ST. PAUL-- The Bethany Lutheran women's basketball team was picked to win the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) championship in the Preseason Coaches Poll that was released Thursday.

Bethany Luther College will look to use momentum from the 2018-19 this winter as it searches for its first-ever Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) women's basketball championship after dethroning the University of Wisconsin-Superior in the postseason championship game last February. However, the conference coaches predict that three teams could have a shot at the title with the Vikings topping the list in the 2019-20 UMAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll announced Thursday. 

The Vikings were the favorite with 60 points and five first-place votes, while the coaches felt Wisconsin-Superior will remain a contender – after winning a fourth-straight regular season title last fall – with 57 points and two first-place nods. The University of Minnesota Morris is also expected to challenge the Vikings as the Cougars were third in the voting with 52 points and two first-place votes. 

Last season the Vikings finished with a 14-2 record in UMAC play and finished the regular season winning 10 of its last 12 games. The two lone losses for the Vikings came against Minnesota Morris and Wisconsin-Superior, but the Vikings avenged those losses in the postseason defeating both squads in the semifinal and championship games, respectively, to earn the program's first NCAA postseason berth. The Vikings also outscored conference opponents by 21 points per game (ppg) which was just behind that of Wisconsin-Superior with a 24 ppg scoring margin.

The Vikings are well positioned to be successful again in 2019-20 despite losing four-year All-UMAC star Haley Sandin. Now a junior, Abby Olson should fill the role of the team star after finishing with All-UMAC First Team and several all-region accolades. A year ago, Olson led the UMAC in conference scoring with 19.0 ppg and 3-point field goal percentage (.435). Fellow junior Hanna Geistfeld also returns after earning Second Team honors and finishing fourth in conference scoring (15.6 ppg). 

While the Vikings are a slight favorite, Wisconsin-Superior isn't going to go away quietly after four-straight years of dominance in UMAC women's hoops. A year ago, the Yellowjackets finished with a 15-1 record, but had to fight through the postseason escaping the University of Northwestern in the semifinal in overtime before falling 55-54 at home to the Vikings in the championship. 

2019-20 UMAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Bethany Lutheran - 60 points (5 First Place Votes)
2. Wisconsin-Superior - 57 points (2 First Place Vote)
3. Minnesota Morris - 52 points (2 First Place Vote)
4. Northwestern - 45 points
5. St. Scholastica- 33 points
6. North Central - 31 points
7. Northland - 19 points
8. Martin Luther - 15 points
9. Crown - 12 points

Bethany Lutheran College
Lyle Jones | 18th season |
 
2018-19 Season
14-2 UMAC, 22-6 | 2nd |
Postseason: Lost to No. 11/15 Wartburg in NCAA Tournament First-round, 91-63
 
Top Returners

• Abby Olson, Jr., G | UMAC First-team | D3hoops.com Third-team All-Region | 18.5 PPG, .821 FT %, 102 assists |
• Hanna Geistfeld, Jr., F | UMAC Second-team | 15.0 PPG, 7.0 RBG, 14 blocks |
• Kenlie Pytleski, Jr., F| 8.2 PPG, 6.1 RBG, 37 blocks |

Need to Know
BLC set seven season records last year and made the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.