Women’s Basketball Picked Seventh in SLIAC Preseason Poll
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference released its preseason poll for women's basketball on Wednesday. The Red Devils were selected seventh with 30 points, based on voting by the league's women's basketball coaches.
Last year's champions, Webster, received the most overall points with 79 and received eight first-place votes. Westminster was picked to finish in second place with 68 points and picked up one first-place vote.
Greenville finished in third with 62 points, just ahead of Lyon, who were picked to finish in fourth with 61 points. The Scots picked up the final first-place vote. Principia received 54 points, putting them in fifth place, followed by Spalding, who received 39 points. The Red Devils finished just behind the Golden Eagles with 30 points, putting them in seventh place in the poll. MUW (25 points), Fontbonne (22 points), and Blackburn (10 points) rounded out the poll.
The Red Devils return just five players from the 2023-24 season but welcome 18 newcomers to the team this year. Josie Ness (Sandwich, Ill./Sandwich), a third-team All-SLIAC selection from last year, will look to play a key role for the Red Devils after averaging a double-double last season, with 10.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. She was the only player in the SLIAC to average a double-double last season. Eureka also returns its leading scorer, Brin Hultz (Quincy, Ill./Quincy), and second-leading scorer, Ashley Wilcox (Hudson, Ill./Normal West). Hultz averaged 11.8 points per game, while Wilcox averaged 11.1 points and led the team in assists with 2.3 per game. Katie Haffner (Lake Camelot, Ill./Illini Bluffs) and Lainey Moore (Sullivan, Ill./Sullivan) round out the returning players for Eureka.
Eureka tips off their 2024-25 season on Friday, Nov. 8, on the road against Dominican at 5:00 p.m.
2024-25 Preseason SLIAC Women's Basketball Poll (First-place votes)
- Webster – 79 (8)
- Westminster – 68 (1)
- Greenville – 62
- Lyon – 61 (1)
- Principia – 54
- Spalding – 39
- Eureka – 30
- MUW – 25
- Fontbonne – 22
- Blackburn – 10