NEWARK, N.J.— The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the 2022-23 Northeast Conference Preseason Poll, released on Tuesday at the conference's Media Day.
Wagner took the top spot with five first-place votes after finishing fourth last season. Defending regular season champion Fairleigh Dickinson is second with three. St. Francis Brooklyn rounds out the top three with one first-place vote.
"Our team is excited to have the opportunity," said head coach
Jessica Mannetti. "To prove we can be one of the best teams in the NEC this year during what I know is going to be a highly competitive season of conference."
The Pioneers return seven players from last season's squad. Among those is
Olivia Tucker who led Sacred Heart in three pointers last season with 5.7 per game while averaging 9.0 points per game overall. In addition, the Pioneers will be loaded in the back court with post players.
Kelsey Wood and
Carly Stroemel, two of the top three rebounders with 5.5 and 4.5 per game, respectively. Stroemel also led the team in blocks with 19 total, which was tied for ninth in the NEC.
Sacred Heart adds seven new additions to the team, including two transfers in
Sajada Bonner (Quinnipiac) and
Ciara Brannon (Wagner).
The Pioneers were NEC regular season champions in 2016, but have not won a conference tournament title since 2012. Mannetti hopes the preseason ranking will motivate the team to make a run at it this season.
2022-23 Northeast Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
- Wagner (5)
- Fairleigh Dickinson (3)
- St. Francis Brooklyn (1)
- Saint Francis
- Merrimack
- Sacred Heart
- LIU
- CCSU
- Stonehill
