APSU Women’s Basketball
Nashville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team was picked to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference’s preseason poll of coaches and sports information directors, the league office announced, Monday, at Municipal Stadium. Junior center Jasmine Rayner was the lone Lady Govs player selected to the 10-woman Preseason All-OVC squad.
The Lady Govs were picked third with three first-place votes – the same spot they finished the 2009-10 regular-season race. Eastern Illinois was picked to finish first, receiving 10 of the 20 possible first-place votes. Morehead State was picked second, receiving seven first-place nods.
“I don’t think there’s any surprise where we were picked,” said Lady Govs head coach Carrie Daniels. “I’ve said before we don’t put a lot of stock into the preseason predictions. I think they’re fun for the fans and everyone else to look at. Right now, we’re working each and every day to get better and get us where we need to be Nov. 12 when we face Purdue.”
Monday marked the beginning of the Lady Govs fourth week of preseason preparation. With three weeks down, Daniels has had the opportunity to evaluate her team. While happy with the progress made so far, she understands her team has plenty to prove this upcoming season.
“I’ve been impressed with our work ethic and how much we’re competing in practice,” Daniels said. “I believe were more aggressive and stronger at both ends of the court.
“Hopefully, we’ll be more consistent from start to finish this season. Even though we’ve won back-to-back championships we all know it hasn’t been there from the beginning to the end. That is something this team wants to change from the opening tip this season.”
Eight of the 10 OVC schools had a member on the league’s Preseason All-OVC team. Morehead State senior guard Chynna Bozeman was named the league’s “Preseason Player of the Year,” after averaging 19.6 points per game last season and receiving the league’s “Player of the Year” nod.
Also on the preseason team after receiving first-team honors last season were Eastern Illinois sophomore guard Ta’Kenya Nixon and Tennessee Tech junior guard Tacarra Hayes.
Rayner was selected to the preseason squad after averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season. She was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding and will be the team’s top returnee in both categories.
“I think its well-deserved recognition,” said Daniels. “She’s worked very hard for that recognition. She is definitely a player we’re going to look to in the post this season. Jasmine has done wonderful things for us in her first two years and I am looking forward to what she can do for us in her final two seasons.”
Austin Peay begins its regular-season schedule with a November 12th contest at Purdue in the opening game of the 2010 Women’s National Invitational Tournament.
