ROCK HILL, S.C. -- The Lady Railsplitters have been selected ninth in the 2016 South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse preseason coaches' poll, it was unveiled by the league office on Wednesday. Lincoln Memorial's second-year program collected 18 total points in the poll, which was voted on by each of the league's nine head coaches.
 
The fledgling LMU women's lacrosse program completed the inaugural 2015 season with 1-11 overall record. The Lady Railsplitters picked up the program's first-ever win on March 24 with an 8-5 triumph over Pikeville at the LMU Lacrosse Complex, but enter the 2016 campaign still looking for their first SAC victory after finishing 0-8 in league play.
 
"We've made tremendous strides from last season. Across the board, whether they were a freshman or a new player last year, everybody on the team worked hard in the summer and the fall and came in ready to go this spring," LMU head women's lacrosse coach Caitlyn Corace said. "I think that we are definitely going to be closing the gap on some of those teams that beat us last season. Our girls are excited and looking forward to Asbury."
 
Defending SAC regular-season champion Queens received eight first-place votes and 72 total points to take the top spot in the preseason poll, while 2015 league runner-up Lenoir-Rhyne finished second in the poll with 64 points and the final first-place tally. Tusculum (53), Catawba (40) and Wingate (48) rounded out the top five.
 
No. 6 Coker (40), No. 7 Newberry (29) and No. 8 Brevard (22) held down the spots immediately ahead of the Lady Railsplitters.
 
The Lady Railsplitters return last season's two leading point scorers in sophomores Bre'Asia James (Vero Beach, Fla.) and Autumn Beddington (Newburgh, Ind.), who combined for 34 of the team's 36 points. James accounted for 23 goals and an assist, while Beddington produced 10 goals on 24 shots on goal.
 
"It's huge having Bre'Asia and Autumn back this season," Corace said. "We are going to be able to utilize them in a different way this season, because they don't have to do almost everything offensively. It's going to be a whole new offensive look, transitioning the ball up the field, and I think they are really going to be leaders for those young girls."
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Novak (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) also returns for the Lady Railsplitters after piling up the second-most saves in the SAC last season with 138. She ranked sixth in the league with a 42.1 save percentage in SAC matches.
 
The Lady Railsplitters kick off the 2016 campaign on February 13 when they host the Asbury Eagles at 3 p.m. SAC play begins on March 5, when Newberry invades Harrogate for a 1 p.m. match.
 
For complete coverage of Lincoln Memorial University athletics, head over to www.LMURailsplitters.com.

South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse preseason poll

Team	Points (First-place votes)
1. Queens	72 (8)
2. Lenoir-Rhyne	64 (1)
3. Tusculum	53
4. Catawba	50
5. Wingate	48
6. Coker	40
7. Newberry	29
8. Brevard	22
9. Lincoln Memorial	18