Red Devils Selected Seventh in SLIAC Preseason Poll

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Eureka women's basketball team has been selected seventh in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason poll.

The Red Devils received 27 points in the poll, which was conducted by league coaches, the SLIAC announced on Tuesday.

Webster topped the poll with 81 points, including nine of the 10 first-place votes. The four-time defending league champion Gorloks finished 10 points ahead of Westminster, which received the remaining first-place vote.

Greenville was third with 56 points, followed closely by Principia with 55 and Fontbonne with 54. New SLIAC member Lyon was sixth with 48.

Eureka tied for seventh with Spalding (27), while the second new league member, MUW, came in ninth with 18. Blackburn rounded out the poll with 13 points.

This will be the Red Devils' first season under new head coach Mike Hedrick. Last winter, Eureka went 8-18 on the season and 5-9 in SLIAC play to finish sixth overall.

The Red Devils return six players from last year's team, including key contributors in Josie Ness (Sandwich, Ill./Sandwich) and Reece Putrich (Farmington, Ill./Farmington Central) and two returning seniors in Ariel Chism (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) and Avery Seidel (Wayne City, Ill./Wayne City).

On Monday, Oct. 30, EC women's basketball, along with EC men's basketball will host Maroon Madness intrasquad scrimmages and a night of Halloween fun at Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena and Convocation Center at 8 p.m.

The team has already logged three preseason exhibition games in Canada earlier this month, and it will officially begin the 2023-24 season on Friday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. at Mount Mary.