LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (Oct. 30) – The Vulcans were selected fourth in the preseason Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division poll, announced the league office on Thursday afternoon.

The California (PA) women's basketball team finished with a 16-12 overall record last season and placed fifth in the divisional standings last year with a 12-8 mark. The Vulcans made their 24th-consecutive appearance in the PSAC Tournament and were featured in every edition of the Atlantic regional rankings prior to the NCAA Tournament field announcement.

Gannon was the overwhelming favorite with seven first-place votes after appearing in the PSAC Championship four times in the last five seasons. The Golden Knights repeated as Atlantic Region Champions after tying for second in the PSAC West standings. Seton Hill received the remaining first-place vote and was picked second, followed by IUP, Cal and Clarion rounding out the top five. The Vulcans were slotted fourth in the preseason poll for first time since the 2012-13 campaign.

In the PSAC East, Lock Haven was chosen as the preseason favorite with six first-place votes. The Bald Eagles are just two years removed from their first PSAC Championship appearance since 1991. Kutztown earned three first-place votes after capturing its first PSAC Championship in program history last year. Bloomsburg, West Chester and Millersville completed the top five in the preseason East poll.

Led by 15th-year head coach Jess Strom, the Vulcans begin the year next weekend with three games at the Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) Division 2 Tip-Off Classic. The eight-team tournament, co-hosted by Edinboro and Gannon, features four teams ranked in the preseason top-25 poll.