Virginia Wesleyan, Randolph-Macon Round Out Top Three

SALEM, Va. --- The 2006-07 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) women's basketball season is fast approaching its beginning with several teams in the hunt to claim the league crown.  Last season's conference tournament runner-up, Bridgewater College, headlines the 2006-07 ODAC Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason poll, securing eight first place votes on the way to a top ranking.

Virginia Wesleyan College was picked second by the league's mentors with a pair of first place nods to its profile.  The final top vote went to 2005-06 ODAC champion Randolph-Macon College, who rounds out the top three in the annual survey.

A year removed from making it to the NCAA Division III national tournament "sweet sixteen," Bridgewater looks to improve upon that finish with a deep squad returning to Nininger Hall.  The Eagles will have to replace the production of leading scorer and former All-ODAC First Team selection Marsha Kinder, but both Katy Herr-Lovell (11.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 106 steals), also a 2006 First Team selection, and Shannon Scales (10.6 ppg) will look to fill the void.  Many outside the conference see Bridgewater as a top-tier opponent, evidenced by its 18^th rating in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) preseason poll and its 21^st showing in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.  With nine 20-win seasons under her belt in 10 years, it's a safe bet that head coach Jean Willi will have these Eagles soaring come tournament time.

Virginia Wesleyan and 2005-06 ODAC Coach of the Year, Stephany Dunmyer, return all five starters from last season's 17-9 squad.  Coach Dunmyer will also enjoy her first class of seniors, providing valuable leadership throughout the campaign.  Junior forward Heather Phillips, a 2005-06 All-ODAC Second Team selection, will carry most of the load for the Marlins.  Last season, she led the team in both scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg), while ranking among the ODAC's top 16 players in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, and blocked shots.

Last season's conference tournament champion, Randolph-Macon, will find the going a little different following the graduation of three-time ODAC Player of the Year and 2006 NCAA Division III Player of the Year, Megan Silva (23.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 107 steals).  But South Region and Virginia State Coach of the Year, Carroll LaHaye, will surely have the Yellow Jackets ready to challenge for the top of the fixtures once again.  She will look for leadership from senior guards Salem Shaffer (9.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 126 assists), a 2005-06 ODAC Honorable Mention selection, and Kristen Morgan (4.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 98 assists).

Listed below is the entire 2006-07 ODAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll.  For more information on the upcoming season, and to keep up to date as the schedule progresses, visit the individual schools at their respective websites or browse the ODAC women's basketball section at www.odaconline.com.

2006-07 ODAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
(#) indicates first place votes