The Stetson women’s basketball team has been picked to finish third in the 2018-19 ASUN Conference preseason coaches poll, which was released on Wednesday.

Senior forward Sarah Sagerer was selected as both the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year and the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, while senior guard McKenna Beach was also named to the preseason all-conference team.

After missing the entire 2017-18 campaign due to injury, Sagerer is healthy and ready for her senior season to begin.  In 2016-17, Sagerer earned ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference honors after averaging 10.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks-per-game.  The three-time ASUN Player of the Week ranked seventh in the NCAA with 100 blocked shots on the season. She became just the second player in school history and seventh player in ASUN history to reach the 100-block milestone.  She also led ASUN and ranked 61st in the NCAA in rebounding (8.8), and she scored in double figures 20 times.

An ASUN Honor Roll student, Sagerer has already earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is currently working on her MBA.

Beach, a Second Team All-Conference selection in 2017-18, averaged 12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists-per-game last season for the Hatters.  She was named ASUN Player of the Week on Feb. 20 and also earned Savannah Invitational and Hatter Classic all-tournament team honors. Beach started all 32 games, scoring in double figures 23 times.  She led the team and tied for third in the ASUN with 120 assists. She also ranked ninth in the league in scoring (12.3), fourth in steals (2.0), fourth in free throw pct. (.766), and first in minutes played (1180).

A Health Sciences major, Beach is an ASUN Honor Roll and ASUN All-Academic team selection and an ASUN Winners for Life honoree.

The Hatters were 17-15 in 2017-18 and advanced to postseason play for the eighth year in a row.  Stetson received 63 points in the preseason poll, trailing only FGCU (80) and ASUN newcomer Liberty (71).

Season tickets start at just $75 for both men’s and women’s basketball and can be purchased online at GoHatters.com/tixor by calling the Stetson ticket office at (386) 738-HATS.

Follow the Hatters all season long on Facebook (StetsonWBasketball), Twitter (@StetsonWBB), Instagram (@StetsonWBB), and with the HatCheck text messaging system (GoHatters.com/text).

The season begins on Nov. 6 when the Hatters visit Tulsa. The home opener is set for Nov. 14 against UCF.

ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll
1. FGCU 80
2. Liberty 71
3. Stetson 63
4. Jacksonville 53
5. Kennesaw State 36
6. North Florida 34
7. Lipscomb 33
8. North Alabama 20
9. NJIT 15

Preseason Player of the Year: Sarah Sagerer, Stetson
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Sarah Sagerer, Stetson

ASUN Preseason All-Conference Team
McKenna Beach (Stetson)
Sarah Sagerer (Stetson)
Jasmyn Brown (Jacksonville)
Kamiyah Street (Kennesaw State)
Tytionia Adderly (FGCU)
Nasrin Ulel (FGCU)
Alexis Poole (Kennesaw State)
KK Barbour (Liberty)
Tatianna Torres (NJIT)
Ivy Wallen North (Alabama)

–GoHatters.com