Corban University's head coach Terry Williams will take his Warrior squad into the season as the highest ranked CCC team in the NAIA's Division II preseason poll that was released Monday.
Corban 16th, EOU 23rd in NAIA Preseason Poll
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Corban University's women's basketball team tied the highest ranking in program history when the NAIA Division II preseason poll was released Monday by the national office.
“We appreciate the respect shown to our team by the other coaches in our conference, our rater, and now the raters across the country," said head coach Terry Williams. "With eight returning players and four starters returning from last year’s co-champion team, it seems logical to rate us high. However, no games have been played yet and we will have to prove our worth every night we take the court. It is an honor to be recognized in such a way, but we will have a target on our back this year so our players will have to step up and reach their goals to make the season really count.”
The Warriors tied the highest national ranking in program history, as Corban was also ranked 16th in the country on January 11, 2006. The highest preseason ranking prior to this season was 22nd on November 1, 2006.
Corban, who was picked as the preseason favorite in the Cascade Collegiate Conference by the league's 10 head coaches last week, is one of only two teams ranked in the Top 25 along with Eastern Oregon (No. 23). Two other CCC schools – Warner Pacific and Concordia – also received votes in the NAIA's preseason poll.
The Warriors are led this season by CCC Preseason Player of the Year and three-time All-CCC 1st team member senior Katie Steigleman (Eugene, Ore.) along with fellow preseason All-CCC team members juniors Tess Bennett (Sutherlin, Ore.) and Emily Tsugawa (Gladstone, Ore.).
Two-time defending national champion Northwestern (Iowa) is the preseason No. 1-ranked team after receiving all 13 first-place votes and 374 total points, while Morningside (Iowa), Indiana Wesleyan, Kansas Wesleyan, and Brian Cliff (Iowa) round out the Top 5 teams in the country.
The 2011-12 CCC season officially begins on Friday, October 28th, when Northwest Christian hosts Frontier Conference member Great Falls beginning at 5:00 p.m. in Eugene.