Sangamon Sun

The Lady Blues have been projected to finish fourth in the upcoming 2024-25 conference standings, as determined by a poll of league coaches. The announcement was made today in Grinnell, Iowa.

Jennifer McCormick is entering her ninth season with Illinois College (IC) and is focused on building upon last year's achievements. The Lady Blues concluded the previous season with a 15-11 record, including a 10-6 mark in conference play. They set several historic records during that time: second all-time for three-pointers made, first all-time for rebounds in a season, sixth all-time in points, sixth all-time in steals, and first all-time in blocks. The team aims to maintain this momentum into the new season.

The Lady Blues have introduced 11 freshmen to their roster while retaining key players such as Ashlyn Wightman, Jayln Patterson, and Anna McKee. Wightman returns after an impressive season where she earned second-team all-conference honors and set a new school record with 69 blocks.

Ripon College has been picked to win the conference, receiving 62 points and six first-place votes. Over the past six contested seasons, Ripon has either shared or won outright the regular-season crown and claimed three tournament titles. Last season, they achieved a 14-2 record against league opponents and went 19-9 overall.

Knox College was selected for second place with 56 points and two first-place votes. Lawrence University followed closely behind in third place with 51 points and one first-place vote remaining. Grinnell College was predicted to finish fifth with 36 points. Cornell College received 34 points; Lake Forest College got 18; Beloit College secured 14; Monmouth College rounded out the rankings with 13 points.

The Lady Blues will begin their season at home against Concordia University Chicago on Saturday, November 9th at 2:00 p.m.