AVE MARIA, Fla. --- Defending regular season and tournament champion Southeastern is the Sun Conference Women's Basketball preseason favorite, according to the preseason poll voted on by the league's nine head coaches.
This marks the first time the Fire have been rated as the TSC preseason favorite. Southeastern received 60 total votes and six first-place votes. They were closely followed by St. Thomas with 57 total votes and two first-place votes and Webber with 52 votes and one first place vote.
Keiser is picked to finish fourth with 41 votes followed by Thomas with 36 votes and Ave Maria with 29 votes. Warner (21 votes), Florida Memorial (19 votes), and Johnson & Wales (9 votes) round out the poll.
Southeastern returns NAIA Second Team All-American, Sun Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference honoree Christin Strawbridge as well as fellow First Team All-Conference honoree Alyssa Ramos from a team that went 24-6 last season and competed in the NAIA National Tournament.
Strawbridge led the conference in scoring with 16.6 points per game while shooting 63 percent from the field and also grabbing 9.4 rebounds per game. Ramos averaged 12.6 ppg and ranked ninth in the NAIA in total three-point field goals made with 95. She also led the conference with 113 assists.
St. Thomas was picked to finish second after a 14-10 season in which they went 13-3 in conference play. The Bobcats return their top player in Supavadee Kunchuan. The rising senior averaged 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to earn First-Team All-Conference recognition.
Webber received the final first-place vote and was selected to finish in third following their 20-11 season in 2015-16. The Warriors will be led by Quanthavia Stalworth who averaged 9.3 points and 7.4 rebounds. She led the conference with 48 blocks a year ago.
The 2016-17 Sun Conference Tournament begins on Feb. 21 with quarterfinal action hosted by the higher seeds as determined by the final league standings. The tournament semifinals and championship game will be hosted by the regular season champion on Feb. 23-24.
The 25th Annual Division II Women's Basketball National Championship Presented by Mercy Medical and Seaboard Triumph Foods gets underway March 8-14 from the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
The 2016-17 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' poll will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
2016-17 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Southeastern – 60 (6)
2. St. Thomas – 57 (2)
3. Webber – 52 (1)
4. Keiser – 41
5. Thomas – 36
6. Ave Maria – 29
7. Warner – 21
8. Florida Memorial – 19
9. Johnson & Wales – 9
