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Women's Basketball

Generals Command Top Billing in ODAC Women's Basketball Poll

WLU Garners 10 First Place Votes, RMC Collects Remaining Two

FOREST, Va. — The annual ODAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll has a familiar feel entering the 2025-26 campaign with Washington and Lee University topping the coaches' survey for the third time in as many seasons.

Last year, the Generals were just one marker clear of Shenandoah University in the 13-team table. In this season's 12-team setup, WLU enjoys a 12-point cushion on second place Randolph-Macon College with the Generals earning 10 first place votes to power their chart-topping 120-point haul. The defending ODAC champion Yellow Jackets received the remaining two top nods towards 108 markers. Bridgewater College also cracked the century mark with 102 tallies.

In the sections below, we look back to the 2024-25 season to set the tone for this year and then dive into some features of ODAC women's basketball for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.

2024-25 ODAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes

1.Washington and Lee University (10)120 pts.
2.Randolph-Macon College (2)108 pts.
3.Bridgewater College102 pts.
4.Roanoke College91 pts.
5.Shenandoah University74 pts.
6.Guilford College70 pts.
7.University of Lynchburg59 pts.
8.Hollins University54 pts.
9.Virginia Wesleyan University39 pts.
10.Randolph College29 pts.
11.Eastern Mennonite University28 pts.
12.Averett University18 pts.
    • Three ODAC schools collected 20 wins last season led by Randolph-Macon at 29-2 to tie the 2024-25 Washington and Lee squad for the second-most wins in ODAC history; RMC owns that record with 30 wins in 2005
    • Last year, Washington and Lee went 25-5, while Bridgewater went 20-6 to match its last 20-victory win-loss record from 2022-23
    • The eight-team ODAC Tournament field including (in seed order) Randolph-Macon, Bridgewater, Washington and Lee, Shenandoah, Roanoke, Guilford, Ferrum, and Randolph
    • Randolph-Macon and Washington and Lee met for the ODAC crown with the Generals looking to collect a third straight conference trophy
      • RMC: earned a 63-46 win over Randolph in the quarterfinals and followed with a 62-49 victory over Shenandoah in the semifinals
      • WLU: posted an 87-54 triumph over Guilford in the quarterfinals and then a 73-66 win over Ferrum in the semifinals
    • In the title game, nationally 18th-ranked Randolph-Macon weathered a third-quarter comeback bid by No. 20 Washington and Lee on the way to a 65-58 victory
      • The triumph increased the Yellow Jackets winning streak 26 games, while the title marked the program's 11th overall, just two shy of Roanoke's conference-best 13 championships
      • RMC forward Catherine Kagey was named MOP with teammates McKenzie Matheny and Sam Smith joining her on the All-Tournament Team along with WLU All-American Mary Schleusner and forward Sarah Zimmerman, who also stars on the Generals women's soccer team and was the 2024 ODAC Player of the Year
    • WLU's Schleusner set ODAC single-season records for field goal attempts (582), rebounds (569), and rebounding average (19.0); she also closed the year with 1,464 career rebounds to top the ODAC chart
    • RMC's winning streak eventually ended at 28 games in the NCAA Tournament, which snapped the previous league record of 26 straight wins by Roanoke during the 1990-81 campaign
    • ODAC automatic qualifier Randolph-Macon as joined by Washington and Lee as an at-large selection in the 64-team field
    • Randolph-Macon went 2-1 and hosted a first and second round pod
      • 1st Round: W, 52-31, over Piedmont University
      • 2nd Round: W, 62-56, over Elizabethtown College
      • 3rd Round at Gettysburg College: L, 56-49, to Gettysburg
      • The loss to Gettysburg snapped the Yellow Jackets 28-game winning streak
    • Washington and Lee went 1-1 at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio
      • 1st Round: W, 65-53, over U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
      • 2nd Round: L, 75-71, to Baldwin Wallace
    • ODAC Record Book Updates
      • FG Made - Career: Mary Schleusner (WLU) with 733 to rank 5th
      • FG Att. - Season: Mary Schleusner (WLU) with 582 to rank 1st
      • Rebounds - Career: Mary Schleusner (WLU) with 1,464 to rank 1st
      • Rebounds - Season: Mary Schleusner (WLU) with 569 to rank 1st
      • Rebounding Average - Season: Mary Schleusner (WLU) at 19.0 to rank 1st
      • Blocked Shots - Career: Mary Schleusner (WLU) with 282 to rank 3rd
    • ODAC Tournament Record Book Updates
      • FG Made - Tournament: Mary Schleusner (WLU) made 31 shots to rank 3rd
      • FG Att. - Game: Mary Schleusner (WLU) attempted 25 shots against RMC, tied for 5th
      • FG Att. - Tournament: Mary Schleusner (WLU) attempted 65 to rank 4th
      • Rebounds - Game: Mary Schleusner (WLU) with 25 against Guilford to rank 2nd
      • Rebounds - Game: Mary Schleusner (WLU) with 22 against RMC to tied for 5th
      • Rebounds - Tournament: Mary Schleusner (WLU) with 58 to rank 3rd
      • Steals - Game: Catherine Kagey (RMC) with 7 against WLU to tied for 5th

  • From the national outlets entering the new season…

    • WBCA Division III Preseason Coaches Poll
      • Washington and Lee is ranked sixth in the country with Randolph-Macon not far behind in 12th position
      • NYU opens the year at No. 1, which makes sense considering the Violets are carrying a 62-game winning streak into the season
    • D3hoops.com Preseason Top-25
      • Washington and Lee is again perched sixth, but Randolph-Macon is a little lower in this survey with the Yellow Jackets slotted 21st
      • Bridgewater (60) is one of 24 schools ranked outside the top-25 to have received at least one points towards the poll
      • NYU is again safely at the top of this listing
    • D3hoops.com Preseason All-Americans
      • Washington and Lee forward Mary Schleusner appears on this list for a third straight season, earning a spot on the first team in consecutive seasons to go with a fourth team nod prior to the 2023-24 campaign
        • She is a two-time D3hoops.com and WBCA First Team All-American
        • In 2024-25, Schleusner earned eight ODAC Player of the Week awards, four D3hoops.com Team of the Week appoints, and was thrice selected as the USBWA Division III Player of the Week
        • She is already the ODAC's all-time leader in career rebounds (1,395) and owns WLU career records in points (1,826) and blocked shots (282)
        • She led all of Division III in 2024-25 in total rebounds (569), rebounds per game (19.0), and double-doubles (28)

  • For the first time in a few seasons, there are more open spots among the 18 players that earn All-ODAC recognition than there are returning All-ODAC honorees entering the 2025-26 season. Just seven all-league standouts are back including two from the All-ODAC First Team, four from the All-ODAC Second Team, and one from the All-ODAC Third Team.

    Two-time ODAC Player of the Year, three-time ODAC Defensive Player of the Year, and three-time All-ODAC First Team choice Mary Schleusner from Washington and Lee leads the contingent of returns. Reigning ODAC Coach of the Year Lindsey Burke-Eberhart welcomes back a pair of all-conferences to her squad that won 29 games a season ago. Paige Breuer is back to lead Roanoke after earning ODAC Rookie of the Year laurels last year.

    • All-ODAC First Team Returners
      • McKenzie Matheny, F, Randolph-Macon
      • Mary Schleusner, F, Washington and Lee
    • All-ODAC Second Team Returners
      • Riley Corcoran, G, Bridgewater
      • Jay Garcia, G, Bridgewater
      • Sam Smith, G, Randolph-Macon
      • Paige Breuer, G, Roanoke
    • All-ODAC Third Team Returners
      • Quinn McGuinness, G, Washington and Lee

  • The athletes listed below represent the top-three returning statistical leaders for major statistical categories from the 2024-25 season. * Denotes ODAC record

     PLAYER #1PLAYER #2PLAYER #3
    PPG21.6Mary Schleusner, WLU15.5DaiShaundria Giggetts, AU13.0Paige Breuer, RC
    Points648Mary Schleusner, WLU390DaiShaundria Giggetts, AU371McKenzie Matheny, RMC
    FG%.524McKenzie Matheny, RMC.497Brianna Long, VWU.450Bre Robinson, VWU
    FGM261Mary Schleusner, WLU151McKenzie Matheny, RMC144DaiShaundria Giggetts, AU
    3FG%.390Grace Burke, EMU.376Audra Petty, LYN.359Kate Littlejohn, LYN
    3FGM64Grace Burke, EMU63Elka Prechel, WLU54Emma Jones, AU
    FT%.901Paige Breuer, RC.784Quinn McGuinness, WLU.776Sam Smith, RMC
    FTM116Mary Schleusner, WLU92DaiShaundria Giggetts, AU80Quinn McGuinness, WLU
    RPG19.0*Mary Schleusner, WLU8.8Jay Garcia, BC8.8Brianna Long, VWU
    Rebounds569*Mary Schleusner, WLU227McKenzie Matheny, RMC220Jay Garcia, BC
    APG3.5Sam Smith, RMC3.3Sarah Morales, HU3.1Emily Williams, SU
    Assists110Sam Smith, RMC83Emily Williams, SU80Quinn McGuinness, WLU
    SPG3.8DaiShaundria Giggetts, AU2.3Julianna Walter, GC2.3Noelani Carter, HU
    Steals94DaiShaundria Giggetts, AU60Julianna Walter, GC54Jeriyah Osborne, EMU
    BPG2.9Mary Schleusner, WLU1.3Bree Spainhour, LYN1.3Jay Garcia, BC
    Blocked Shots87Mary Schleusner, WLU35McKenzie Matheny, RMC32Jay Garcia, BC

  • For the second straight season, the ODAC welcomes two new head coaches to its women's basketball ranks in 2025-26. Averett will be led by former assistant Tim Krotish, who begins his first season as a collegiate head coach following a very successful career coaching high school girls basketball. New at Randolph is Polly Thomason, who takes the reins of the WildCats' program in her 21st season as a collegiate head coach. She spent the past three seasons at the University of Hartford following 17 years running the outfit at Texas-Dallas.

    Below are the win-loss records for each coach entering the 2025-26 season.

    COACH     SCHOOL     SEASON (AT SCHOOL)     OVERALL (PCT.)     AT SCHOOL (PCT.)
    Tim Krotish Averett 1st (1st) 1st Season 1st Season
    Stephanie Flamini Bridgewater 25th (4th) 401-231 (.634) 59-19 (.756)
    Jenny Posey Eastern Mennonite 11th (8th) 63-170 (.270) 51-105 (.327)
    Sarah Mathews Guilford 9th (5th) 105-78 (.574) 60-41 (.594)
    Emilee Dunton Hollins 7th (7th) 54-90 (.375) 54-90 (.375)
    Allison Nichols Lynchburg 11th (5th) 85-173 (.329) 48-56 (.462)
    Polly Thomason Randolph 21st (1st) 350-182 (.658) 1st Season
    Lindsey Burke-Eberhart Randolph-Macon 6th (6th) 88-25 (.779) 88-25 (.779)
    Carla Flaherty Roanoke 16th (12th) 179-200 (.472) 152-126 (.547)
    Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft Shenandoah 12th (12th) 148-138 (.517) 148-138 (.517)
    Megan Belo Virginia Wesleyan 2nd (2nd) 5-19 (.208) 5-19 (.208)
    Brittney Kemp Washington and Lee 5th (2nd) 68-38 (.642) 25-5 (.833)
    • ODAC women's basketball squads compete in a 16-game single round-robin plus schedule as they face each conference team once and five squads a second time at the reverse location.
    • The season for all Division III basketball programs begins on Friday, November 7.
    • The first conference game is slated for November 22 with the first bulk set of games on Tuesday-Wednesday, December 2-3.
    • The ODAC Women's Basketball Tournament features an 8-team field with quarterfinal matches played on campus before conducting the semifinals and championship at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va.
      • Quarterfinals: Wednesday, February 25, at #1-4 Seeds
      • Semifinals: Saturday, February 28, at the Salem Civic Center
      • Championship: Sunday, March 1, at the Salem Civic Center