WACO, Texas (October 26, 2017) – The Heartland Conference Office announced the 2017-18 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll on Wednesday morning. The Heartland Conference Preseason Poll is voted on by Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors from each institution.
Texas A&M International University was picked to finish seventh while Lubbock Christian was tabbed as the Heartland Conference favorite.
The Dustdevils received 37 points, five points ahead of Rogers State. The 2016-17 season saw the Dustdevils and Hillcats split a season series. TAMIU picked up a 45-39 win over RSU at home on December 19, 2016.
TAMIU comes into the 2017-18 season under Head Coach
Jeff Caha who will begin his second season as the Dustdevils Head Coach. TAMIU finished the 2016-17 season with a 2-25 record but their two wins came in Heartland Conference play.
The 2017-18 season will feature a revamped roster that brings back just one of seven active players from the 2016-17 season. The Dustdevils graduated
Rosebrooke Hunt,
Hannah Beede, and
Jessica Alvarez following Caha's first season. Caha brings in 12 new players who will don the Dustdevil jersey for the first time.
Dannia Gonzalez,
Vanessa Oyola, and
Kasandra Lazcano highlight the incoming freshman class. Gonzalez and Lazcano both continue their basketball careers in Laredo after graduating from Alexander High School and Nixon High School. Oyola will begin her first collegiate season after attending Devine High School.
LaShae Rolle and
Jaden Gonzales come to the Dustdevils in their sophomore year. Rolle, a representative on the Bahamas National Team after attending Tiffin University while Gonzales joins the Dustdevils after playing at Dixie State.
Six Junior transfers add experience to the Dustdevil roster.
Tantashea Giger joins the Dustdevils after attending Johnson County Community College while another Alexander High School graduate joins the Dustdevils in
Alexis Contreras.
Passionate Amukamara transfers in after playing at Northern Arizona University.
Ashley Perez, an Albuquerque, New Mexico native comes to Laredo after playing at New Mexico Junior College. Julia Hanna and
Kydell Pearson join the Dustdevils from Sweden and New Zealand after playing at Western Wyoming Community College and Irvine Valley Community College respectively.
Dual-sport Student-Athlete
Renee Contreras rounds out the newcomers for TAMIU. Contreras , also a runner for the Dustdevil Women's Cross Country program comes to Laredo after attending Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Veshae Asaua-Wilkinson is the only returning player for TAMIU. The Junior will begin her second season with the Dustdevils.
Head Coach
Jeff Caha commented on the Preseason Poll, "It's not suprising where we were picked based on the season last year so that was expected. We as a coaching staff are excited about the group that been assembled and we know we have to go prove ourselves and we plan on doing that starting November 10
th."
The addition of 12 players was not Caha's only off season move as he adds two newcomers to his coaching staff. Caha made his first move when he hired Assistant Coach
Tori Tucker in the spring of 2017. Caha also adds a familiar face in TAMIU graduate,
Hannah Beede.
TAMIU opens the season on November 10 at the Region Challenge which spans four days in two states. The Dustdevils open the season against Chadron State in Chadron, Nebraska before taking on Black Hills State and Northern State University in South Dakota.
STAY TUNED:
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