A re-tooled Charger women's basketball team heads into the 2019-20 season facing a balanced Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Hillsdale was picked fifth in the G-MAC Preseason Coach's Poll, presented by Under Armour and released Wednesday morning. The Chargers received 98 poll points, six behind third-place Findlay.
Walsh, last year's regular season champion, was picked to repeat and by a wide margin, netting 11 of a possible 13 first-place votes. Kentucky Wesleyan, last year's conference runner-up, was second, followed by Cedarville University, then the Oilers.
Hillsdale lost a graduating class that represented a good deal of its scoring, rebounding and ballhandling from a year ago. But head coach Matt Fritsche has developed the young talent on the team, brought in transfer guard Courtney Krol from DePaul, and has a wide array of scoring options on this year's team. Guards Jaycie Burger, Grace Touchette and Lauren Daffenberg all return along with frontcourt veterans Julia Wacker, Amaka Chikwe and Anna LoMonaco. A deep freshman class is likely to see a player or two find their way into the regular rotation, giving the Chargers size, shooting and depth at all five positions.
The full preseason poll appears below.
2019-20 Great Midwest Preseason Women's Basketball Coach's Poll
PLACE | TEAM (1st PLACE VOTES) | POLL POINTS |
1. | Walsh (11) | 143 |
2. | Kentucky Wesleyan (2) | 127 |
3. | Cedarville | 124 |
4. | Findlay | 104 |
5. | Hillsdale | 98 |
6. | Ohio Dominican | 91 |
7. | Malone | 85 |
8. | Trevecca Nazarene | 64 |
9. | Tiffin | 56 |
10. | Ursuline | 54 |
11. | Lake Erie | 32 |
12. | Alderson Broaddus | 27 |
13. | Ohio Valley | 12 |