River States Conference

WVU Tech leads RSC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, All-RSC Preseason Team

10/15/2019 12:00:00 AM

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- The 2019-20 River States Conference Women's Basketball Media Day begins with the release of the RSC Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll and the RSC Preseason All-Conference Team. WVU Tech led both areas as this year's favorite in the poll and with two players selected to the 10-player preseason all-league team.

RSC Women's Basketball Media Day continues later today on the RSC Facebook Page with video interviews featuring head coaches and players from all 13 schools. The interviews begin at 11 a.m. ET and continue through 2 p.m. ET. Tune in for one of the biggest Media Days in NAIA basketball stretching across the five states in the conference -- Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

WVU Tech was picked as the preseason favorite coming off its RSC Championship in 2018-19. The Golden Bears were 24-10 overall, 16-1 RSC to win the RSC East Division and the RSC regular-season championship. WVU Tech went on to win the RSC Championship as well and led the league's representatives at the NAIA Division II National Championship.

The Golden Bears received 143 total votes in the preseason poll and 11 of 13 first-place votes. They were chosen as the unanimous favorites in the RSC East getting all 12 of the possible first-place votes. WVU Tech welcomes back two members of the RSC Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team with junior guard Brittney Justice and senior forward Laura Requena.

Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College was picked second in the preseason poll after its NAIA national tournament appearance a year ago. The Eagles were 20-10 overall, 13-5 RSC as the RSC West Division champions. Alice Lloyd, which has junior guard Haley Hall as a preseason all-conference pick, received 126 votes in the overall poll and the remaining two first-place votes. The Eagles were chosen as the preseason favorite in the RSC West with 70 votes and 10 of the 13 first-place votes.

IU Kokomo was chosen third in the overall preseason poll and second in the RSC West, right behind Alice Lloyd in each instance. The Cougars were 18-11 overall and 13-5 RSC last year and have sophomore forward Tia Chambers on the preseason all-conference team. IU Kokomo got 121 votes in the overall poll, 68 in the divisional poll and earned two first-place votes to win the division.

University of Rio Grande (Ohio) was chosen fourth overall in the conference and second in the RSC East. The RedStorm was hit by injuries last year to finish 16-15 overall but received 100 votes in the overall poll, 52 votes in the division and one first-place nod in the East.

The top four teams in each division will qualify for the RSC Championship. Predicted playoff teams this preseason include IU East and Point Park (Pa.) University in third and fourth place in the RSC East and Cincinnati Christian University and Midway (Ky.) University the same in the RSC West. IU Southeast was picked fifth in the RSC West but received a vote to win the division.

For the complete RSC Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll and RSC Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team, see below. The preseason all-conference picks represented nine different schools.

2019-20 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL (OCT. 15, 2019)
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)

2019-20 RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EAST DIVISION PRESEASON POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)

2019-20 RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEST DIVISION PRESEASON POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)

2019-20 RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM