RSC Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll & Preseason All-Conference Team announced (ALC picked 4th; place two on pre-season squad)

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- River States Conference Women's Basketball Media Day begins with the reveal of the 2023-24 RSC Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll and the RSC Preseason All-Conference Team. 

The coaches' preseason poll was voted on by the 13 head coaches in RSC women's basketball. The preseason all-conference team includes the Top 10 returning players to watch this upcoming season. 

RSC Women's Basketball Media Day continues with video interviews with head coaches and players from every team posted here at RiverStatesConference.com throughout the day. Tune in for all the coverage getting fans and media ready for the upcoming season. 

University of Rio Grande (Ohio) is the preseason favorite in RSC women's basketball this year. The RedStorm was 30-4 last season and reached the Round of 16 of the NAIA national tournament. Rio Grande won the RSC regular season and postseason championships prior to their NAIA national run. 

Rio Grande received 143 total votes in the preseason poll and 11 of the 13 first-place votes from the head coaches. The RedStorm return guards Kaylee Darnell and Azyiah Williams as members of the RSC Preseason All-Conference Team.

Oakland City (Ind.) University came in second in the poll with 128 votes and the remaining two first-place votes. The Mighty Oaks were 22-10 last season and made the NAIA national tournament as an RSC Championship semifinalist. Oakland City features two players on the preseason team with guard Emilee Hope and center Jalaya Dowell. 

RSC newcomer Shawnee State (Ohio) University is picked third this preseason. The Bears received 108 total votes. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College was next in fourth place with 103 votes to make it three of the top four predicted teams coming from the RSC East Division. 

The middle five teams in the poll feature Midway (Ky.) University, WVU Tech, Point Park (Pa.) University, Indiana University East and St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) College. There are 13 teams in the RSC rounded out by Indiana University Southeast, Indiana University Kokomo, Ohio Christian University and Brescia (Ky.) University.

Rio Grande was the clear favorite in the RSC East get all 12 possible first-place votes to win the division. After Shawnee State picked second in the east, Alice Lloyd got a first-place vote in third. 

Oakland City is predicted as the RSC West winner with 10 first-place votes from the coaches. Midway was picked next with a pair of first-place notes. St. Mary-of-the-Woods received a top vote in the division as well. 

Joining Rio Grande and Oakland City with two players on the RSC Preseason All-Conference Team is Alice Lloyd with guards Hannah Kash and Katie Jo Moore. The other four players on the team are center Alva Hedrich (WVU Tech), guard Kennedy Griffin (IU East), guard Brooklyn Jones (SMWC) and forward Anna Kiser (IU Kokomo). 

RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES' PRESEASON POLL (OCT. 12, 2023)
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)

RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EAST DIVISION
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)

RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEST DIVISION
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)

RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
(Top 10 Returning Players)