BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- The University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball Team, a veteran squad that will feature a mix of experience and talented young players, has been picked to finish second overall and the favorite in the South Division in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, according to the NSIC Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll which was released on Thursday (Oct. 17) afternoon. Senior guard Kaely Hummel was named the NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year.

Directed by the program's career wins leader in 12^th year head coach Travis Traphagen (217-111 wins), the Cougars earned six of 16 first place ballots and totaled 214 ballot points to earn the second spot in the preseason rankings. USF picked up seven of eight first place ballots and 49 points to earn the top spot in the South Division Poll for the second straight year. USF was 10 points better than second place Augustana at 39. Minnesota State was third with 35 points and the other first place vote. In the overall rankings, MSU Moorhead and USF was followed by Minnesota Duluth with 194 points and a first place vote while Augustana was fourth at 169 points and Minnesota State, fifth at 156 points, which was just one point ahead of St. Cloud State at 155 ballot points.

Megan Hintz of MSU Moorhead was the North Division Player of the Year.

Hummel earns first-ever Preseason Player of the Year nod:
Hummel, a business administration major at USF, was picked to the All-NSIC first team after she ranked seven in the NSIC in scoring at 15.6 ppg. Hummel, who was named to the Academic All-NSIC squad for a second straight year, earned her second straight All-NSIC nod as she was second team two years ago. She ranked third in the NSIC in free throwing percentage at 86.7 percent after knocking down 72-of-83 charity tosses in 31 games.  She was eighth in three point percentage at 39.9 after making 71-of-178 treys. With the 71 treys, she ranked third in the NSIC at 2.3 per game.  She ranks fourth all-time at USF with 192 made three-points and just 16 behind Chelsey Nelson (2002-06) with 208. With 71 treys a year ago, she had the eighth most in a season. With 485 points a year ago, she had the 13^th best points in a season performance. 

Quick Preview of USF
Led by Hummel and a deep and talented roster, USF advanced to the NSIC Postseason Tournament for the fourth straight year in 2018-19. USF won the tournament in 2015-16 and finishing runner-up in 2016-17. USF lost to MSU Moorhead in the league semifinals a year ago.

With the top nine of the 10 top returning scorers back, USF will look to win their first-ever NSIC regular season title. USF returns 13 letter winners and five starters along with the addition of several talented transfers and freshmen standouts. 

Senior Mariah Szymanski, who was named first team All-NSIC a year ago and earned her second straight all-NSIC nod, returns after averaging 10.3 points per game a year ago. A nursing major, Szymanski has recorded 35 career double digit scoring games and 796 career points. She owns USF's school record for points in a game with 43 against Concordia St. Paul on Jan. 22, 2017. In that game she made a school record nine three points in 10 attempts and had a school record 14 field goals in 20 attempts. The 43 points by Szymanski was the best in the NSIC in 2017-18 and tied with two others for the single best game total in NCAA DII a year ago.  

After sitting out last year with an injury, USF also returns senior forward Jacey Huinker, a nursing major who was named the recipient of the Elite 18 Award by the NSIC (top GPA among women's basketball players at a league championship event) in 2017-18. A three-time Academic All-NSIC selection, Huinker was named to the All-NSIC Defensive Team in 2017-18. She ranked in the top-eight in the NSIC in rebounds (9.8 per game, 2^nd in NSIC, 34^th in NCAA DII), offensive rebounds (2.3 per game, 8^th in NSIC), assist-turnover ratio (2.4, 15^th in NCAA DII) and assists (3.0 per game). Huinker, who had 14 games with double digit rebounds, was the NSIC leader with 7.5 defensive rebounds per game.

Freshman guard sensation Jasmine Harris (13.0 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game in 2017-18), who is  a sports management major, returns after averaging 4.2 ppg a year ago.  Also back for USF will be Jessie Geer who averaged 9.1 ppg, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists a year ago. Geer had double digits in 12 games and hit 20 points or more twice with 26 points against Wayne State on Jan. 4, 2019 and a career-high 29 against Minnesota Crookston in the opening round of the NSIC Tourney on Feb. 27, 2019. Junior Anna Goodhope contributed 9.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in her first season at USF. In her final nine games she reached double doubles seven times with a 20 points game against Wayne State in the postseason playoffs and a career-best 30-point pouting against Winona State on Feb. 15 when she hit 12 field goals, five treys and had eight rebounds. She had three doubles doubles.

Also back for USF will be Hannah Jones (6.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.0 apg), who played 11 games including 10 starts a year ago before injury ended her season; as well as sophomore Krystal Carlson (4.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg), junior Lauren Sanders (4.4 ppg, 42 percent from three point range), Augustana Thramer (3.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg), sophomore Kiara James (2.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg)), senior Andie Mataloni (2.5 ppg), Abby Slater (1.4 ppg) and Amanda Dagostino.  USF also brings in newcomers Jade Blackburn, a 6-1 forward from Surrey, England; Peyton Rymerson, a 5-10 freshman guard from Sioux Falls, S.D.; Abi Stevens, a 5-7 freshman guard from West Allis, Wisc.; and Ashley Wells, a 5-8 freshman guard from Brandon, S.D.

USF will open the 2019-20 season against William Jewell on Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. at the USF Classic.

NSIC – Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll – Overall
1. MSU Moorhead (9), 217
2. Sioux Falls (6), 214
3. Minnesota Duluth (1), 194
4. Augustana, 169
5. Minnesota State, 156
6. St. Cloud State, 155
7. University of Mary, 140
8. Winona State, 125
9. Southwest Minnesota State, 107
10. Concordia-St. Paul, 104
11. Wayne State, 103
12. Northern State, 82
13. Bemidji State, 49
14. Minnesota Crookston, 48
15. Minot State, 40
16. Upper Iowa, 17

NSIC South Division
1. Sioux Falls (7), 49
2. Augustana, 39
3. Minnesota State (1), 35
4. Winona State, 28
5. Wayne State, 25
6. Southwest Minnesota State, 21
7. Concordia-St. Paul, 20
8. Upper Iowa, 7

NSIC North Division
1. MSU Moorhead (6), 48
2. Minnesota Duluth (1), 43
3. St. Cloud State (1), 37
4. University of Mary, 32
5. Northern State, 25
6. Minnesota Crookston, 16
7. Bemidji State, 15
8. Minot State, 8