Women's Basketball Ranked No. 2 in USA Today/ESPN WBCA Poll

Second preseason No. 2 national ranking for the Ravens this season

USA Today/ESPN WBCA Division II Top 25 Poll

RINDGE, N.H. (November 5, 2009) – The Franklin Pierce University women’s basketball team received a No. 2 national ranking in the USA Today/ESPN WBCA Division II Top 25 Poll, which was released on Wednesday afternoon. The Ravens earned 552 points and three first-place votes to earn the second spot. It marks the second No. 2 preseason ranking for the Ravens this season, as they also earned the spot in the Women’s Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll last month.

The USA Today/ESPN poll is voted on by Division II head coaches from across the nation and who are members of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Franklin Pierce’s No. 2 ranking in the 2009-10 WBCA preseason poll is the same as it received in the final coaches poll of the 2008-09 season.

The Ravens return three starters and nine letterwinners from the 2008-09 season, which saw team go 29-6, win the Northeast-10 regular season and tournament championships, win an NCAA regional title and advance all the way to the national title game.

Heading up the list of returnees is two-time reigning conference player of the year Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England). The senior guard/forward, who holds no less than 24 school-records, enters this season on the verge of breaking several more records at the school and conference levels. Leedham needs just 54 points to become the Northeast-10’s all-time leading scorer in women’s basketball, 354 points to become the league’s all-time leading scorer in both men’s and women’s hoops, and 429 points to become the program’s all-time leading scorer.

Leedham, who was named the 2008 State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year, has already started earning awards this preseason as she was named the WDIIB Preseason National Player of the Year back in October.

Joining Leedham as returning starters are sophomore forward Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) and junior center Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I.). Giroud tied with Leedham for the team lead in rebounding last season at 6.1 boards per game, while Ahrens was a strong presence in the post as she averaged 7.3 points and 5.2 rebounds a game.

Michigan Tech was tabbed first in the preseason poll as it gathered 563 points and 12 first-place votes. Franklin Pierce was one of five schools from the Northeast-10 to either be ranked in the poll or receiving honorable-mention votes. The other league opponents in the poll included Stonehill (No. 9), Bentley (RV), American International (RV) and New Haven (RV). Molloy College in New York also received votes for the top-25 poll. Molloy will serve as Franklin Pierce’s opponent in the Ravens home opener, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Fieldhouse (3 p.m.).

Franklin Pierce begins its quest of defending the Northeast-10 championship on Tuesday, Nov. 17, when the Ravens travel to face Nyack at 7 p.m. For more information on Franklin Pierce women’s basketball, please visit the team’s page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)