SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Mercer Bears are ranked 14th in CollegeInsider.com's preseason mid-major top 25. The Bears were the SoCon preseason favorite, voted on by the league's coaches. 

Following a season in which her squad went 30-3 and finished conference play a perfect 14-0 en route to winning the Southern Conference tournament and regular-season titles, reigning SoCon Coach of the Year Susie Gardner of Mercer returns three starters but loses three-time SoCon Player of the Year Kahlia Lawrence. The Bears return preseason Player of the Year, KeKe Calloway and fellow preseason all-conference selection Amanda Thompson. Calloway, an all-conference first-team selection last season, is the top returning scorer in the conference from a year ago (16.9 ppg).

Chattanooga, under the direction of first year head coach Katie Burrows, received votes in the poll. 

Mercer opens the season at Wake Forest on Nov. 9, while Chattanooga kicks off the 2018-19 campaign by hosting Lee University on Nov. 6.