The University of Central Arkansas women's team received two first-place votes and 231 total points to finish third in the Southland Conference preseason poll released Wednesday, and the men's team received 136 points to finish eighth.
Lamar topped the women's poll with 24 first-place votes and 288 total points, while the league's coaches and sports information directors chose Stephen F. Austin in second with 248 points. Nicholls State (226 points) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (209) round out the top five.
Stephen F. Austin received 23 of the 26 first-place votes to top the men's poll with 287 points. Southeastern Louisiana finished second with two first-place votes and 243 points, with New Orleans (204 points), Abilene Christian (1 first-place vote, 196 points) and Lamar (186 points) rounding out the top five.
Both teams open their season Nov. 6. The women face Central Baptist at the Farris Center in Conway and the men take on Missouri in Columbia, Mo.
Sports on 10/11/2018