America East play has not yet started.

But the UMass Lowell women’s basketball team is already off to a much-improved start.

After sliding to a lowly 3-25 record last season, the River Hawks have already mustered three wins to match that win total just eight games into their season under first-year head coach Jon Plefka.

UML has played a competitive non-conference schedule to open the season and has competed in just about every matchup, including a pair of tight losses against Boston University (50-47) and Northeastern (51-46).

The River Hawks’ latest game yielded a 67-56 loss to a talented Iona team.

“Tough result for us on the road,” Plefka said. “We battled especially our guards but unfortunately ran out of gas at the end. Little things doomed us so we will definitely work to correct those these next days in preparation for New Haven on Saturday.”

Jaini Edmonds has impressed for UMass Lowell, leading the team with 10.6 points per game. She filled the box score against Iona, recording 16 points while posting three assists and four rebounds.

The River Hawks were in a tie game in the second half, but Iona was able to execute a run in the fourth to pull out the win.

UML had three players in double figures, including Edmonds, Klimentina Modeva (13 points) and Tyanna Medina (11 points).

Medina, a freshman from Lawrence, Mass., has immediately stepped into a key role for UMass Lowell. She netted a career-high 16 points in the team’s 70-54 win over Central Connecticut State after notching 10 points in an 82-53 loss to a high-powered Boston College team.

Modeva, meanwhile, has posted consecutive 13-point outings and is a transfer from Weatherford College. She is one of seven newcomers to Plefka’s roster.

Paris Gilmore, a transfer from Detroit Mercy, has also made her mark. The guard already has four outings in double digits and is second on the team in points per game (9.5). She garnered Horizon League All-Freshman Team honors last season.

Sabrina Larsson, another transfer, ranks fifth on the team in points per game (7.6). She broke out for 19 points against Boston University and most recently played at Hofstra.

Returner Maddie Rice has supplemented UMass Lowell’s early contributions from its fresh faces. Rice was a stalwart on last year’s team, averaging 6.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and has averaged 9.2 points so far this season. She broke out for a 23-point effort against CCSU.

A roster balanced with new faces and returning talent has worked in UMass Lowell’s favor thus far in the year, and it is a promising sign to see UML’s recruits hit the ground running.

But conference play will answer a lot more questions about the state of UML’s rebuild. The River Hawks were just 1-15 in the America East last season and kick off their conference schedule on Jan. 1 against the University of Maine at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex before hitting the road against Albany on Jan. 3.