Posted: Nov 04, 2014
D3hoops.com Poll (.pdf) | USA TODAY/WBCA Poll (.pdf)
BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team is ranked in two Division III women's basketball pre-season polls. Traditionally, the Yellow Jacket women compete for an Ohio Athletic Conference title and are one of the best teams in Division III.
The Yellow Jackets, who finished 22-7 overall and advanced to the "Sweet 16" of the 2014 NCAA Division III National Tournament last winter, are ranked 16th in the D3hoops.com poll and tied for 22nd in the USA TODAY/WBCA Division III national poll.
Veteran Head Coach Cheri Harrer, who is 488-179 in her 24 seasons in Berea, returns 12 letter winners and three starters from last year's team, including 11 student-athletes who were part of Harrer's 15-to-16 player rotation that averaged 76.3 points-per-game and allowed 63.0 ppg. Leading this year's group will be senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC student-athletes Audrey Smolik (Strongsville) and Shari Mangas (Leipsic).
Click Here for a complete 2014-15 season outlook.
"We appreciate the rankings but believe they are based on past success," said Harrer. "We entered our pre-season with some big holes to fill on the inside. Finding the ansers and solutions to those holes will be key to our success this season. We also need to stay healthy, particularly in the post. We look forward to the challenges that our season presents, including playing in the always-rugged OAC."
The Yellow Jackets open the season on Tuesday, November 18 at Cleveland cross-town rival Case Western Reserve University in the first game of a women's and men's doubleheader at 6 p.m. The first home game is on Friday, Nov. 21 versus Bethany (W.Va.) College in the nightcap of the first round of the BW Invitational at 7 p.m. The first OAC contest is on Wednesday, December 3 at the University of Mount Union at 7:30 p.m.
