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| Hope finished last season as MIAA champs and No. 1 in our poll. They start this season back atop the rankings. Hope athletics file photo |
The last two seasons have ended with no national champion and Hope sitting atop our national rankings with a perfect record. This season starts with hopes that we'll crown a national champion, and the Flying Dutch are the preseason favorite to win that title.
Hope does not bring back all eight seniors from last year's 16-0 team, but they bring back three crucial players. All-Americans Kenedy Schoonveld and Olivia Voskuil and sharp-shooting wing Sydney Muller return for a Hope team that has not lost a game since the Elite 8 round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Hope garnered 21 of the No. 1 votes.
East Texas Baptist was undefeated for much of last season before losing in the ASC tournament finale. The Tigers bring back most of the players from last year's 25-1 team and they grabbed three No. 1 votes, putting them comfortably in the No. 2 slot to start the year. Sitting one spot back is Trine which was undefeated against everyone except Hope last season.
All but one of the Top 10 teams played an abbreviated season earlier this year, and most bring back All-Americans. Leah Springer returns for No. 5 Messiah, as do 2021 NCAA Women of the Year candidate Jenna Taylor for No. 6 Simpson, Nicole Heffington for No. 8 John Carroll and Averi Jordan for No. 9 DeSales.
Four of last season's first-team All-Americans return, including three players who were seniors academically in the spring semester.
For those NESCAC fans used to seeing Amherst, Bowdoin or Tufts near the top of the rankings, all three made the poll but farther down. Most of the starters for all three teams have graduated and moved on. The Mammoths did draw the final No. 1 preseason vote.
Do you think your team should be ranked in the Top 25? Well, there's a good chance it is one of the 54 teams that received votes in our poll. By comparison, 43 teams received a vote in our 2019-20 preseason poll.
Most of the schedules are in, and we're getting close to tip off. Here's hoping for a safe, healthy, full season.