2014-15 Ashland Preview (by Brian Lester, GLIAC contributor)

Coach: Sue Ramsey enters her 20th season as the head coach of the Eagles

Overview: The Eagles, who won the national championship in 2013, will have high expectations as usual as they look to return to the top of the GLIAC. Four starters are back to help their cause, including sophomore forward Suzy Wollenhaupt, who poured in 16.3 points per game and pulled down 8.2 rebounds per outing. Senior guard Taylor Woods is also back. She averaged 15.9 ppg and was a dangerous shooter from beyond the arc, nailing 66 3-pointers. Junior guard McKenzie Miller averaged 10.6 ppg and sophomore guard Kelsey Peare put up 4.9 ppg. With the starting lineup nearly intact, the Eagles have the experience and talent to be a conference contender again. AU should also be tough on defense after allowing only 67.7 ppg last year. Alex Henning is one of six newcomers who have been added to the roster. Henning played for Division I Bucknell last year. The sophomore guard was an honorable mention All-Ohio selection as a senior.

Noteworthy: Ramsey plans to retire at the end of this season. She is 342-208 in nearly two decades at the helm of the Eagles, who have played in two of the last three national title games.

Ashland Sports Information Preview

Ashland University’s women’s basketball team will be a rare “young, but experienced” mix for the 2014-15 season. The Eagles lose a key senior to graduation in 1,000-plus-point scorer Alyssa Miller, but they do return four starters for the upcoming campaign, including the team’s only senior, guard Taylor Woods (15.9 ppg, 41.0% 3-pt) and sophomore forward Suzy Wollenhaupt (16.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg), the reigning GLIAC Freshman of the Year.

The Eagles will shoot for a fifth consecutive GLIAC South Division championship in head coach Sue Ramsey’s 20^th and final season at the helm. In order to do that, Ashland will have to successfully blend in six newcomers (five freshmen and a sophomore transfer), as well as redshirt freshman center Erin Crownover, who missed all of last season due to injury, with seven returnees.