TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - Coming off its first conference championship in program history, Chatham University was voted as the preseason favorite in this year's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was voted on by the league's 11 head coaches.

The PAC released the results of its preseason poll and its annual players to watch list Tuesday afternoon.

The Cougars and seventh-year head coach David Saur gathered eight first-place votes and totaled 98 points to earn the top spot in this year's poll. After going 22-3 overall and 18-2 in the PAC during the regular season to earn the two seed for the conference tournament, Chatham defeated Bethany College in the conference semifinals. The Cougars then posted a 77-50 victory over fifth-seed Geneva College in the championship game to win their first-ever PAC title and bid to the NCAA Tournament. Chatham would fall in the first round at #2 Transylvania University to complete their season with a 24-4 record to set a new record for single-season wins.

Washington & Jefferson picked up the final three first-place votes to finish with 93 points and in second place in this year's poll. The Presidents were the No. 1 seed in last year's PAC Tournament after going 19-1 in the conference and 23-2 overall but were upset by Geneva in the PAC semifinals. It was very close for third and fourth in this year's poll, with Allegheny College securing 77 points to take third and just edge out Bethany, who came in fourth with 75 points.

Saint Vincent College, the 2023 PAC champion, finished in fifth place with 57 points, followed by Grove City College in sixth (56), Geneva in seventh (47), Westminster College in eighth (42). Waynesburg University in ninth (30), Franciscan University in 10th (20) and Thiel College (10).

The Players to Watch list featured four First Team All-PAC selections from a year ago and a pair of major award winners. That includes two-time PAC Player of the Year in W&J senior forward Meghan Dryburgh and her teammate in W&J sophomore forward Jaden Wan, the 2023-24 PAC Newcomer of the Year.

Dryburgh continued to show a tremendous all-around game in repeating as Player of the Year, finishing in the top 12 in the PAC in four different categories. Dryburgh averaged a double-double by scoring 11.4 points per game, 12th in the PAC, and grabbing 11.0 rebounds per game, second in the conference. She also ranked sixth in assists with 3.4 per game and eighth in steals with 2.1.

Also a two-time WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, Dryburgh can become just the second women's basketball player in PAC history to earn three Player of the Year awards and first since W&J's Leigh Sulkowski received the honor three times during her career from 2002-06.

Chatham graduate student guard Ashlie Louden was one of the top threats that sparked the Cougars' championship run. In addition to First Team All-PAC, which she earned for the second straight year, Loudon was voted to the D3hoops.com All-Region Third Team for Region 7, becoming the first player in program history to earn such honors. She placed sixth in the conference at 14.3 points per game, second in the league with 73 three-pointers and was also fourth in steals (2.3) and 15th in assists (2.3).

Senior guard Emily Lauer returns to lead Allegheny after she was the second-leading scorer in the conference with 16.7 points per game and earned First Team All-PAC. The Gator guard reached double-digit points in 24 contests, including six outings with 20 or more points. Lauer, who also ranked second in the PAC in free throw percentage (80.0), became the 18th player in team history to surpass 1,000 career points and enters her final year in third-place all-time in career points at Allegheny.

Now a two-time First Team All-PAC selection after she led the league with 78 three-pointers and was fourth in scoring with 15.6 points per game, Bethany senior guard Lindsey Garrison is back after helping the Bison reach the PAC semifinals last year. One of the top shooters in the country, Garrison's 78 treys ranked ninth in Division III and her 2.89 threes per game was 12th-best in the nation. She enters her senior year with 155 three-pointers made, good for fourth all-time at Bethany.

Last year's PAC Newcomer of the Year joined a deep W&J roster and Wan was able to contribute right away as a freshman. The 5-11 forward played in all 26 games and averaged 6.8 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor. Wan posted double-digit points in seven games, all against PAC opponents, including a season-high 17 in a win at Allegheny Jan. 13th, as she became the first President to earn the top newcomer honor since W&J's Lauren Gilbert in 2017-18.

For the second consecutive season, the PAC will play a six-team PAC Championship Tournament with the top two seeds earning first round byes. The 2024-25 conference postseason will begin on Tuesday, February 25 with its quarterfinal round. The semifinals are slated for Thursday, Feb. 27 and the tip-off for the championship game will be Saturday, March 1.

This year's championship tournament winner will receive the league's automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Championship. Team selections for the Division III Championship are scheduled to be announced Monday, March 3, with first and second round matchups scheduled for Friday-Saturday, March 7-8.   
 

2024-25 PAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
School (first-place votes)	Points	2023-24 Record (PAC)
1. Chatham University (8)	98	24-4 (18-2 PAC)
2. Washington & Jefferson College (3)	93	23-3 (19-1 PAC)
3. Allegheny College	77	13-13 (12-8 PAC)
4. Bethany College	75	15-12 (12-8 PAC)
5. Saint Vincent College	57	13-13 (11-9 PAC)
6. Grove City College	56	11-14 (10-10 PAC)
7. Geneva College	47	14-14 (11-9 PAC)
8. Westminster College	42	12-12 (10-10 PAC)
9. Waynesburg University	30	6-19 (5-15 PAC)
10. Franciscan University	20	4-21 (2-18 PAC)
11. Thiel College	10	0-25 (0-20 PAC)

2024-25 PAC Women's Basketball Players to Watch
1 = 2023-24 First Team All-PAC / 2 = Second Team / HM = Honorable Mention

Allegheny
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Jess Bickart (2)	Jr.	G	5-8	Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley
Sofia Genareo	Sr.	F	5-10	Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central
Emily Lauer (1)	Sr.	G	5-7	Knox, Pa./Keystone
Sarah Santicola (2)	Jr.	F	6-2	Moon Township, Pa./Moon

 

Bethany
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Kate Botti	So.	F	6-0	Irwin, Pa./Norwin
Lindsey Garrison (1)	Sr.	G	5-7	Triadelphia, W.Va./Wheeling Park
Kaedlee Potter	Jr.	F	6-1	Barboursville, W.Va./Cabell Midland
Bella Skobel	Sr.	G	5-7	Charleroi, Pa./Charleroi
Ashleigh Wheeler	Sr.	G	5-5	Quaker City, Ohio/Shenandoah

 

Chatham
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Julia Calvin	Jr.	G	5-8	Portland, Ore./Cal Poly Humboldt
Hannah Chenault	Jr.	G	5-10	East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs
Alyssa Laukus (HM)	Jr.	F	6-0	Irwin, Pa./Norwin
Ashlie Louden (1)	Grad.	G	5-7	Beallsville, Ohio/Beallsville
Madison Nereu	Jr.	F	5-10	Cary, N.C./Roanoke College

 

Franciscan
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Ilena Gonzales	Sr.	G	5-5	Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic
Moira Hughes	So.	G	5-2	Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury
Maria McCallen	So.	F	6-0	Springfield, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara
Jazzlyn Melnyk	Sr.	G	5-8	Weirton, W.Va./Madonna
Caroline Reedy	Jr.	G	5-8	Bernville, Pa./Berks Catholic

 

Geneva
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Emily Garvin	Jr.	G		Danville, Pa./Northumberland Christian
Monica Lammie	So.	G		Panama City, Panama/Instituto Sun Yat Sen Chino
Destanie McCullough	Fr.	G		Canfield, Ohio/Austintown Fitch
Jessie Moon	Fr.	G		Mantua, Ohio/SHAPE American
Anna Ulmer	Jr.	F/C		Milton, Pa./Northumberland Christian

 

Grove City
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Jaden Davinsizer	Sr.	G	5-9	Harmony, Pa./Seneca Valley
Clara Hannon	Sr.	G	5-8	Grove City, Pa./Grove City
Mara Polczynski	Sr.	G	5-6	Irwin, Pa./Norwin
Bethany Thompson	So.	G	5-7	Exeter Township, Pa./High Point Baptist

   

Saint Vincent
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Camdon Bashor	Jr.	C	6-2	Polk, Pa./Franklin
Reese Gadsby	Jr.	G	5-8	Mercer, Pa./Lakeview
Makenna Maier	Jr.	G/F	5-10	Butler, Pa./Butler
Danielle Pontius	So.	G	5-5	New Castle, Pa./Laurel
Emily Thompson (HM)	Sr.	G	5-9	Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep

 

Thiel
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Josie Lewis	So.	G	5-6	Greenville, Pa./Greenville
Issy Green	Fr.	G	5-9	Slippery Rock, Pa./Portersville Christian
Bria Ringloff	Fr.	G/F	5-10	Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson
Kayley Risser	Fr.	F	5-8	Reynolds, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic
Kelsey Seddon	So.	G/F	5-6	Cochranton, Pa./Lakeview

     

W&J
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Meghan Dryburgh (1)	Sr.	F	5-11	Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin
Stellanie Loutision (2)	Jr.	G	5-10	Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan

     

Waynesburg
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Kalista Friday	Jr.	G	5-2	Woodsfield, Ohio/Monroe Central
Julz Mohrbacher	So.	F	5-10	Freedom, Pa./Freedom

 

Westminster
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Kennedy Arison	So.	G	5-5	Medina, Ohio/Akron Hoban
Emily Hess	Sr.	F	5-10	Edinboro, Pa./General McLane
Maddie Syka	Fr.	G	5-9	Darlington, Pa./Lincoln Park