Greyhounds Picked to Win Landmark Conference in 2013-14
TOWSON, Md. --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team has been selected to win the 2013-14 Landmark Conference Championship in a preseason poll of the conference coaches.
TOWSON, Md. --- The Moravian College women's basketball team has been selected to win the 2013-14 Landmark Conference Championship in a preseason poll of the conference coaches.
The Greyhounds, who return 12 players and four starters from last year's 22-7 squad that reached the final of the ECAC Division III South Championship Tournament, received six of the eight first-place votes and a total of 67 points, coming in 15 points ahead of The University of Scranton in the poll.
"Being picked to win the conference only means the other coaches think we have enough talent to win," stated 27th-year Head Coach Mary Beth Spirk, who enters the season just 13 wins shy of 500 for her career. "The real test is to go out and win the conference. Preseason polls are nice, but they mean nothing, unless you actually go out and win the conference. We have a lot of work ahead of us; our non-league schedule is tough and the conference games will all be a battle. The Landmark Conference is as good as any conference in the country, so to be able to survive and win it would be a great accomplishment. We are excited for the challenge, but we know it will not be an easy task."
Moravian was ranked 22nd in the Women's DIII News Preseason Top 25 Poll and received votes in the USA Today/Women's Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops.com Preseason Polls.
The Greyhounds return a pair of All-Conference players in senior guard Katie O'Rourke and junior forward Alexis Wright. O'Rourke was on the All-Conference First Team while Wright was named a Women's Basketball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American and a Women's DIII News Honorable Mention All-American as well as earning spots on the Landmark All-Conference First Team, the D3hoops.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region First Team and the ECAC Division III South All-Star First Team.
Moravian is set to begin its 2013-14 season on Friday, November 15 at the Southwestern (Texas) University Tournament battling Trinity (Texas) University in the first night of competition at 6:00 p.m. Central.
| 2013-14 Landmark Women's Basketball Preseason Poll | ||
| Rank | Institution (First Place) | Points |
| 1. | Moravian (6) | 67 |
| 2. | Scranton (1) | 52 |
| 3. | Juniata (1) | 37 |
| 4. | Catholic | 36 |
| 5. | Drew | 19 |
| 6. | Susquehanna | 16 |
| 7. | Goucher | 15 |
| 8. | USMMA | 14 |
