OGDEN, Utah (October 18, 2018) – The Northern Arizona women's basketball team, led by second-year head coach
Loree Payne, was voted 10th in both the Big Sky Preseason Coaches and Media Polls released by the league office on Tuesday.
The Lumberjacks received 21 points by the Big Sky coaches and 40 points from the media. NAU is coming off a 7-23 season with a 4-14 conference record, although the 'Jacks did post victories over Boise State – an NCAA Tournament automatic qualifier – and Arizona a year ago.
NAU will be led by senior
Kaleigh Paplow, who returns for her final season with a chance to finish in the top 10 in program history in career points, rebounds and assists. She would be the only player to occupy spots in all three categories should she do so. Paplow, the lone four-year Lumberjack, averaged 11.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season while also leading the team with 39 steals.
Payne will also employ senior
Tate Tsingine and junior
Peyton Carroll, who combined for 16 starts a season ago, as her only three eligible upperclassmen. Tsingine is the Lumberjacks' top returning three-point shooter with 25 makes on .357 shooting last season. Carroll averaged 5.3 points per game and was one of two players, along with sophomore
Khiarica Rasheed, to appear in all 30 games.
While NAU will be short on upperclassmen, the Lumberjacks will have a host of sophomores including
Brianna Lehew,
Lauren Orndoff and Rasheed. The 'Jacks will also insert redshirt sophomores
Jacey Bailey and
Caitlin Malvar, both of whom sat out last season due to transfer rules, into the lineup.
Idaho was picked as the consensus preseason favorite in both polls, receiving nine of 11 first-place votes from the coaches and 13 of 19 first-place votes from the media. Portland State, the preseason runner-up, picked up a pair of first-place in both polls. Northern Colorado, last season's Big Sky Champion, received four first-place votes to place third in the media poll.
Idaho State was the third-place team in the coaches poll followed by Northern Colorado. Montana and Montana State tied for fifth with Eastern Washington coming in seventh. Northern Colorado and Idaho State were flipped in the media poll with Eastern Washington being picked fifth. Montana State and Montana followed in sixth and seventh.
Weber State, Sacramento State, NAU and Southern Utah were the consensus eighth through 11th teams in both polls.
Idaho's Mikayla Ferenz was announced as the Preseason Big Sky MVP on Wednesday. She was joined by teammate Taylor Pierce and Portland State's Ashley Bolston and Sidney Rielly on the preseason all-conference team. Last season's conference MVP, Northern Colorado's Savannah Smith, and Idaho State's Grace Kenyon rounded out the honorees.
The Lumberjacks will open the 2018-19 season on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at home versus Fresno State. Tip-off in the Rolle Activity Center is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
2018-19 Big Sky Preseason Coaches Poll (First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
