Red Devils Picked Fifth in Preseason SLIAC Women’s Basketball Poll

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – Eureka has been voted fifth in a preseason St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference poll conducted by league women's basketball coaches, according to an announcement from the league office Wednesday. Defending regular-season champion Greenville received four of a possible nine first-place votes to be picked as the league's preseason favorite.

Spalding and Westminster each received two first-place votes to tie for second place in the poll. Webster received the final first place vote to earn the fourth slot, followed by the Red Devils in fifth. Fontbonne, Iowa Wesleyan, Blackburn and MacMurray rounded out the final four spots.

Eureka returns three starters and five letterwinners from last season's 18-win team that went to the SLIAC Tournament semifinals for the seventh consecutive season. Among the returnees are SLIAC assist leader and All-SLIAC Second Team pick Kennedy Dura (Edwards, Ill./Brimfield H.S.), SLIAC rebound leader Lexi Dooley (Sutter, Ill./Warsaw H.S.) and the second-ranked returning scorer in league play, Samantha Sarnes (Havana, Ill./Havana H.S.).

2018-19 Preseason SLIAC Women's Basketball Coaches Poll (First-place votes)

#1 - Greenville - 55 (4)

T#2 - Spalding - 51 (2)

T#2 - Westminster - 51 (2)

#4 - Webster - 46 (1)

#5 - Eureka - 41

#6 - Fontbonne - 35

#7 - Iowa Wesleyan - 20

#8 - Blackburn -15

#9 - MacMurray - 10