SIOUX FALLS – The University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball Team, which won a program-first NSIC South Division title a year ago and advanced to the NCAA DII Regional for a second time, is receiving votes (three) in the 2020-21 D2SIDA Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll. The Cougars also rank fifth in the preseason Central Region Poll (36 points), which was also released today.

The Women's Basketball Team, which finished 26-6 with a program-first NSIC South Division title (17-5 NSIC), had another historic season in 2019-20, directed by all-time wins leader Head Coach Travis Traphagen (243-117).  With its fifth 20-win season at the DII level, it was a team, led by seven seniors, including honorable mention All-American Kaely Hummel (2^nd ever in program history) that was ranked 10 weeks of the season by the WBCA and as high as seventh while earning a No. 3 seed at the NCAA DII Central Region Championships.  
 
In the preseason national poll, Drury was ranked No. 1 with 15 first place votes and 398 points after going 32-0 a year ago. Ashland was second after a 31-0 season and Lubbock Christian, who was 28-3, earned a first place vote and 30-1 points. In the Central Region, USF was fifth behind Emporia State, Minnesota-Duluth, Central Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney.
 
USF which is scheduled to open the season at home on Jan. 2-3 against University of Mary, lost seven seniors to graduation but returns significant experience in senior Anna Goodhope (10.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 705 career points and 97 threes), and juniors Hannah Jones (191 points, 167 rebounds and six double digit scoring games in her career) Kiara James (166 points and 74 rebounds in her career) and Krystal Carlson (235 points and 124 rebounds in her career), who all started games a year ago.
 
The Cougars have also added two DI transfers, a standout junior college guard, and incoming freshman who will contribute. Sophomore Anna Brecht (3.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 161 career points, 60 rebounds, 51 three pointers), who was the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2016-17 and finished with a career scoring record of 1,662 points at Sioux Falls Lincoln HS, arrives from DI Green Bay/Wisconsin. Another standout DI transfer is Emily Petersen (142 career points, 38 three-pointers, four double digit scoring games) from Nebraska Omaha as well as point guard Dallie Hoskinson, who joins USF from Johnson County Community College. Hoskinson averaged 9.9 points (425 - career), 8.2 rebounds (367 - career) and 5.1 assists (222 – career) while starting 32 games for a JCCC team that was 28-5 and earned a No. 7 ranking in the National Junior College Athletic Association.  
 
Also back will be seniors Lauren Sanders (359 career points, 91 career threes, 11 double digit scoring games), and Amanda Dagostino (56 points, 51 rebounds in her career), who helped the Cougars averaged 75.2 points per game and allowed 64.2.  Freshman Madison Wuebben (15.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg) of Yankton, S.D., Megan Fannin (16.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) from Watertown, S.D.; Sydney White (18.0 ppg) of Andover, Minn., Kennedy Goblirsch (13.8 ppg) of Beresford, S.D., Molly Lutmer (14.8 ppg) of Perry Iowa as well as sophomore Ashley Wells (19 points and 10 rebounds) and graduate student newcomer KaSandra Springer, who was an All-NSIC volleyball player a year ago, will also be key members of the 2020-21 squad. 
 
D2SIDA WBB National Preseason Poll – Dec. 1
 

Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.
1	Drury (15)	32-0	398
2	Ashland	31-0	369
3	Lubbock Christian (1)	28-3	301
4	Indiana (Pa.)	28-3	298
5	Alaska Anchorage	31-2	297
6	Hawaii Pacific	29-1	292
7	Walsh	28-2	259
8	Tampa	24-5	235
9	Texas A&M-Commerce	28-3	231
10	Stonehill	23-5	225
11t	Emporia State	24-7	203
11t	Grand Valley State	28-3	203
13	Lander	26-5	202
14	Adelphi	27-3	173
15	Union (Tenn.)	26-5	157
16	North Georgia	26-5	140
17	Glenville State	26-5	136
18	Minnesota-Duluth	26-6	124
19	West Texas A&M	27-6	111
20	Cal State San Marcos	25-5	86
21t	Central Missouri	27-4	84
21t	Lee	26-4	84
23	Belmont Abbey	27-3	79
24	Colorado Mesa	26-5	57
25	Gannon	25-6	39

 

RV:	Nebraska-Kearney 28, Saint Anslem 24, Northwest Nazarene 10, Western Colorado 5, Azusa Pacific 3, Bowie State 3, Sioux Falls 3, Delta State 1, Southeastern Oklahoma State 1

REGIONAL POLLS (PRESEASON)
 

REGION: Atlantic
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.
1	Indiana (Pa.) (5)	28-3	50
2	Glenville State	26-5	41
3	Gannon	25-6	40
4	Bowie State	25-5	38
5	Virginia Union	23-4	26
6	Notre Dame (Ohio)	26-5	23
7	California (Pa.)	21-9	22
8	Charleston	23-7	14
9	Lincoln (Pa.)	23-6	12
10	Fayetteville State	21-8	5
RV:	Shippensburg 3, Edinboro 1

 

REGION: Central
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.
1	Emporia State (2)	24-7	50
2	Minnesota-Duluth	26-6	49
3	Central Missouri (3)	27-4	47
4	Nebraska-Kearney (1)	26-6	42
5	Sioux Falls	26-6	36
6	Southeastern Oklahoma State	22-7	25
7	Fort Hays State	23-7	18
8	Southwestern Oklahoma State	21-8	15
9	Harding	19-10	13
10	Central Oklahoma	18-10	10

 

RV:	Mary 6, St. Cloud State 6, Minnesota-Moorhead 5, Pittsburg State 4, Winona State 2, Henderson State 1, Southern Nazarene 1

 

REGION: East
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.
1	Stonehill (4)	23-5	58
2	Adelphi (2)	27-3	53
3	Saint Anselm	21-7	47
4	Daemen	23-5	36
5	Jefferson	20-11	32
6	Bentley	19-9	30
7	Le Moyne	19-9	24
8	New Haven	18-9	15
9	Molloy	22-9	12
10	St. Thomas Aquinas	21-7	9
RV:	Pace 8, Southern Connecticut St. 5, Holy Family 1
Dropped out:	USciences (opted out of season)

 

REGION: Midwest
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.
1	Drury (4)	32-0	58
2	Ashland (2)	31-0	54
3	Walsh	28-2	46
4	Grand Valley State	28-3	42
5	Southern Indiana	18-9	38
6	Truman State	20-8	32
7t	Ferris State	21-8	18
7t	Kentucky Wesleyan	28-3	18
7t	Lewis	19-12	18
10	Lindenwood	19-9	6

 

REGION: South Central
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.
1	Lubbock Christian (6)	28-3	60
2	Texas A&M-Commerce	28-3	51
3	West Texas A&M	27-6	48
4	Colorado Mesa	26-5	43
5	Western Colorado	20-7	31
6	Westminster	24-7	28
7	Angelo State	18-10	26
8	Colorado School of Mines	19-10	20
9	St. Edward's	18-11	7
10	St. Mary's (Texas)	14-14	5
RV:	Black Hills State 2, Fort Lewis 2, Cameron 1

 

REGION: South
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.
1	Tampa (2)	24-5	47
2	Union (Tenn.) (2)	26-5	45
3	Lee (1)	26-4	38
T4	Delta State	23-7	31
T4	Benedict	25-3	31
6	Florida Southern	19-11	29
7	Eckerd	24-5	24
8	Alabama-Huntsville	19-11	15
9	Montevallo	18-11	8
10	Miles	19-7	5
RV:	West Georgia 2

 

REGION: Southeast
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.
T1	Lander (4)	26-5	55
T1	North Georgia (1)	26-5	55
3	Belmont Abbey (1)	27-3	44
4	Carson-Newman	22-8	41
5	Anderson	26-5	35
6	Tusculum	24-7	27
7	Catawba	23-6	21
8	Barton	24-6	20
9	Clayton State	20-10	17
10	Limestone	24-7	12
RV::	Columbus State 3

 

REGION: West
Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.
1	Alaska Anchorage (3)	31-2	57
2	Hawaii Pacific (3)	29-1	56
3	Cal State-San Marcos	25-5	48
4	Northwest Nazarene	22-7	35
5	Azusa Pacific	25-5	31
6	Cal Poly Pomona	19-10	29
7	Western Washington	22-9	29
8	Concordia Irvine	17-12	14
9	Chico State	18-11	13
10	Fresno Pacific	17-13	5

 

RV:	Cal State-East Bay 4, Biola 3, Point Loma Nazarene 3, Simon Fraser 1