Meet Ashley Underwood of 'Survivor: Redemption Island'

"Survivor: Redemption Island" is just around the corner, but one of its castaways is getting some advanced exposure. Ashley Underwood is SI's Hot Clicks Lovely Lady of the Day. Her nominator Shane Beckim of August, ME says:

"I'd like to invite you to check out Ashley Underwood and to consider her for the LLOD. Ashley is a graduate of my alma mater, Cony High School, here in Augusta, Maine. She was a former two-time All-State high school basketball player who went on to play at the University of Maine and finished as an all-conference player and top-10 scorer in school history. She then went on to become Miss Maine 2009 and represented us at the Miss USA pageant. She is now taking her talents to Nicaragua for this upcoming season of 'Survivor: Redemption Island.'"

What else do we know about Ashley? She's a 5'8" 25-year-old school nurse who currently resides in Benton, ME. She also played some professional basketball in Europe for a year before becoming Miss Maine 2009.

She tells the Portland Press Herald, "I want to be the tough girl. I wanted whichever tribe I was on to view me as an asset, someone who would help in the challenges, even though I'm a woman, a young girl. I want them to know I'm a basketball player and that I know how to work hard. I wanted to be the strong, athletic girl and be seen as someone who could really help."

Good luck to you, Ashley! "Survivor: Redemption Island' premieres Wednesday, Feb. 16 on CBS.