WINTER PARK, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women's basketball team was chosen first in the Sunshine State Conference preseason coaches' poll, as released Wednesday by the league office.
The Sharks received seven of nine first-place votes and 62 points, placing them ahead of Rollins, picked to finish second with 52 points. The Tars and Saint Leo picked up the other two first-place votes. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team.
The nod comes after NSU made its first-ever appearance in last year's national Elite Eight in San Antonio, and finished with a 23-9 record and a No. 12 ranking in the final USA Today Sports Top 25. The Sharks were also chosen No. 5 in the Women's DII Hoops Bulletin preseason poll released on Oct. 7.
NSU has three starters coming back –
Amanda Burakoski (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.),
Danielle Robinson (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and
Jessica Russi (Sr., Lake Mary, Fla.) – among the eight letterwinners from last year's squad, in addition to the return of forward
Jasmine Wilkins (R-Jr., Miami) from injury. Head coach LeAnn Freeland also added five newcomers to the roster.
"To be voted the preseason favorite by the league coaches is a tremendous honor," said Freeland. "There are great teams and coaches in the SSC from top to bottom. However, it is very important we don't believe the ranking; instead we must stay hungry and humble. NSU women's basketball still has a lot to prove in this competitive league."
The regular season will kick off for the 2013-14 Sharks on Nov. 9-10 when they host the NSU Tipoff Classic. They will face Washburn at noon on that Saturday, and Stonehill the following day, also at noon.
The entirety of the SSC preseason poll is as follows:
Rank - Team, Points (1st-place votes)
1 - Nova Southeastern, 62 (7)
2 - Rollins, 52 (1)
T3 - Florida Tech, 44
T3 - Tampa, 44
5 - Saint Leo, 39 (1)
T6 - Eckerd, 28
T6 - Lynn, 28
8 - Barry, 16
9 - Florida Southern, 11
For the latest NSU news and results, be sure to visit
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clicking here. For the latest news, be sure to sign up for the Shark Alert E-newsletter by
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