GREENVILLE, S.C. (Nov. 2) – Following a trip to the quarterfinals of the league tournament last year, the Trojans were selected sixth in the preseason Conference Carolinas poll, which was announced by the league office on Thursday afternoon.

The Trojans finished the 2022-23 campaign with a 15-15 overall record behind a 10-10 mark in conference play. UMO returns two of its three top scorers from last season while introducing nine newcomers to the roster. Head Coach Wendy Lee enters her 23rd season at Mount Olive and brings back an experienced roster of nine returning players.

The reigning Freshman of the Year, Laila Anderson returns to the roster following a breakout season for the Trojans. She averaged 12.4 points per game behind six 20-point performances while playing in all 30 games. Senior Reagan Hune is an experienced two-way player and earned third-team all-conference honors last season. Over the final eight games in 2022-23, she averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.9 steals per game. Fellow senior Asia Smith, a 6-foot-1 center, returns to the roster and is expected to make a massive impact in the post for the Trojans.

UNC Pembroke was picked as the top-ranked program in the preseason poll with eight first-place votes after winning the Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball tournament championship. Belmont Abbey was chosen second in the rankings with four first-place nods and posted a 23-5 overall record with a 19-1 mark in league play. Francis Marion received the final two first-place votes and was slotted third in the poll, while Emmanuel and Chowan rounded-out the top five.

The 2024 Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Men's and Women's Basketball Championships quarterfinals are set for Friday, March 8 at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The semifinals will be contested on Saturday, March 9, while the men's and women's basketball finals are scheduled for Sunday, March 10.

Mount Olive returns to the court on Saturday, Nov. 11, when it travels to face St. Augustine's in non-conference action at 2 p.m.