Spartan Women Tabbed Fourth in UAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team was tabbed fourth in the University Athletic Association Preseason Coaches' Poll released this afternoon. The Spartans (13-12, 7-7 UAA in 2010-11) placed fourth in the conference last season and have three winning seasons in four years under Head Coach Jennifer Reimer.
Defending champion University of Chicago (Ill.) is favored to win the conference after receiving seven out of a possible eight first-place votes. Washington University-St. Louis was picked second, University of Rochester (N.Y.) third, Case fourth, Emory University (Ga.) fifth, Brandeis University (Mass.) sixth, New York University seventh and Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) eighth.
Case returns four starters, including two All-UAA selections, and eight letterwinners as the squad looks to compete for a UAA Championship this winter.
Headlining Case's veteran roster is three-time All-UAA senior forward Erin Hollinger (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon), who led the league at 16.8 points per game and 46 blocked shots last season. Hollinger, a D3Hoops.com Honorable Mention Preseason All-American this season, was a finalist for the Jostens Trophy (Division III Player of the Year) as a junior. She enters her senior season in seventh place on the CWRU career scoring list (1,093).
Also back is second-team All-UAA junior guard Evy Iacono (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame). She finished second on the team at 12.4 ppg and ranked in the top-10 in the UAA in assists (4.6 apg), free throw percentage (.746), steals (51), three-pointers (47), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2) and minutes (33.9 mpg).
Two others return from the starting lineup – junior point guard Erica Iafelice (North Canton, Ohio/Canton Hoover) and junior forward Marissa Miles (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry). Iafelice led the UAA in minutes played per game (34.8) and ranked fifth in the league in assists per game (4.4), second in steals per game (2.3), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.361) and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5). Miles started all 25 games a year ago and averaged 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds.
The Spartans play an exhibition game on Monday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Cleveland State University before officially opening the season on Tuesday, Nov. 15 on the road versus Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.) at 7 p.m.
