- LSC Preseason Poll Release
 
RICHARDSON, Texas – The West Texas A&M Lady Buffs were selected to finish fourth in the 2021 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll announced on Monday afternoon by the league's offices.  The poll is voted on by head coaches, sports information directors and media representatives from throughout the conference.  
 
The defending LSC Champion Angelo State picked up 31 of the possible 44 first-place votes for a total 771 points to sit atop of the preseason poll followed by UT Tyler (two first-place votes, 739), Texas A&M-Kingsville (three first-place votes, 686), WT (649) and UAFS (627) to round out the top five.
 
Texas A&M-Commerce was tabbed sixth with 562 points followed by St. Edward's (458), Midwestern State (423), Texas Woman's (416), UT Permian Basin (two first-place votes, 409), Texas A&M International (386), Oklahoma Christian (301), DBU (one first-place vote, 277), Lubbock Christian (263), St. Mary's (185), Western New Mexico (134), Cameron (121), and Eastern New Mexico (117).
 
ASU's Kailyn Gilbreath was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while TAMUK's Ayanna Jackson earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors and Emily Witt was named Preseason Setter of the Year.
 
The LSC champion will be determined by regular season games, while the postseason tournament winner is designated as LSC tournament champion and earns the conference's automatic qualification.  The top 12 teams will qualify for the postseason tournament with the opening round on campus Tuesday, Nov. 16, and the final eight teams at the No. 1 seed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 18-19-20.
 
The Lady Buffs open the 2021 season on Friday, Sept. 3 with a non-conference matchup against Adams State at 11:30 a.m. to open the BritKare Lady Buff Classic.  WT will take on Fort Lewis on Friday night at 7 p.m. followed by matches against Southwestern Oklahoma State and UAFS on Saturday.