The UVA women’s basketball team has been predicted to finish 10th in the official 2016-17 Blue Ribbon Panel ACC Preseason Poll as well as in a polling of the ACC head coaches as announced Wednesday (Oct. 12) by the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Notre Dame received 44 first-place votes from Blue Ribbon panel voters and 13 of the 15 from the head coaches to emerge as the clear-cut favorite in both polls. Louisville received eight first-place votes from the Blue Ribbon and one from the coaches to finish second in the balloting, followed by Florida State (two first-place votes by the Blue Ribbon Panel and one from the coaches) and Syracuse.
Louisville junior forward Myisha Hines-Allen was named the 2016-17 ACC Preseason Player of the Year in both the Blue Ribbon Panel and the coaches’ votes.
The Cavaliers will open the season with a pair of home games, taking on Middle Tennessee State on Friday, Nov. 11 and Coppin State on Sunday, Nov. 13.
Virginia returns seven letterwinners from last year’s team, including senior Breyana Mason (Woodbridge, Va.) and junior Lauren Moses (Mount Holly, N.J.) who led UVA in rebounding. The Cavaliers are also joined by four freshmen: Felicia Aiyeotan (Lagos, Nigeria), Lisa Jablonowski (Ernster, Luxembourg), 2016 Gatorade New York State Girl’s Player of the Year and Miss New York Basketball Dominique Toussaint (Staten Island, N.Y.) and 2016 Gatorade New Jersey Girl’s Basketball Player of the Year Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.).
Blue Ribbon Panel ACC Preseason Poll
- Notre Dame, 795 (44 first place votes)
- Louisville, 758 (8 first place votes)
- Florida State, 674 (2 first place votes)
- Syracuse, 646
- Miami, 584
- Duke, 516
- NC State, 479
- North Carolina, 415
- Georgia Tech, 376
- Virginia, 296
- Wake Forest, 264
- Virginia Tech, 224
- Pittsburgh, 209
- Boston College, 176
- Clemson, 68
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team
- Rebecca Greenwell, R-Jr., G, Duke
- Leticia Romero, Sr., G, Florida State
- Shakayla Thomas, Jr., G, Florida State
- Asia Durr, So., G, Louisville
- Myisha Hines-Allen, Jr., F, Louisville
- Mariya Moore, Jr., F, Louisville
- Adrienne Motley, Sr., G, Miami
- Lindsay Allen, Sr., G, Notre Dame
- Brianna Turner Jr., F, Notre Dame
- Alexis Peterson, Sr., G, Syracuse
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason ACC Player of the Year
- Myisha Hines-Allen, Jr., F, Louisville
Blue Ribbon Panel ACC Newcomer Watch List
- Lexie Brown, Jr., G, Duke
- Leaonna Odom, Fr, F, Duke
- Chatrice White, Jr., C, Florida State
- Erin Boley, Fr., F, Notre Dame
- Jackie Young, Fr., G, Notre Dame
ACC Head Coaches Preseason Poll
- Notre Dame, 221 points (13 first place votes)
- Louisville, 209 (1 first place vote)
- Florida State, 194 (1 first place vote)
- Syracuse, 178
- Miami, 162
- Duke, 144
- NC State, 132
- Georgia Tech, 110
- North Carolina, 108
- Virginia, 85
- Wake Forest, 74
- Virginia Tech, 72
- Boston College, 48
- Pittsburgh, 47
- Clemson, 16
Coaches Preseason All-ACC Team
- Rebecca Greenwell, R-Jr., G, Duke
- Leticia Romero, Sr., G, Florida State
- Shakayla Thomas Jr., G, Florida State
- Myisha Hines-Allen, Jr., F, Louisville
- Mariya Moore, Jr., F, Louisville
- Asia Durr, So., G Louisville
- Adrienne Motley, Sr., G Miami
- Brianna Turner, Jr., F, Notre Dame
- Lindsay Allen, Sr., G, Notre Dame
- Alexis Peterson, Sr., G, Syracuse
Coaches Preseason ACC Player of the Year
- Myisha Hines-Allen, Jr., F, Louisville
Coaches ACC Newcomer Watch List
- Lexie Brown, Jr., G, Duke
- Leaonna Odom, Fr, F, Duke
- Chatrice White, Jr., C, Florida State
- Erin Boley, Fr., F, Notre Dame
- Jackie Young, Fr., G, Notre Dame