KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics released its annual Women's Basketball Preseason Top 25 Poll on Wednesday. Loyola was among the teams that received votes in the league's poll, tallying 94 points.
The Maroon and Gold was recently voted as the No. 1 team in the SSAC's Preseason Poll. In the NAIA's poll, the Wolf Pack accrued more votes than any program in the Southern States Athletic Conference, topping William Carey's 15-point total.
Loyola's 2025-26 team brings back eight from last year's squad, highlighted by juniors Caitlin Travis, Alissa O'Dell, and Deniya Thornton. Last season, Travis averaged 12 points and 4.1 rebounds, while O'Dell and Thornton averaged 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds and 13.4 points and seven rebounds, respectively. Both O'Dell and Thornton were members of the SSAC's All-Conference First Team in the 2024-25 campaign. Travis was also honored by the conference last season, being selected on the conference's Second Team.
Loyola adds nine newcomers, including freshman Chandler Caver, to its 2025-26 squad. Caver was selected as Loyola's newcomer to watch for the upcoming season. The Wolf Pack also added transfers Ava Shields, SeQuoia Carroll, and Tiana Smith. Shields previously competed at Southern Miss, with seniors Carroll and Smith playing at Christian Brothers University and Spring Hill, respectively.
The Wolf Pack will open its season in Lawrence, Kansas, on Friday, taking on No. 11 Langston (Okla.) and Haskell Indian Nations University on Saturday. Before its home opener, on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 5:30 p.m., against vote-getter LSU Alexandria, Loyola will play an exhibition match at Tulane on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
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