Athletics - Lewis-Clark State

With three four-year starters returning, NAIA women’s basketball coaches also are expecting big things from the Lewis-Clark State College Warriors this season because the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll has the team ranked No. 5, the NAIA announced on Monday.

The ranking ties the second-highest preseason ranking in program history. The Warriors were ranked No. 3 in the 2000 preseason poll, and No. 5 in both the 1998 and 2008 polls.

The Warriors enjoyed a solid season last year when it won the Frontier Conference Tournament title for the fourth straight year and finished the season with a 29-5 record and a No. 10 ranking in the NAIA. LCSC also defeated eventual national champion Azusa Pacific last season 72-62 during the regular season in California.

Azusa Pacific drew all 12 first-place votes in the poll and is the unanimous No. 1 with 312 points, followed by Union, Oklahoma City and Shawnee State.

LCSC went as high as No. 3 last season when the program advanced to the national tournament for the 15^th time in 16 seasons.

The Warriors return six players from a year ago, including seniors Jasmine Stohr, Kirsi Voshell, and Alyssa Fierro. Stohr, a 6-foot guard/forward, was the co-MVP and leading scorer in the Frontier Conference last season and earned first-team all Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America honors. Voshell, a 6-3 post, was a first-team all-conference selection last season, while Fierro, a 6-2 post, was a second-team choice. The three combined to average nearly 40 points and 21 rebounds a game last year and Voshell and Fierro tied for the blocked shot lead in the conference with 63 apiece.

Because of the talent returning, the Warriors were picked as the favorite to win the conference this season in the FC preseason coaches’ poll.

The Warriors were joined in the Top 10 by fellow FC member Westminster, who is ranked at No. 9. Carroll was one of the top teams receiving votes in the poll.

Of interest, along with player Westminster and Carroll twice during the regular season, LCSC will play two teams ranked in the top six in the preseason poll. LCSC returns to California to play Azusa Pacific on Nov. 25, and then opens a tournament in Las Vegas in late December against Bethel University of Tennessee. Bethel is ranked No. 6.

LCSC plays a scrimmage game this Friday against North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, and then meets the University of Montana in an exhibition game on Nov. 2. The Warriors open the regular season on Nov. 5 at home at 2 p.m. against Warner Pacific.

RANK

LAST WEEK^

SCHOOL (1^ST PLACE VOTES)

2010 – 11 RECORD

TOTAL POINTS

1

3

Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (12)

33-5

312

2

1

Union (Tenn.)

35-2

302

3

4

Oklahoma City

27-4

290

4

24

Shawnee State (Ohio)

27-10

280

5

10

Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)

29-5

266

6

7

Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)

27-9

248

6

6

Bethel (Tenn.)

27-7

248

8

2

Campbellsville (Ky.)

30-4

234

9

8

Westminster (Utah)

28-7

222

10

19

Vanguard (Calif.)

18-11

221

11

18

Southern Nazarene (Okla.)

27-7

220

12

16

Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)

26-6

202

13

12

Saint Xavier (Ill.)

24-6

179

14

15

Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)

24-9

175

15

13

Lee (Tenn.)

25-7

174

16

20

Xavier (La.)

27-7

166

17

22

Lubbock Christian (Texas)

23-10

158

18

11

Columbia (Mo.)

28-6

157

19

13

Langston (Okla.)

28-5

152

20

23

Westmont (Calif.)

20-10

124

21

RV

Shorter (Ga.)

24-8

110

22

24

Evangel (Mo.)

21-9

85

23

21

William Woods (Mo.)

30-5

77

24

RV

Rogers State (Okla.)

23-10

72

25

RV

Belhaven (Miss.)

24-9

58

Others receiving votes: The Master's (Calif.) 57; Carroll (Mont.) 39; Cumberlands (Ky.) 26; Southern Poly (Ga.) 22; Robert Morris (Ill.) 18; Avila (Mo.) 15; Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) 11; Texas Wesleyan 10; Southern-New Orleans (La.) 9; Loyola (La.) 7; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 5; John Brown (Ark.) 4; Biola (Calif.) 3; Voorhees (S.C.) 1; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 1; Benedictine (Kan.) 1; Georgetown (Ky.) 1.