The Anderson College women top the 2005-2006 preseason poll as voted on by CVAC head basketball coaches for the second straight year. Last season the Trojans won the CVAC Regular season title before capturing their second straight CVAC Tournament Championship and then went onto their second straight NCAA DII tournament appearance finishing at 33-3 (19-1 CVAC). For the year they set CVAC history being the first women’s team to ever host the NCAA DII East Regional championship, where they advanced to the final game in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. First-year head coach Jeff Dow, welcomes LaShonda Chiles, last year’s CVAC Female Athlete of the Year, CVAC Player of the Year, and 1st-Team All-CVAC member along with Forward Deidra Langston, an All-CVAC 2nd-Team pick last season.
Belmont Abbey and Barton switch places from last years poll as the Abbey now takes over the second place slot. The Crusaders are looking to continue the success of the program’s history and improve on last year’s 22-8 (16-4 CVAC) finish. The Abbey returns three starters led by All-CVAC 1st-Team member Nicole Woods. New head coach Katie Pate brings four years of CVAC wisdom having moved over from Coker College. She will rely on upper-class leadership and team experience to help mold four freshmen newcomers in order to build the team chemistry needed for a CVAC Championship run.
Barton College is right behind Belmont Abbey finishing third in the coaches preseason poll. The Bulldogs return six players, including two starters, to a team that went 15-12 overall and 13-7 in the conference a year ago. Veteran Coach Wendee Saintsing will look for senior leadership from the 2003-04 CVAC Player of the Year Keauna Vinson and teammate Adrienne Walker. They will be called upon to unite a newly added cast of Lady Bulldogs that has the campus buzzing.
Rounding out the lady's poll 4-11 was: Erskine, Lees-McRae, Mount Olive & St. Andrews tied, Pfeiffer, Queens, Limestone, and Coker respectively.
CVAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll (# of First place votes in parenthesis)
1. Anderson College (10) 100
2. Belmont Abbey College 84
3. Barton College 80
4. Erskine College 67
5. Lees-McRae College 60
T-6. Mount Olive College (1) 56
T-6. St. Andrews Presbyterian College 56
8. Pfeiffer University 39
9. Queens University of Charlotte 30
10. Limestone College 17
11. Coker College 16