ROCK HILL, S.C. — The South Atlantic Conference announced its preseason rankings for women’s basketball on Friday, along with selections of the preseason All-Conference team and Players to Watch.
Tusculum University was picked by the league’s coaches to finish 13th in the conference for the 2024-25 season. Sophomore center Ni’Kiah Chesterfield and graduate guard/forward Abbi Douglas were each chosen as Players to Watch.
Chesterfield was voted to the SAC All-Freshman team last year after leading the Pioneers in scoring (12.4 ppg), rebounding (5.7 rpg) and blocked shots (1.04 per game). Chesterfield was seventh in the conference in field-goal percentage at 51.1 percent, sixth in free-throw shooting at 82.5 percent, and ninth in blocks.
The 6-footer from Murfreesboro, Tennessee scored in double figures 17 times and had three double-doubles for the Pioneers as a freshman, reaching a season high of 27 points against Newberry on Feb. 3. Chesterfield shot 50 percent or better from the field 15 times in 26 games, and averaged 23.7 minutes per contest.
Douglas played three seasons at the University of the Cumberlands (2019-22), where she averaged 9.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 81 career contests. Douglas was an honorable mention All-Conference selection in 2021-22 when she averaged a career-high 12.7 points per game and ranked fifth in the league with 50 steals.
The 5-9 native of Ashland City, Tennessee collected 805 points in her three seasons at Cumberlands, and had 142 steals for an average of 1.75 per game. Douglas scored in double figures 38 times in her 81 career games.
Five different teams received first-place votes in the preseason poll, with Carson-Newman taking the top spot with four first-place votes and 130 points. Anderson had two first-place votes and 126 points for second place, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne with 124 points and four first-place votes in third. Wingate (113 points, two firsts) was fourth and Catawba (111 points, one first) was fifth.
The rest of the poll consists of Lincoln Memorial (93 points) in sixth, followed by Coker (72), Mars Hill (61), UVA Wise (56), Limestone (45), Emory & Henry (43), Newberry (23) and Tusculum (17).
The Pioneers tip off their 2024-25 season on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m. against Lees-McRae as part of the Regional Challenge at Pioneer Arena. Tusculum opens SAC play on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at Carson-Newman.
2024-25 SAC Women’s Basketball Poll
| Rk | School (1st) | Pts |
| 1. | Carson-Newman (4) | 130 |
| 2. | Anderson (2) | 126 |
| 3. | Lenoir-Rhyne (4) | 124 |
| 4. | Wingate (2) | 113 |
| 5. | Catawba (1) | 111 |
| 6. | Lincoln Memorial | 93 |
| 7. | Coker | 72 |
| 8. | Mars Hill | 61 |
| 9. | UVA Wise | 56 |
| 10. | Limestone | 45 |
| 11. | Emory & Henry | 43 |
| 12. | Newberry | 23 |
| 13. | Tusculum | 17 |
2024-25 SAC Preseason All-Conference
First Team
Blaikley Crooks, Lenoir-Rhyne
Diamond McDowell, Anderson
Lindsey Taylor Carson-Newman
Zamiya Passmore, Anderson
Emily Harman, Lenoir-Rhyne
Breanna Yarber, Emory & Henry
Second Team
Maddie Gillie, Mars Hill
Kalisha Hill, Limestone
Reagan Kargo, Limestone
Alexa Smiddy, Lincoln Memorial
Katlin Burger, UVA Wise
Ashlyn Sheridan, Anderson
Players to Watch
Anderson – Ashlyn Sheridan
Carson-Newman – Makayla Alvey, Campbell Penland
Catawba – Nala Baker, Jada Porter, Mary Spry
Coker – Kristynn Knight, Mya Wasswa, Kamari Thompson
Emory & Henry – Emma Santoro, Gracyn Hall, Hannah Spainhour
Lenoir-Rhyne – Alexandra Merceron, Tilda Lindstroem, Vanessa Jurewicz
Limestone – Dior Shelton
Lincoln Memorial – Matty Tanner, Kamil Collier
Mars Hill – Aaliyah El, Tateyoina Harris
Newberry – Ella Pearson, Jess Tomkins
Tusculum – Ni’Kiah Chesterfield, Abbi Douglas
UVA Wise – Ella Karst, Caroline Mullins, Sable Burnside
Wingate – Anna Baraldi, Laney Beale, Trinity Breedlove
