Asbury picked first in RSC Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll 2016-17
FLORENCE, Ky. -- Asbury (Ky.) University is picked first in the River States Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll for 2016-17, as voted on by the RSC's seven women's tennis head coaches. The Eagles, who are receiving votes in the NAIA Women's Tennis Top 25 Poll (Feb. 28), edged out IU East and IU Southeast in close voting at the top.
Asbury came out on top in the polling of the RSC coaches with 35 points and five of the seven first-place votes. IU East was not far behind in second place with 30 points and the remaining two first-place votes. IU Southeast was a close third with 28 points.
Midway (Ky.) University placed fourth in the poll with 19 points as new team to the conference this year. Carlow (Pa.) University was picked fifth with 16 points coming off its conference tournament semifinals appearance last year.
Ohio Christian University was picked sixth with 13 points as other new team to the conference, and Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College was seventh with six points.
Asbury earns the top spot in the spring preseason coming off last year's conference tournament championship. The Eagles edged IU Southeast, 5-4, in the conference finals to qualify for the NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship.
The RSC Individual Tournament held at Asbury in October 2016 had the Eagles' Laura Ross and Alex LoPrinzi finish first and second in one of the singles draws. The Eagles also won a doubles draw with Caitlyn Conyers and Alejandra Diaz coming out on top.
IU East's Brianna Ayres won a singles draw at the RSC Individual Tournament. She beat IU Southeast's Brennyn Pollert in the finals. The Red Wolves were well-represented in the two doubles draws as they finished first and second in one of the draws and lost to Asbury in the finals of the other one.
IU Southeast had Dana Frank win a singles draw over Asbury's Caitlyn Conyers at the RSC individual event. It was a matchup of two all-conference players.
The River States Conference Women's Tennis Tournament will be held April 28-29 at Elizabethtown, Ky. The winner will automatically qualify for the NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship May 16-20 in Mobile, Ala.
RIVER STATES CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS PRESEASON COACHES POLL 2016-17
First-Place Votes in Parenthesis
| School | Votes |
| 1. Asbury (Ky.) (5) | 35 |
| 2. IU East (2) | 30 |
| 3. IU Southeast | 28 |
| 4. Midway (Ky.) | 19 |
| 5. Carlow (Pa.) | 16 |
| 6. Ohio Christian | 13 |
| 7. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) | 6 |