Oklahoma City, Okla. -- In head coach Craig Ruiz's first season at the helm, the Mid-America Christian Lady Evangels are slated to finish seventh in the Sooner Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, the league announced today. 

The Lady Evangels will return six players that saw action in at half of the sets last year and are coming off a 15 victory season, their most since joining the NAIA in 2007. 

Defending conference champion Oklahoma Baptist has been picked to repeat after receiving four of the eight first-place votes.  Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

Lubbock Christian got three first-place nods to come in second, followed by Wayland Baptist at third. 

Oklahoma City got the other first-place tally to check in fourth, with Southern Nazarene rounding out the top five. 

John Brown was sixth and MACU and St. Gregory's concluded the poll at seventh and eighth, respectively. 

The Lady Evangels open the 2011 campaign at home against Sterling (Kan.) on Saturday, Aug. 27.  The match is set to begin at 3 p.m. in the Gaulke Activity Center.