MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SQUAD PICKED AS FAVORITE IN LANDMARK CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL

MADISON, N.J. --- The 2008-09 Moravian College women’s basketball team has been selected as the favorite in the Landmark Conference season in a preseason poll selected by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.

The Greyhounds were picked first in the poll with 83 points while The University of Scranton is second with 79 points.  Juniata College and The Catholic University are third and fourth with 73 and 51 points respectively while The United States Merchant Marine Academy holds down the fifth spot with 48 points.  Susquehanna University is sixth with 47 points while Drew University is seventh with 24 points.  Goucher College rounds out the poll with 15 points.

Moravian expects to continue its postseason run this year as the program heads into its second year in the Landmark Conference, especially after seven straight trips to the conference playoffs, a trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament in 2006, and an ECAC Division III Southern Championship two winters ago.

Head coach Mary Beth Spirk, who begins her 22nd year with the Greyhounds, led Moravian to an overall record of 16-11 last winter and returns ten letterwinners and four starters this season. Spirk and her coaching staff were named the inaugural Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year.

The Greyhounds had an early jump on the season, as they toured Italy in August for 10 days. They played three games against local Italian club teams on the NCAA sanctioned tour. The regular season begins against long time rival Elizabethtown College on November 18th. Moravian will then travel to the University of Rochester in New York for tournament.  The Greyhounds have the possibility of playing four teams in the preseason top 25 before Christmas including local rivals DeSales University and Muhlenberg College.

2008-09 Landmark Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll