Women's Basketball Selected Sixth in C2C Preseason Poll

Release courtesy of the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference

Christopher Newport was chosen as conference favorites in the 2022-23 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Women's Basketball Preseason Poll. The Captains collected 47 points and five first-place votes to lead the rankings. 

UC Santa Cruz received three first-place votes while collecting 41 points to finish second.  Salisbury sits at the third with 37 points as Mary Washington earns 32 to place them at fourth. Finlandia is positioned in fifth with 24 points while Pratt Institute received 19 points to take the sixth spot

C2C newcomer Warren Wilson College collects 15 points in seventh and Mount Mary rounds out the rankings with nine points.

The 2022-23 season kicks off Monday, Nov. 7, with the C2C Women's Basketball Championship, a 6-team tournament, being hosted by the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. on Feb. 23, 24, & 25. 

Below is a brief preview of each team entering the 2022-23 season: 

#1 Christopher Newport: Christopher Newport is ranked No. 6 in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 after an impressive 26-1 campaign a year ago. The reigning C2C Champions advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 for the sixth straight season and were led by All-American Sondra Fan. Fan returns alongside senior Anaya Simmons, the Division III statistical champion for field goal percentage, to lead the way in 2022-23. 

#2 UC Santa Cruz: Three starters return for Matt Malone's second season, with grad student Calvin Keyes and senior Avri Finch giving the Banana Slugs one of their most experienced frontcourts ever.A seasoned group of underclassmen including Zino Okah, Zach Granberry, Tyler Kessinger and Trey Keating will challenge for playing time. The Banana Slugs will host the Conference Tournament at Kaiser Permanente Arena in February.

#3 Salisbury: Salisbury women's basketball enters the 2022-23 season looking to follow up on a 20-7 campaign that saw the Sea Gulls reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Senior forward Emily Dilger is SU's only returning starter from 2021-22; she averaged 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds over 19.8 minutes per game. Junior forwards Hailey Ader (5.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG) and Ashlynn Burrows (4.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG) each played 16 minutes per game and combined to make nine starts, while senior guard Abby Wilkinson (5.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 15.0 MPG) is primed to step into an expanded role for the Sea Gulls.

#4 Mary Washington: Mary Washington enters the 2022-23 season with great optimism, as All-C2C selection Jordan Carpenter and C2C Defensive Player of the Year Ashley Martin return, headlining a group of four returning starters and eight players who saw action in at least 10 minutes per contest. Returning guards Keagan Schwab, Megan Baxter, Bri Harper, and Molly Sharman will provide valuable experience in the backcourt, and Martin, Carpenter, and Sydney Sherman will look to control the boards.

#5 Pratt Institute:  Ziggy Brown takes over the helm of Pratt women's basketball and will look to build upon a C2C Championship appearance last season. After losing All-C2C selection Katy O'Connor (19.6 ppg, 18.7 rpg) to graduation, second-leading scorer sophomore Kylie Grant (13.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.3 apg) leads the returnees along with classmate Natalie Graf (8.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg). The 2022-23 campaign features a tough test with two teams ranked in the D3hoops.com preseason Top 10 in NYU and C2C foe Christopher Newport.

#6 Finlandia: It's a new look all the way around for the Lions as Brandi Hainault takes over as head coach.  FinnU returns five of 13 players led by senior Katie Lundeen (All-C2C second team in 21-22) and sophomore Maija Rice (2021-22 C2C Rookie of the Year).

#7 Warren Wilson : The Warren Wilson Women's Basketball team is excited to be in its first year of C2C competition. With a young and hungry team, the Owls look to climb their way to the upper half of the C2C. 

#8 Mount Mary : Mount Mary returns Talesa Campbell who averaged 15 points per game last season.  Every other player is new and Mount Mary hopes to take a step forward with a young nucleus.