INDIANAPOLIS – Ursuline headlined the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour that was announced by the league on Thursday.
 
Heading into the 2016-17 season, the Arrows were a unanimous choice with 49 total points after receiving first-place votes from all seven other institutions.
 
Ursuline completed a remarkable run in 2015-16 as an NCAA Championship Midwest Region qualifier, G-MAC regular-season champion and conference tournament champion. The Arrows went 25-4 last season under G-MAC Coach of the Year Shannon Sword.
 
All voting for this year’s women’s basketball preseason poll was conducted by the league’s head coaches.
 
Ursuline will look to hold off the rest of the conference as Cedarville was tabbed the conference runner-up with 42 points. The Yellow Jackets matched Ursuline’s conference record at 12-2 and are ushering in a coaching era with Kari Hoffman on the sidelines following the retirement of Kirk Martin.
 
Ursuline edged Cedarville in the G-MAC Championship final as the Arrows secured the G-MAC’s first automatic qualifying bid into the national tournament as the No. 8 seed.
 
Kentucky Wesleyan was picked third and Trevecca Nazarene (also welcoming a new coach in Chad Hibdon) was selected fourth after both the Panthers and the Trojans advanced into the conference tournament semifinals a year ago. 
 
Davis & Elkins was narrowly behind in fourth with 23 points in the balloting to settle in fifth while first-year G-MAC member institution Malone opens the year in sixth with 22 points.
 
G-MAC Championship qualifier Ohio Valley begins the new season in seventh while Alderson Broaddus rounded out the coaches voting in eighth, respectively.
 
The conference is working with each institution to provide a season preview with coach and student-athlete interviews. 

The schedule for releasing G-MAC women's basketball season previews is as follows:

Malone, Alderson Broaddus – Tuesday, Oct. 24
Ohio Valley, Trevecca Nazarene - Wednesday, Oct. 25
Davis & Elkins - Thursday, Oct. 26
Kentucky Wesleyan, Cedarville, Ursuline - Friday, Oct. 28


2016-17 G-MAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
 

School	Points
1.  Ursuline (7 first-place votes)	49
2.  Cedarville	42
3.  Kentucky Wesleyan	37
4.  Trevecca Nazarene	25
5.  Davis & Elkins	23
6.  Malone	22
7.  Ohio Valley	16
8.  Alderson Broaddus	10