Women's Basketball Picked Sixth In Big South Preseason Poll; Parker Named To Second Team
October 23, 2015 | Women's Basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The Gardner-Webb women's basketball team has been selected sixth in the Big South's annual preseason poll, announced Monday morning at the annual Big South Media Day.
Defending regular-season and tournament champion Liberty was picked to repeat as champion, receiving six first-place votes and five second-place votes for a total of 116 points.
Winthrop was selected to finish second and received four first-place votes, three second-place, one third-place, two fourth place, and one sixth-place vote for a 105-point total.
Radford was fourth with 92 points, and High Point and Campbell round out the top five with 74 and 72 points respectively. Coastal Carolina picked 10th in the preseason poll, received the final first place vote.
Gardner-Webb's Olivia Parker was selected to the 2015-16 Preseason All-Conference second team. Parker, a Second Team All-Conference selection as a junior, set a career-high with 12.3 points per game and ranked fifth in the Big South, hauling down 8.4 boards.
The senior forward recorded 11 double-doubles during her junior year and set single-game bests with 24 points against Davidson on Nov. 20 and 17 rebounds in a win at Charleston Southern on Feb. 10.
Ashley Rininger, a three-time Big South All-Conference selection and last season's player of the year, was picked by the league's coaches to repeat as Player of the Year. Rininger was joined on the first team by Erica Williams (Winthrop), Schaquilla Nunn (Winthrop), Kaylah Keys (High Point), and Aisha Foy (Radford).
Alongside Parker, comprising the second team are Sadalis Ellis (Liberty), Aliyah Kilpatrick (Winthrop), Raven Williams (Longwood) and RaeChaun Edwards (Campbell).
Gardner-Webb returns three starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team that compiled a 15-17 record and advanced to the semifinal round of the Big South Tournament.
The Runnin' Bulldogs open the season Nov. 13 at the University of North Carolina before returning to Boiling Springs to host Monreat, Nov. 17 for Education Day at 11:00 a.m.
2015-16 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Team (first-place votes) | Total Points |
| 1. Liberty (6) | 116 |
| 2. Winthrop (4) | 105 |
| 3. Radford (3) | 92 |
| 4. High Point | 74 |
| 5. Campbell | 72 |
| 6. Gardner-Webb | 67 |
| 7. Presbyterian | 59 |
| 8. UNC Asheville | 48 |
| 9. Longwood | 42 |
| 10. Coastal Carolina (1) | 36 |
| 11. Charleston Southern | 15 |
Preseason All-Conference
1st Team
Ashley Rininger, Liberty (Preseason Player of the Year)
Erica Williams, Winthrop
Schaquilla Nunn, Winthrop
Kaylah Keys, High Point
Aisha Foy, Radford
2nd Team
Sadalia Ellis, Liberty
Olivia Parker, Gardner-Webb
Aliyah Kilpatrick, Winthrop
Raven Williams, Longwood
RaeChaun Edwards, Campbell
$website.include("/sports/wbkb/2015-16/photos/0003")
No videos available.
