ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon women's basketball team will defend its Cascade Conference championship as the favorite to win it again after taking the top spot in the preseason poll released Wednesday by the CCC office.

Three starters and 10 players overall are back from last season's team that captured both the regular-season and tournament titles. The Raiders went 28-5 overall, 20-2 in conference play and made their third consecutive NAIA Tournament appearance under Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt.

The fourth-year head coach lost her All-American forward, Kami Walk, now an assistant with the team, but brought in a handful of lauded transfers. Bridgette McIntyre – the sister of All-CCC Raider point guard Meghan McIntyre – arrived after an all-state campaign at Orange Coast C.C. (Calif.) to boost the backcourt, and Morgan Baird is expected to add punch to the frontcourt alongside third-year starter Clara Robbins after earning All-Frontier honors at Rocky Mountain (Mont.).

SOU split 12 first-place votes with Oregon Tech, which was second in the poll and has every starter back with All-American guard Olivia Sprague. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), picked third, had to replace three-time CCC Player of the Year Callie Stevens. Eastern Oregon, picked fourth, had to replace four starters.

The Raiders are a lock to be included in the Oct. 23 preseason NAIA Top 25. They were No. 18 in the final poll last season.

Their first counters are Nov. 1-2 at the Cattle Classic in Seward, Neb., where they'll face Dakota State (S.D.) and host Concordia (Neb.). Their first 11 games of the season are on the road.

2024-25 CCC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1. Southern Oregon (6)	137
2. Oregon Tech (6)	124
3. Lewis-Clark State	121
4. Eastern Oregon	106
5. College of Idaho	91
6. Bushnell	86
7. Evergreen	61
8. Corban	59
9. Walla Walla	43
10. Northwest	34
11. Multnomah	29
12. Warner Pacific	27