CARMEL, Ind. – In a vote of league coaches, Transylvania University was selected as the favorite in the 2023-24 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) women’s basketball race.
The Pioneers dominated the poll, taking nine first place votes in route to a commanding 81 points after winning the regular season title and conference tournament championship a year ago. The Hanover College Panthers finished in second with 71 points, snagging the final first-place nod. The Mount St. Joseph University Lions finished in third with 65 points while, the Bluffton University Beavers placed fourth with 50 points. To round out the top half of the poll, the Anderson University Ravens and Franklin College Grizzlies garnered 46 points apiece.
Listed below is the 2023-24 HCAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, the 2022-23 HCAC All-Conference Returners, and the 2023-24 HCAC Players to Watch. For more information on HCAC Women's Basketball, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the Internet at
www.heartlandconf.org. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on Twitter and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.
2022-23 HCAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
(#) Denotes First Place Votes
| 1. |
Transylvania University (9) |
81 |
| 2. |
Hanover College (1) |
71 |
| 3. |
Mount St. Joseph University |
65 |
| 4. |
Bluffton University |
50 |
| 5. |
Anderson University |
46 |
| 5. |
Franklin College |
46 |
| 7. |
Manchester University |
36 |
| 8. |
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology |
26 |
| 9. |
Earlham College |
16 |
| 10. |
Defiance College |
13 |
Returning 2022-23 All-Conference Basketball Athletes to Watch in 2023-24:
| School |
Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Anderson |
Lauren Smith |
SO |
Muncie, Ind. |
Guard |
| Franklin |
Jordan Coon |
SO |
Evansville, Ind. |
Guard |
| Hanover |
Grace Bezold |
JR |
Covington, Ky. |
Forward |
|
Taylor Heath |
SR |
Fairland, Ind. |
Guard |
|
Katherine Benter |
JR |
Brownstown, Ind. |
Guard |
| Manchester |
Hailee Kline |
SO |
Huntington, Ind. |
Guard |
| Mount St. Joseph |
Karlee Mills |
SO |
Fairfield, Ohio |
Guard |
|
Morgan Jenkins |
SO |
Erlanger, Ky. |
Guard |
|
Anyiah Murphy |
JR |
Columbus, Ohio |
Guard |
|
Madison Drummonds |
SR |
Hebron, Ky. |
Forward |
|
Chloe Jensen |
GR |
Fort Thomas, Ky. |
Guard |
| Transylvania |
Kennedi Stacy |
SR |
Salyersville, Ky. |
Guard |
|
Dasia Thornton |
SR |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
Forward |
|
Laken Ball |
SR |
Beckley, W.Va. |
Center |
2023-24 HCAC Players to Watch:
Anderson
| Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Makynlee Taylor |
SR |
Anderson, Ind. |
Forward |
| Lauren Smith |
SO |
Muncie, Ind. |
Guard |
| Izzy Davis |
SO |
Indianapolis, Ind. |
Guard |
| Bella Larrison |
SO |
Waldron, Ind. |
Forward |
Bluffton
| Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Makayla Prigge |
JR |
Hamler, Ohio |
Guard |
| Maddie Fitzpatrick |
SR |
Mount Gilead, Ohio |
Guard |
| Olivia Zender |
JR |
Fostoria, Ohio |
Guard |
Earlham
| Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Jay Bright |
JR |
Fort Wayne, Ind. |
Guard |
| Alexis Gibson |
JR |
Jeffersonville, Ind. |
Forward |
| Willow Runyon |
JR |
Richmond, Ind. |
Guard |
| Bailey Gibson |
JR |
Jeffersonville, Ind. |
Forward |
Franklin
| Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Brooke Grinstead |
JR |
Bloomington, Ind. |
Guard |
| CiCi Bailey |
SR |
Milan, Ind. |
Center |
| Hannah Stutsman |
FY |
Scottsburg, Ind. |
Forward |
| Lauren Barker |
FY |
Columbus, Ind. |
Guard |
Hanover
| Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Grace Bezold |
JR |
Covington, Ky. |
Forward |
| Taylor Heath |
SR |
Fairland, Ind. |
Guard |
| Katherine Benter |
JR |
Brownstown, Ind. |
Guard |
Manchester
| Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Hailee Kline |
SO |
Huntington, Ind. |
Guard |
| Maddison Smith |
SO |
Kewanna, Ind. |
Forward |
Mount St. Joseph
| Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Morgan Jenkins |
SO |
Erlanger, Ky. |
Guard |
| Karlee Mills |
SO |
Fairfield, Ohio |
Guard |
| Anyiah Murphy |
JR |
Columbus, Ohio |
Guard |
| Madison Drummonds |
SR |
Hebron, Ky. |
Forward |
Rose-Hulman
| Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Jamie Baum |
JR |
Los Altos, Calif. |
Guard |
| Peyton Miller |
SR |
Clovis, Calif. |
Forward |
| Ashley Black |
SR |
Westfield, Ind. |
Guard |
| Sofia Reese |
FY |
Jeffersonville, Ind. |
Guard |
Transylvania
| Name |
Class |
Hometown |
Position |
| Sydney Wright |
SR |
Cynthiana, Ky. |
Guard |
| Sadie Wurth |
JR |
Dixon, Ky. |
Point Guard |
| Kennedy Harris |
SR |
Somerset, Ky. |
Guard |
| Emilie Teall |
JR |
Lexington, Ky. |
Center |