Coming off its first trip to the NAIA Div. I National Championship Tournament, the Raven women’s basketball team was selected as the preseason No. 2 favorite by the HAAC coaches on Monday at the annual conference media day.

Benedictine went 28-6 last year and earned a trip to the round of 16 at the NAIA Div. I tournament and was the last of three HAAC teams who qualified for the tournament left standing.

The Ravens went 16-2 in the HAAC regular season with its only two losses coming to preseason No. 1 selection MNU.

“It was good to see our conference represented so well by three teams at the national tournament,” said Raven women’s head coach Chad Folsom. “Since we made the jump to NAIA Div. I, it’s taken four of five years for our league to get that respect back that we had when we were NAIA Div. II.”

Central Methodist, who upset the Ravens in the HAAC Tournament semifinals last season, was selected as the preseason No. 3 and garnered one first-place vote away from MNU. Baker University was selected fourth while Evangel University and Culver-Stockton College were selected in a tie for fifth.

Avila University, Missouri Valley College, Peru State College and Graceland University rounded out the preseason selections.

Benedictine returns three starters and eight letterman from last season, including All-HAAC selections Justice Payne and Erin Murphy.

“We have quite a lot of depth and experience back form last year,” Coach Folsom said. “The players came back with a different mentality this year having had a taste of the national tournament last year. They’ve been more motivated and driven and I think that taste has motivated them just a little bit more to work that much harder this year.”

Benedictine begins its run through the 2013-14 schedule on Nov. 5 with a road trip to North Newton to take on Bethel College. They open a 13-game home schedule on Nov.9 at 7 p.m. against Friends University.

— BC Sports Information —