Quakers Receive Eight First Place Votes, EMU Gets Four

FOREST, Va. --- Guilford College received eight first place votes and 118 poll points as the Quakers were chosen atop the 2012 ODAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll.  Eastern Mennonite University chimes in second with 114 points, including the remaining for top nods.  Virginia Wesleyan College and Bridgewater College sit tight for third with 92 and 89 points, respectively.

Guilford (22-7 overall, 16-4 in ODAC play) won its third ODAC title in 2012 with a 57-40 triumph over VWC, marking the Quakers' first conference crown since winning back-to-back trophies in 2001 and 2002.  Guilford continued its season in the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.  Its stay lasted just one game as GC was topped by Centre College, 59-47, in first round action.

The Quakers welcome back four starters from last year's title squad, including 2012 ODAC Player of the Year, Gabby Oglesby (14.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg).  A Preseason All-American by D3hoops.com, Oglesby, who led the ODAC in blocked shots with 68,  is joined by front-line mate Morgan King (9.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 39 blk), wing player Jaclyn Nucci (5.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 61 ast, 42 stl), and point guard Brittany Atwater (6.4 ppg, 118 ast).  Guards Brittany Drew (5.3 ppg) and Kayla Adams (4.3 ppg) add depth to a squad that has earned votes towards the D3hoops.com Preseason Top-25 Poll.

Eastern Mennonite (22-4, 17-3) has also garnered recognition towards that poll as the Royals return all five starters and three overall all-conference selections.  First off the bench was wing Bianca Ygarza (14.5 ppg, 58.0 FG%), who earned All-ODAC First Team accolades in 2012.  She's joined by All-ODAC Second Team forward Kala Yoders (12.1 ppg, 67 rpg) and All-ODAC Third Team shooter Stephanie Rheinheimer (11.3 ppg, 60 3FG, 39.2 3FG%).  Keyla Baltimore (5.0 ppg), Alisa Brown (6.7 ppg) and Shakeerah Sykes (6.2 ppg) were all starters last season.

Virginia Wesleyan (22-6, 17-3) and reigning ODAC Coach of the Year, Stephany Dunmyer, must replace the production of four starters.  Back to help bridge that gap is All-ODAC First Team and 2012 ODAC Rookie of the Year, Sarah Seipp (14.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg).  Seipp led the ODAC in steals (70) last season.  The Marlins will look for returning starter Rachael Miller (5.7 ppg) for increased production, as well as guard Brittany Glasco (6.1 ppg) and forward Nancy Kelly (4.0 ppg).

Bridgewater (15-11, 11-9) welcomes the return of ODAC scoring leader, guard Jessica Mullen (18.0 ppg, 84.1 FT%), who earned a spot on the All-ODAC First Team despite missing the final seven games due to injury.  The Eagles will look to Shannan Thorne (8.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg), who led the conference in field goal shooting at 58.4-percent, and Holly Morgan (7.2 ppg) to continue to develop.

Five all-conference performers from the remaining eight conference teams return for another go-round.  Hollins University (10-15, 8-12) welcomes back the return of 1,000-point scorer Jasmine Greene (17.0 ppg), who earned a spot on the All-ODAC Second Team after leading the league with 124 assists.

Lynchburg College (9-17, 8-12) features forward Shannon Allan (14.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 39 blk), who was tabbed to the All-ODAC Third Team in her first year as a Hornet.  Guard Paxton Gwin (13.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg) is one of three starters back for Roanoke College (8-17, 8-12) after a third team selection in 2012.  Randolph-Macon College (14-12, 12-8) and Washington and Lee University (14-13, 11-9) each enjoy the return of an All-ODAC Third Team honoree as they look to retool following the graduation of four and three starters, respectively.  Guard Sarah Parsons (14.6 ppg, 53 stl, 82.2 FT%) is back for the Yellow Jackets.  The Generals will be under new leadership this season as head coach Christine Clancy, former assistant, welcomes back forward Katy Wilson (11.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 25 blk) to spearhead W&L's efforts.

Emory & Henry College (2-20, 1-19) and Randolph College (4-21, 1-19) each return four starters as they look to continue to climb the conference ladder.  The Wasps boast guard Kristie Langley (12.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and welcome the return of guard Jalan McPherson (13.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg in 2011), who missed much of last season due to injury.  The WildCats are led by point guard Brianna Lowry (11.0 ppg, 70 ast) and forward Megan Russell (8.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg).

The conference features a few changes from years past, including the addition of a new squad in Shenandoah University (9-17, 6-12 in the USA South).  The Hornets, under the direction of former Randolph-Macon assistant, C.K. Calhoun, became the conference's 14th full-time member in July.  The Hornets will look to forward Nicole Gilbertson (9.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and guard Sara D'Amico (5.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg) to lead the way.

The addition of SU from the USA South increases the conference's women's basketball-sponsoring schools to 12.  With that change, ODAC women's basketball will move to a 16-game unbalanced schedule, matching the format played by the conference's men's hoops teams over the past two years.  The women's basketball tournament structure will also change, with all 12 teams qualifying for conference postseason play in a four-round format.

Listed below is the full 2012-13 ODAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll.  For more information on ODAC women's basketball, visit any of the participating school's websites, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com and view the women's basketball virtual media guide.

Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook.  You can also follow the ODAC on Twitter @odacathletics.  Be sure to check out the ODAC's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/ODAC1976) and watch an interview with each of the ODAC's head women's basketball coaches as they talk about their programs from media day in Salem (videos not live --- to be added after the event).

2012-13 ODAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PREASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes