Thomas More women picked to win 10th-straight PAC basketball title

Thomas More women picked to win 10th-straight PAC basketball title

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GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) has released the results of its 2015-16 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll and Thomas More College was picked by the conference's head coaches to capture its 10th-straight PAC Championship Tournament title.

The PAC released the results of its preseason coaches’ poll and players to watch list Thursday. 

Thomas More and fifth-year head coach Jeff Hans earned nine of 10 available first-place votes and totaled 99 points to headline this year’s preseason poll.

Saint Vincent College was picked second, totaling 89 points and securing the final first-place vote, while Washington & Jefferson College was selected third with 80 points. Waynesburg University was fourth (69 pts.), Bethany College fifth (57 pts.), Grove City College sixth (56 pts.), Westminster College seventh (32 pts.), Thiel College eighth (30 pts.), Chatham University ninth (24 pts.), and Geneva College 10th (14 pts.).

Thomas More, the defending NCAA Division III national champion, posted a perfect 33-0 record last year en route to the College's first team national championship. The Saints enter the 2015-16 season number one on the USA TODAY Sports Division III Top 25 women’s basketball poll, the D3hoops.com women’s preseason Top 25, and the Women's DIII News Preseason Top 25. 

Thomas More senior guard/forward Sydney Moss (St. Albans, W.Va./Boone County (Ky.)) and sophomore guard Abby Owings (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) each earned national preseason accolades heading into the 2015-16 season. Moss was recognized by Women’s DIII News as the preseason National Player of the Year and was named a preseason First Team All-America selection by D3hoops.com. She concluded a stellar junior campaign by being named the Division III National Player of the Year for the second-straight season by the WBCA, D3hoops.com, and Women’s DIII News. Owings was named a preseason All-America honorable mention by D3hoops.com and Women’s DIII News. She was named the Great Lakes Region Rookie of the Year last season by D3hoops.com. 

Three PAC programs will get their seasons underway Friday-Saturday, November 13-14. 
 
2015-16 PAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
School (first-place votes) Points 2014-15 Record (PAC)
1. Thomas More College (9) 99 33-0 (18-0)
2. Saint Vincent College (1) 89 22-5 (15-3)
3. Washington & Jefferson College 80 21-8 (13-5)
4. Waynesburg University 69 15-12 (12-6)
5. Bethany College 57 12-14 (8-10)
6. Grove City College 56 14-12 (10-8)
7. Westminster College 32 7-20 (5-13)
8. Thiel College 30 5-21 (4-14)
9. Chatham University 24 6-19 (3-15)
10. Geneva College 14 4-21 (2-16)
 
PAC Women's Basketball Players to Watch in 2015-16
Bethany
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Kelsea Daugherty So. F 6-0 Newport, Ohio/Frontier
Hayley Holenka Jr. G 5-6 Shadyside, Ohio/Shadyside
Mikyla Tipton Sr. G 5-6 Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville
 
Chatham
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Rachel McClain Sr. G 5-3 Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg
Megan Sieg So. G 5-6 Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic
 
Geneva
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Jodie Carlson Fr. G 5-7 Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw
Nicole Hyland Jr. G 5-8 Trafford, Pa./Penn-Trafford
Heidi Mann Sr. G 5-7 Colorado Springs, Colo./Evangelical Christian Academy
 
Grove City
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Kathryn Erbelding Sr. F 5-10 Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia
Lexie Arkwright So. G 5-7 Mercer, Pa./Mercer
 
Saint Vincent
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Mara Benvenuti Jr. G 5-9 Franklin, Pa./Franklin
Hannah Carroll Jr. F 5-9 Severna Park, Md./Severna Park
Jill Kegg Sr. G 5-5 Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort
 
Thiel
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Hannah Stoneman Sr. F 6-1 Sugarcreek, Ohio/Hiland
Jaclyn Watkins Sr. F 6-0 Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa
Kayla Welty Sr. G 5-3 Portville, N.Y./Portville
 
Thomas More
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Nikki Kiernan So. F 5-10 Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic
Sydney Moss Sr. G/F 5-10 St. Albans, W.Va./Boone County (Ky.)
Abby Owings So. G 5-2 Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton
 
W&J
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Beka Bellhy Sr. G/F 5-9 McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry
Taylor Cortazzo Jr. G 5-4 Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford
Amirah Moore So. G 5-7 Moon Township, Pa./Moon
 
Waynesburg
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Lauren Blair Sr. G 5-4 Granville, Ohio/Newark Catholic
Maura Bobby Sr. F 5-9 Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary
Heather Davis Sr. F 5-10 Ford City, Pa./Ford City
 
Westminster
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Shelby Brown Jr. G 5-7 New Castle, Pa./Mohawk
Rachel Durbin Jr. G 5-8
Lowellville, Ohio/Lowellville
Krissy Fromknecht So. F 5-9 Erie, Pa./McDowell

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