NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Atlantic 10 Conference released its 2018-19 women's basketball preseason poll and tabbed the University of Dayton to finish second in the league.

With 183 points and two first-place votes, the Flyers were projected as runners-up behind Duquesne, who received 194 points and 12 first-place votes. Fordham and George Washington tied for third with Saint Joseph's rounding out the top five.

The preseason all-conference teams were also announced with Dayton junior guard Jayla Scaife earning First Team All-Conference preseason honors and senior guard Lauren Cannatelli picking up Second Team All-Conference preseason accolades. Scaife was also named to the preseason All-Defensive Team.

"I am happy for Jayla and Lauren in being recognized in the preseason all-conference teams,"
 said head coach Shauna Green. "They both have worked hard to get to where they are and have distinguished themselves in their previous seasons. We are now focused on making sure the final rankings and recognitions align with our team vision for this season."

Last season, Scaife averaged 14.5 points per game, which ranked second on the team, and contributed 5.4 rebounds per game. She also spent the majority of her time defensively guarding the opposing team's best offensive threat.

Cannatelli set the Dayton single-season and single-game records for three-pointers made with 204 total and 10 in one game (vs Rhode Island - Jan. 4, 2018). She averaged 13.3 points per game, shot 40.7 percent from behind the arc, and 86.2 percent from the free throw line.

Both Scaife and Cannatelli were part of a 2017-18 team that went 23-7 overall and 15-1 in A-10 play. The Flyers were 12-1 at home and boasted a 16-game winning streak during the season.

Dayton clinched the regular season A-10 Championship in a home win against Fordham on Feb. 18 before advancing to the A-10 Tournament Semifinals and eventually, earned an at-large bid for the 2018 NCAA Tournament. It marked the 11^th-straight postseason appearance for the Flyers.

The 2018-19 season gets underway on Friday, Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. against Colgate as part of School Day at UD Arena. Before that however, the Flyers host Indianapolis in an exhibition at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1.

The A-10 Women's Basketball Media Week continues with Dayton being featured this Thursday at 11 a.m. on Atlantic10.com and DaytonFlyers.com.