BEAVERTON, Ore. - The Women's Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll has Ashland University No. 1 to start the 2012-13 season and has named Ashland senior guard-forward Kari Daugherty (Fresno, Ohio/River View) the Division II women's basketball "Preseason Player of the Year."
Click here for the Women's D-II Bulletin release in PDF format
The Eagles had the most successful season in school history last year, going 33-2 and advancing to the NCAA national title game. The Eagles put together a 33-game winning streak, the longest in Division II last season (men or women). AU won its first-ever GLIAC crown and went 19-0 at home. Ashland brings back four starters from that team , including the WBCA Division II player of the year, senior guard-forward Kari Daugherty (21.3 ppg., 14. 1 rpg.). The other returning starters are junior guard-forward Ashley Dorner (12.7 ppg., 5.4 rpg.), senior guard Lindsay Tenyak (8.2 ppg.) and junior Alyssa Miller (7.6 ppg.). The front court gets a huge boost in the return of 6-0 senior Daiva Gerbec, who missed all of last season due to injury. In 2010-11, Gerbec averaged 15.9 ppg., and 10.7 rpg. Head coach Sue Ramsey is in her 18th year on campus.
Daugherty had one of the most successful years of any student-athlete, male or female, in AU history.
Daugherty was the 2011-12 Honda Sports Award NCAA Division II Female Athlete of the Year. She was also a first team All-American (WBCA and Daktronics), was selected as the WBCA national player of the year and was named to the Elite Eight All-Tournament Team. She was selected as the GLIAC's most outstanding player and the GLIAC Tournament's most outstanding player. Daugherty led the nation in double-doubles (27) and rebounds per game (14.1). She averaged 21.3 ppg., shot 50.3 percent from the field, 84.1 percent from the free throw line and notched the only triple-double in school history.
