Panther Women Picked Third In MVC Preseason Poll

MVC RELEASE

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – With the basketball season right around the corner, the Missouri Valley Conference announced its preseason poll Tuesday morning, with the Northern Iowa Panthers landing at the No. 3 spot.

The Panthers' third-place ranking marks the 10th year that UNI has been voted in the top-half of the MVC preseason standings under 11-year head coach Tanya Warren.

Drake is picked to repeat with 31 first-place votes, while Missouri State is slotted at No. 2 with seven first-place votes. The Panthers nabbed two first-place votes for No. 3 overall, with Southern Illinois and Indiana State rounding out the top-five.

Also earning preseason recognition is redshirt junior Ellie Howell, who was named to the MVC Preseason All-Conference Team. The 2016-17 MVC Sixth Player of the Year is UNI's top-returning scorer, after averaging 12.2 points per game last season.

The Panthers are fresh off their first NCAA At-Large bid in program history after posting a 24-9 record overall and finishing 15-3 in the MVC. UNI welcomes five new Panthers to the mix, as UNI seeks its fourth-straight postseason berth. UNI's two returning starters will be Megan Maahs and Mikaela Morgan, with All-MVC selection Howell also sliding into the rotation.

Coach Warren enters her 11th season at UNI as the program's all-time wins leader, after amassing a 186-139 record over 10 seasons with the Panthers.

UP NEXT
UNI will tip off its season with an exhibition game against Sioux Falls (S.D.) on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. CT. For season tickets, contact the UNI ticket office at 319-273-4849 or visit the UNITix website.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the UNI women's basketball program, follow the Panthers on Twitter at "@UNIWBB" and on Facebook at "UNI Women's Basketball."

2017-18 MVC Preseason Poll

Drake (31) 356
Missouri State (7) 323
UNI (2) 311
Southern Illinois 256
Indiana State 231
Bradley 216
Illinois State 139
Evansville 132
Valparaiso 131
Loyola 105

2017-18 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team
Sammie Bachrodt (Drake)
*Liza Fruendt (Missouri State)
Kylie Giebelhausen (Southern Illinois)
Becca Hittner (Drake)
Ellie Howell (UNI)

* - Preseason Player of the Year

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