join us on the hardwood this year," Carter exclaimed. "She had a strong soccer season as a freshman. We expect her athleticism, defense and hard-nosed competitive spirit to make an impact, as she gets back acclimated to the basketball court."

Allison Byars | Guard | Fayetteville, AR

Allison Byars comes to Missouri S&T as a 5'7 redshirt-senior from Lyon College. In the 2023-24 season, Byars started in all 23 games for Lyon, averaging 14.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. She had a career-high 35 points with six rebounds, seven assists and five steals in the season opener against Austin on Nov. 8, 2023. This past year, Byars played soccer at Lyon with two goals in 15 starts.

"Allison has extensive college basketball experience and will help us with her knowledge, as we have graduated several guards," Carter said. "She has accomplished a lot already in her college career as a leader and a scorer. I am excited that she wants to finish her career with us!"

Ava McCulla | Forward | St. Louis, MO

Ava McCulla joins the Missouri S&T roster as a 6'2 forward out of Parkway South High School in St. Louis, Missouri. With Parkway South, she averaged 19.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. McCulla was named to the All-State team in Class 6 and the All-State academic team. This past season, McCulla became the all-time scoring and rebounding leader in Parkway South history. Her sister, Alivia, is a forward for GLVC-foe Rockhurst.

"Ava is a skilled post player with good athleticism, especially at her 6'2 frame," Carter said. "She is very mobile and will help us to add depth and versatility in the post. She is also driven and committed to continuing to develop and contribute on the court!"

Sophia Helling | Guard | Union, MO

As a 5'10 guard out of Union, Missouri, Sophia Helling joins the Miners roster out of Union High School. In her time at Union, she was named to the All-State first team, All-Conference first team and was named the District Player of the Year. In her prep career, Helling totaled 1,716 points while averaging 17 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.5 assists. She recorded 441 total points during her senior season. In her career at Union, she also played soccer and volleyball.

"Sophia has been a strong, multisport athlete throughout her high school career," Carter said. "Her experiences with other sports will provide a strong sense of competitiveness and athleticism. Sophia has demonstrated her toughness and ability to shoot the three well, and we are excited to see how her game continues to grow as a Miner."

"We can't wait to get each of these young women to campus," Carter said. "Collectively, they fit everything that we are about in the classroom and fit with the culture of our team. While we will miss our seven graduates, we hope that all of our new additions will add a mix of experience, skill, versatility and competitiveness going into next season."

These five players will join Ava Casper, Macy Marraccini and the seven returning Miners for the 2025-26 season.

Sign up for our email blast at https://minerathletics.com/subscribe.aspx

Follow Miners Women's Basketball on X and Instagram at miners_wbb