CNU Women's Basketball Picked First in 2018 Capital Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Following the team's fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six years, the Christopher Newport women's basketball team was selected as the pre-season favorite to win the Capital Athletic Conference in 2018-19 in a vote by league head coaches. The CAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll was released Thursday morning, with Christopher Newport capturing five first-place votes and edging out York (Pa.) by three points in the ranking.

CNU collected 46 points in the poll, and head coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team. York (Pa.) had 43 points and a three-way logjam at the top included Mary Washington with 40 points. Frostburg State and Salisbury tied for fourth with 28 points in the poll, followed by Southern Virginia, with 15 points, and a tie for seventh with 12 points between Penn State Harrisburg and St. Mary's (Md.).

The Captains have now been picked as pre-season favorites three times in their first six years as members of the league. CNU was pegged as the favorites in 2013 and again last season. This year, the Captains are ranked No. 20 in the D3hoops.com Preseason National Top 25 and are coming off a 25-5 season that saw the team dance to the NCAA Sweet 16.

This year, CNU will replace a significant portion of it's roster from last season, including 66.3% of it's scoring from last year's potent offense. The Captains return senior point guard Zhara Tannor, who registered 107 assists last season while adding 6.5 points per game. Fellow seniors Jessica Daguilh (5.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Madison Howdyshell (3.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg) will return to help lead the front court, while junior Kiana Kirkland (7.2 ppg) is back for her third season.

The Captains led the nation in total steals last season with 534 as a group, led by Tannor's 82. CNU ranked seventh nationally in scoring margin with a top-20 offense that averaged 76.7 points per game and a scoring defense that held opponents to just 55.6 points per game.

The Captains are set to open the 2018-19 slate on Sunday, November 11 at 2:00 pm against Virginia Wesleyan University.

2018-19 CAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

Rank	Institution	Points (First-Place Votes)
1.	Christopher Newport	46 (5)
2.	York	43 (2)
3.	Mary Washington	40 (1)
4T.	Frostburg State	28
4T.	Salisbury	28
6.	Southern Virginia	15
7T.	Penn State Harrisburg	12
7T.	St. Mary's	12