PSAC RELEASE

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- The Kutztown University women's basketball team was picked third in the 2021-22 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Preseason Poll, which was voted upon by the league's coaches and released Thursday afternoon by the conference office.

The Golden Bears are preparing to get back on the court for the first time since the 2020 PSAC Championship tournament following their 2020-21 season being canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kutztown finished 18-11 back in 2019-20 and earned a program record 15 conference victories (15-7).

Head coach Janet Malouf has a strong veteran nucleus returning from that team, led by standout guard Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick), a three-time All-PSAC East selection and the program's fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,382 points.

Derr has averaged 15.4 points per game over the course of her career and is well within reach of Melissa McQuade's all-time school scoring record of 1,623. The Lititz native holds school 3-point field goal records in a game (nine), season (89) and career (256).

Junior forward Casey Remolde (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) is the reigning PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year and a 2019-20 All-PSAC East Second Team pick. She played in all 29 games as a freshman, starting 19 and produced 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Her 63 blocks and 2.2 blocks per game both ranked second in the PSAC.

Shippensburg and Shepherd split the East's nine first-place votes, with the Raiders getting the nod at the top of the poll with five. The Rams slot in second ahead of the Golden Bears, who are expected to contend for their 11th postseason berth in the last 13 seasons. East Stroudsburg and Lock Haven complete the top five, followed by Bloomsburg, West Chester, Millersville and Mansfield.

Gannon took four first-place votes and claimed the No. 1 spot in the Western Division. IUP also received four first-place votes to rank second, with Cal U third, Merchurst (one first-place vote) fourth and Seton Hill fifth. Edinboro, Pitt-Johnstown, Slippery Rock and Clarion round out the poll.

Kutztown opens its 50-year anniversary season next Friday at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead in Billings, Montana.

2021-22 PSAC Women's Basketball Preseason Polls
 
EAST
1. Shippensburg (5)
2. Shepherd (4)
3. Kutztown
4. East Stroudsburg
5. Lock Haven
6. Bloomsburg
7. West Chester
8. Millersville
9. Mansfield
 
WEST
1. Gannon (4)
2. IUP (4)
3. Cal U
4. Mercyhurst (1)
5. Seton Hill
6. Edinboro
7. Pitt-Johnstown
8. Slippery Rock
9. Clarion