Thursday, October 12, 2006

MACON, Ga. - Reigning regular season champion Belmont occupied the top spot in both the Atlantic Sun coaches and preseason polls as announced by the league office on Thursday. The Bruins received 23 first place votes between the two polls and are predicted to win the A-Sun Tournament, according to the media poll. Despite only reaching the semi-finals of last season's championship, Belmont saw post-season action in the WNIT, dropping its eighth match of the season to Tennessee Tech.

Belmont sophomore Alysha Clark was voted preseason Player of the Year by the league's head coaches. Named Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year last season, Clark became the first rookie in A-Sun Women's Basketball history to win both awards in the same season. The five-time A-Sun Player of the Week was second in the league in scoring (20.0 ppg) and rebounding (10.9 rpg) last season. She also ranked second among all freshmen in the nation in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles (18).

After reaching the A-Sun Finals last season, Gardner-Webb has emerged as the second place choice by the coaches and media alike. With a combined 11 first place votes in both polls, the Bulldogs were also selected to take the A-Sun Championship in the coaches poll. A repeat preseason All-Atlantic Sun selection, Shameka Smith returns to the Gardner-Webb lineup. The Bessemer City, N.C. native is a strong presence in the post, averaging 11.1 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per game.

ETSU is predicted to finish third in both polls. Last season, the Lady Bucs started off hot and eventually posted an 18-10 overall record and a 14-6 A-Sun mark in their first season of league competition. The third place prediction is a far cry from team's sixth place spot in the coaches poll a season ago.

Campbell claimed the fourth spot in both polls. The Camels went 11-18 overall and tied for fifth with Mercer last season. After reaching the A-Sun Tournament for the first time since 2003, Campbell is starting to turn things around. A large part of that turnaround is Adrienne Rieley. Rieley, a senior forward from Hope Mills, N.C., is a preseason All-Conference pick and led the Camels in scoring (11.1 ppg) and pulled down 6.5 boards per game.

Ranked fifth among the coaches and sixth by the media, Jacksonville's Ashley Williams was voted Preseason All-Atlantic Sun. The junior forward from Jacksonville, Fla., was named Player of the Week twice last season and averaged 17.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She has posted six double-doubles and is listed among the league's top-five in scoring, field goal percentage (.558), free throw percentage (.824) and blocks (2.10).

Mercer, who was ranked fifth by the media and sixth by the coaches, has a preseason All-Conference pick in Sarah Russell. The senior guard was the leading point producer for the Bears last season, scoring 11.9 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game. A complete list of the polls and All-Conference team is below.