AVERY HEADLINES PRESEASON HONORS FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Senior guard Ayana Avery was named to the Big South's preseason all-conference second team, while Radford women's basketball was picked ninth as voted by the league's head coaches. Conference officials announced the preseason poll and all-conference teams Monday at the Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites Uptown Charlotte hotel.

For the 17^th time in the last 18 seasons, Liberty was named the preseason favorite with its 113 points. Head coach Carey Green welcomes 12 returners off a 20-11 squad that finished 15-5 in Big South play.

Liberty, which received five first-place votes, finished three points ahead of 2013-14 Big South regular-season champion High Point. Led by Big South Preseason Player of the Year Kaylah Keys, the Panthers racked up 110 points. HPU concluded its season with a 22-11 record and advanced to the first round of the WNIT.

Winthrop was selected third with 104 points, followed by Campbell (89), Coastal Carolina (64), Gardner-Webb (56), UNC Asheville (55) and Presbyterian College (54). The Blue Hose were 19 points ahead of Radford. Longwood (30) and Charleston Southern (16) rounded out the poll.

"This has the potential to be an exciting season for the Big South Conference with several teams returning key players from last season," head coach Mike McGuire said. "The conference looks to be stronger than last season. We are excited about this year's team and what it can become. We have five returners that have improved this offseason in addition to several new faces in our program. With that being said, our team is somewhat of an unknown until we start competing in a few weeks. The ceiling for this year's team is high and that excites our coaching staff."

Five returners, including four starters, join eight promising newcomers in McGuire's second season as head coach of the RU women's basketball program.

Headlining the returning group is Avery, who led the Highlanders in scoring last season at 14.7 points per game. She was named an All-Big South honorable mention selection after averaging 16.3 points per game against league competition. Avery knocked down a Radford single-season record 95 3-pointers in 2013-14. The Cleveland, N.C., native finished the season ranked eighth nationally with her 3.17 treys per game. Avery scored in double figures 23 times and eclipsed the 20-point plateau seven times.

"Ayana was asked to do a lot for our basketball program last season," McGuire pointed out. "Individually, she had a great junior season. Ayana provides our team with a proven shooter that can stretch the defense consistently. This season, we will be able to have different scoring options on the floor to complement Ayana, which we are all excited about."

In addition to his returning group, eight talented newcomers give McGuire something he didn't have in his first year: depth.

"This year's team will have more size, versatility and scoring ability, which will allow us to be competitive in the Big South Conference," McGuire pointed out. "We will have more depth this season. Each newcomer brings something different to the table to go along with the strengths of our returners. We will be able to utilize different lineups throughout the course of the season depending on how we want to play. As this team builds comfort playing with one another on the floor, I believe we will see a team that steadily improves as the season progresses."

Radford opened practice Oct. 7 and is just over two weeks away from its season opener, a Nov. 16 contest against Virginia inside John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville.

For the third year in a row, the VisitMyrtleBeach.com Big South Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will be played at The HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C. The women's tournament is set to begin March 3 with the winner earning the Big South Conference's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.

2014-15 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

Rank	Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1	Liberty (5)	113
2	High Point (3)	110
3	Winthrop (3)	104
4	Campbell	89
5	Coastal Carolina	64
6	Gardner-Webb	56
7	UNC Asheville	55
8	Presbyterian College	54
9	Radford	35
10	Longwood	30
11	Charleston Southern	16

2014-15 Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Teams

First Team
Player	Team	Year
Kaylah Keys (Preseason Player of the Year)	High Point	Sophomore
Stacia Robertson	High Point	R-Senior
AJ Jordan	Coastal Carolina	Senior
Ashley Rininger	Liberty	R-Junior
Erica Williams	Winthrop	Sophomore


Second Team
Player	Team	Year
Kiera Gaines	Campbell	Senior
Daeisha Brown	Longwood	Junior
Schaquilla Nunn	Winthrop	Junior
Paige Love	UNC Asheville	Junior
Ayana Avery	Radford	Senior

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Players Mentioned

#5 Ayana Avery: G; 5' 5"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#5 Ayana Avery
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

Radford University Athletics

Players Mentioned

#5 Ayana Avery

Players Mentioned

#5 Ayana Avery