GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Belmont Abbey women's basketball team was selected to finish in the Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Preseason Poll released by the league office on Thursday. The poll was voted on by the league's heads coaches and schools cannot vote for themselves.
The Crusaders enter the 2025-26 season as the defending Conference Carolinas Tounament champion and earned 199 points and two first-place votes behind Francis Marion. UNC Pembroke and Chowan each received one first place votes and were picked third and fourth with 192 and 184 points, respectively. Young Harris rounded out the top five with 178 points.
Belmont Abbey finished 25-6 and qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament as the No. 7 seed in the Southeast region. They have m
The Crusaders open the 2025-26 season on Friday, November 14 against Mars Hill as part of the SAC Conference Carolinas Challenge. The game will be played on the campus of Southern Wesleyan in Central, S.C. Belmont Abbey opens the home scheduled on November 19 against Anderson at 5 p.m. in the Wheeler Center.
The full poll can be found below.
2025-26 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
|
School |
Total (First Place) |
| 1 |
Francis Marion |
221 (11) |
| 2 |
Belmont Abbey |
199 (2) |
| 3 |
UNC Pembroke |
192 (1) |
| 4 |
Chowan |
184 (1) |
| 5 |
Young Harris |
178 |
| 6 |
Shorter |
155 |
| 7 |
Barton |
131 |
| 8 |
Emmanuel |
124 |
| 9 |
King |
115 |
| 10 |
Lees-McRae |
93 |
| 11 |
Converse |
81 |
| 12 |
North Greenville |
76 |
| 13 |
Mount Olive |
61 |
| 14 |
Southern Wesleyan |
56 |
| 15 |
Erskine |
33 |
| 16 |
Ferrum |
21 |
Players to Watch
Belmont Abbey
- Riley James, Sr., G, Davidsonville, Maryland
- Janiah Shular, Jr., F, Huntersville, North Carolina
- Leigha Dennison, Jr., G, Hilliard, Ohio
