ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) has released the 2025-26 preseason polls for the sport of women's basketball. The Gorloks were picked to finish second in the conference with 57 points that included five first-place votes.
The Gorloks are coming off a 24-3 overall record that included a 17-1 mark in conference play and an appearance in the 2024-25 SLIAC Women's Basketball Championship game.
This season, the Gorloks bring back two starters from last year's squad in Claire Williams and Emily Kerce while also bringing back the reigning SLIAC 6th Woman of the Year in Meghan Illingworth.
Williams returns for her senior season and looks to be one of the leaders on this team. Last season, she started in 23 games and averaged 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.21 assists, and 2.13 steals per game. In addition, she shot 39.2 percent from the field, 32.5 percent from behind the arc, and 59 percent from the free-throw line.
Kerce, who enters her second season with the Gorloks, appeared in 27 games that included 16 starts last season. In addition, she averaged 4.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.96 steals per game. Lastly, she shot 30.8 percent from the floor, 25 percent from behind the arc, and 71 percent from the free-throw line.
Illingworth enters her junior year coming off a sophomore season where she averaged 7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. In addition, she shot 48.6 percent from the field and 60 percent from the free-throw line.
Other notable returners include guards Kaimyla Nolen, Mattie Jones, Annie Sale, and Kaelyn Stager and wings Grace Hupp, Rylee Denbow, and Avery Forrester.
Nolen enters her junior season coming off a season where she appeared in 26 games that included 11 starts. In those 26 games, she averaged 4.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.92 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. In addition, she shot 39.3 percent from the field and secured a total of 75 rebounds.
Denbow enters her junior season coming off last season where she averaged 7.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and one assist per game. In addition, she shot 41.9 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from behind the arc, and 68.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Hupp enters her senior season coming off the 2024-25 season where she averaged three points and one rebound per game. In addition, she shot 80.1 percent from the free-throw line while knocking down 13 three-point baskets.
Forrester, Jones, Sale, and Stager look to add significant depth in the backcourt.
In addition, Webster brought in familiar conference talent in Miya Webb from Eureka College where she was named to the SLIAC First Team All-Conference team last season. While at Eureka last season, Webb averaged 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. In addition, she shot 40.4 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from behind the arc, and 75.5 percent from the free-throw line.
In addition to Webb, the Gorloks added another transfer to the mix for this season which is forward MyLeia Campbell by way of Consumnes Rivers College. While at CRC, she averaged 4.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. In addition, she shot 37.3 percent from the field and 50 percent from the free-throw line.
The Webster University coaching staff is excited to welcome eight first-year student-athletes to the mix for the 2025-26 season which include guards Akaela Caquelin (Rolla, MO),
Daijah Jones (St. Louis, MO / Cardinal Ritter Prep),
Addison Price (Tulsa, OK / Holland Hall HS),
Emma Smith (Boynton Beach, FL / Saint Andrews School), and
Terryn Ford (Kansas City, MO / Notre Dame De Sion). In addition, Webster brought in forwards
Havyn Green (Lewes, DE / Cape Henlopen HS) and
Chassity McCammon (Roswell, GA / Milton HS) and wing
Peyton Dolan (Broken Arrow, OK / Broken Arrow HS).
The Gorloks will open the 2025-26 season on Friday, November 7 hosting the Webster Tip-off Classic against Lake Forest College at 8:00PM in Grant Gymnasium.
