The past four years of ODAC women's basketball has seen an uptick in parity, with a different champion crowned each season since 2013. That trend continued on a national scale, with those newer champions making either their first trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament or ending long droughts of postseason play.
The most apt example of a new wave of parity may be last season's champion, Lynchburg College. After falling in a last-shot scenario in the 2015 title game to Virginia Wesleyan College, the Hornets made good on their repeat championship game appearance by capturing the program's first ODAC crown. The season firsts for LC, which also saw its men's program lift the league hardware, continued with its first trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The new set of champions doesn't mean some of the previous powers aren't still successful. Last season's runner-up, Guilford College, played in its fourth ODAC title game in the past five seasons -- and the Quakers return all five starters from that squad. GC went on to see continued success in the NCAA bracket, defeating University of Mount Union in the first round before coming up against a Thomas More College (Ky.) squad that would go on to become the national champion.
So what does this mean for the upcoming season? The jury's out on that. Lynchburg will certainly be in the mix for a repeat shot, while Guilford returns a set of players that will be more familiar with each other than any other unit in the league. Or is it time for an upcoming squad, like Washington and Lee or Emory & Henry to make a run towards a crown? Will Virginia Wesleyan have a resurgence after winning the title in 2014, or will the Harrisonburg-area duo of Bridgewater College and Eastern Mennonite University be able to retool and make a charge? What about Roanoke College with a new facility and entering the third year under its new mentor?
What we do know is that there are several returning All-ODAC standouts to squads this season, with 10 of last year's 18 honorees dotting conference rosters. With that said, only two are returning from the first team, leaving opportunity for holdovers to take that next step or for new players to make a name for themselves. The former path was taken by both Roanoke's Cary Beahm and Guilford's Anais Weatherly. Before earning All-ODAC First Team honors in 2015-16, the pair were second team selections the season prior.
ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day marks the official kick-off to the 2016-17 season. Each of the league's 12 coaches meet with the media in Salem on Thursday, November 3 for the annual function hosted by the Salem Rotary Club. Videos (posted to this site) will help you learn how each coach feels about his or her squad coming into the campaign, in addition to their takes on the never-dull ODAC as teams prepare for a 16-game league schedule against some of the best competition NCAA Division III has to offer.
For more information on each of the ODAC's women's basketball squads, take in the sections below. Updates to come include full rosters, individual program preview articles, and other team specific information. This page will also evolve with the addition of the annual ODAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll and video clips from each of the coaches' appearances at the 2016-17 ODAC Media Day.
2016-17 ODAC Women'sBasketball Virtual Guide
Teams
Interviews
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Bridgewater
Head coach Jean Willi talks about her Bridgewater Eagles at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Eastern Mennonite
Head coach Kevin Griffin talks about his Eastern Mennonite Royals at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Emory & Henry
Head coach Anne Crutchfield talks about her Emory & Henry Wasps at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Guilford
Head coach Stephanie Flamini talks about her Guilford Quakers at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Hollins
Head coach Jenny Logan talks about her Hollins squad at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Lynchburg
Head coach Abby Pyzik Smith talks about her Lynchburg Hornets at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Randolph
Head coach Andrea Kendall talks about her Randolph WildCats at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Randolph-Macon
Head coach Carroll LaHaye talks about her Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Roanoke
Head coach Carla Flaherty talks about her Roanoke Maroons at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Shenandoah
Head coach Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft talks about her Shenandoah Hornets at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Virginia Wesleyan
Head coach Stephany Dunmyer talks about her Virginia Wesleyan Marlins at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
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ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day - Washington and Lee
Head coach Christine Clancy talks about her Washington and Lee Generals at ODAC Women's Basketball Media Day.
General Information
Bridgewater College Eagles
Eastern Mennonite University Royals
Emory & Henry College Wasps
Guilford College Quakers
Hollins University
Lynchburg College Hornets
Randolph College WildCats
Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets
Roanoke College Maroons
Shenandoah University Hornets
Virginia Wesleyan College Marlins
Washington and Lee University Generals
Statistical Leaders
Individual Leaders
| Points per game | # |
|---|---|
|
K Anderson
Randolph-Macon |
21.0 |
|
J Rheinheimer
Eastern Mennonite |
19.5 |
|
C Beahm
Roanoke |
18.1 |
|
H Livermon
Randolph-Macon |
17.7 |
|
J Lam
Bridgewater |
15.6 |
| Complete leaders | |
| Rebounds per game | # |
|---|---|
|
K Anderson
Randolph-Macon |
12.3 |
|
T Blevins
Emory & Henry |
9.8 |
|
A Weatherly
Guilford |
9.5 |
|
E French
Shenandoah |
9.0 |
|
C Burkholder
Bridgewater |
8.1 |
| Complete leaders | |