PREVIEW: UMAC Women's Basketball Season Preview
ST. PAUL, MN - The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) saw an extremely competitive women's basketball race that saw co-champions a year ago in the regular season. Bethany Lutheran and Northwestern split the UMAC title a year ago and both of those teams expect to be back in the thick of things again this season. In the UMAC playoffs the North Central Rams came from the number three seed to win the UMAC Tournament and earn the UMAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Last week the coaches voted on the preseason poll and Bethany Lutheran was the team picked to finish atop the UMAC for what would be their fourth consecutive UMAC regular season championship. The Vikings and Head Coach Lyle Jones are coming off a 13-1 record in the UMAC a year ago before falling to Minnesota-Morris in the UMAC Semifinals. This season the Vikings return a couple All-UMAC performers from a year ago in Haley Meyer and Alexis Cloyd. The two combined for nearly eighteen points per game and should be key to Bethany's success this season. Sara Kottke is another returner this season for the Vikings, the junior averaged 11.2 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game a year ago.
Minnesota-Morris has been picked to finish second by the coaches in this year's preseason poll. The Cougars were 8-6 in UMAC play a year ago and advanced all the way to the UMAC Championship game, defeating Northland and Bethany Lutheran before falling to North Central. The Cougars also return a couple of All-UMAC players from a year ago in Jadyn Sondrol and Jay Kwateh. On top of being an All-UMAC player a year ago, Kwateh was the UMAC Defensive Player of the Year. Malory Anderson also returns for Morris as one of their key pieces in the frontcourt, Anderson averaged almost six rebounds per game a year ago.
In third place in this year's preseason poll is the Northwestern Eagles, Northwestern finished 13-1 in conference play a year ago and won the regular season conference title for the second straight year as co-champions. Northwestern defeated Crown in the UMAC Quarterfinals before losing to eventual UMAC Tournament champion, North Central in the semifinals. A key returner for the Eagles this season is Lexi Hagen, the sophomore guard was an All-UMAC performer a year ago and averaged 8.6 points per game, while shooting almost 40% from three.
Picked to finish fourth in the UMAC this season are the North Central Rams. The Rams had a record breaking season last year, breaking the school record for most wins in a season and earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The Rams defeated Martin Luther, Northwestern, and Minnesota-Morris in the UMAC Tournament a year ago. There will be quite a few new faces for the Rams this season including first year head coach Leah Szabla. Szabla is familiar with the UMAC as she was at North Central previously as an assistant and then was the head coach at Crown College last season.
The Knights of Martin Luthera are the team picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll. The Knights lost to North Central in the first round of the UMAC Tournament after finishing 4-10 in conference play a year ago. Returning for Martin Luther this season is Jordyn Heckendorf, an All-UMAC player from a year ago. Heckendorf averaged over eleven points per game. Emma Nelson and Lauren Paulsen are two other key returners for the Knights this season, the duo averaged a combined total of over seventeen points and ten rebounds per game between the two of them.
The University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets come in the sixth spot in this year's preseason poll. The Yellowjackets lost to Minnesota-Morris in the UMAC Quarterfinals a year ago after finishing 5-9 in UMAC play. Emily Carpenter will take over for the Yellowjackets this year after she was hired in the offseason as the interim head coach. All-UMAC Second Team performer Kaelyn Christian is a key returner for the Yellowjackets this season after averaging twelve points per game a year ago.
Coming in seventh place is the Crown College Polars. The Polars also have a first year head coach in Bridgeport Tusler as he took over the Polars program this offseason. Crown lost to Northwestern in the UMAC Quarterfinals a year ago and went 3-11 in UMAC play. McKenzie Latzke returns for the Polars after earning All-UMAC honors a year ago, the junior averaged over sixteen points per game.
The Northland Lumberjills are the team picked to finish eighth, after finishing 0-14 in UMAC play a year ago. Lisa Phillips takes over the Lumberjills program in her first year as head coach. All-UMAC player Miranda Wagner returns after averaging over fifteen points per game a year ago.
Women’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll
- Bethany Lutheran (5)
- Minnesota Morris (2)
- Northwestern
- North Central (1)
- Martin Luther
- UW-Superior
- Crown
- Northland
*First place votes are in parenthesis
Bethany Lutheran College
- Lyle Jones | 21st season |
- 2021-22 Season
- 13-1 UMAC, 19-8 Overall | 1st |
- Postseason:
- Defeated Northland in UMAC Quarterfinals 105-53 before falling to UM-Morris in Semifinals 70-60
- Top Returners
- Sara Kottke, Jr., Forward | 11.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.1 apg
- Haley Meyer, So., Guard | UMAC Rookie of the Year, All-UMAC Honorable Mention | 9.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.9 apg
- Alexis Cloyd, So. Guard | All-UMAC Honorable Mention | 8.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.1 apg
Crown College
- Bridgeport Tusler | 1st season |
- 2021-22 Season
- 3-11 UMAC, 7-14 Overall | 7th |
- Postseason:
- Lost in UMAC Quarterfinal to Northwestern, 81-59
- Top Returners
- McKenzie Latzke, Jr. G | All-UMAC Honorable Mention | 16.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.42 stl./g |
- Amy Martius, Sr. G | UMAC Sportsmanship Award 2021-2022| 10.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.0 apg
- Madison Morken, So. F | 6.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.6 apg |
Martin Luther College
- Dan Gawrisch | 8th Season |
- 2021-22 Season
- 4-10 UMAC, 8-18 Overall | 6th |
- Postseason:
- Lost to North Central in 1st round of UMAC Tournament
- Top Returners
- Jordyn Heckendorf, Jr., G | All-UMAC Honorable Mention | 11.1 PPG, 2.7 APG, 23 STL |
- Emma Nelson, Jr., F | 8.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 71% FT |
- Lauren Paulsen | 8.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 18 BLK |
- Need to Know: The Knights bring back all five leading scorers from a season ago.
North Central University
- Leah Szabla | 1st Season |
- 2021-22 Season
- 10-4 UMAC, 24-5 Overall | 3rd |
- Postseason:
- Defeated Martin Luther in UMAC Quarter Finals, Northwestern in the UMAC Semifinals, and Morris in the UMAC Championship to win the UMAC tournament and earn an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
- Lost to Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Top Returners
- Joelle Talso, Jr., G | 6.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.6 APG |
- Kaitlyn VanderPloeg, So., F | 3.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, .9 BPG|
Northland College
- Lisa Phillips| 1st season |
- 2021-22 Season
- 0-14 UMAC record, 1-20 Overall record | 8th|
- Top Returners
- Miranda Wagner Sr, G | UMAC All Conference Honorable Mention|15.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg
University of Minnesota Morris
- Tim Grove | 17th season |
- 2021-22 Season
- 8-6 UMAC, 13-15 Overall | 4th |
- Postseason:
- Defeated UW-Superior, 64-47, in the UMAC Quarterfinal, defeated Bethany Lutheran, 70-60 in UMAC Semifinals, lost to North Central, 52-47, in UMAC Championship.
- Top Returners
- Jadyn Sondrol, Sr, Guard | 2021-22 Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 8.0 ppg, 1.9 apg, 2.8 rpg |
- Malory Anderson, Jr, Forward | 7.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .486 FG pct. |
- Jay Kwateh, Sr, Forward | 2021-22 Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 2021-22 UMAC Defensive Player of the Year | 7.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.3 spg |
University of Northwestern
- Aaron Kahl | 13th Season |
- 2021-22 Season
- 21-8 UMAC, 13-1 Overall | T-1st |
- Postseason:
- Defeated Crown 81-59 in UMAC Tournament Quarterfinals, fell to North Central 79-48 in UMAC Semifinals.
- Won NCCAA Regional Championship 81-62 over Trinity Christian. Defeated Columbia International 60-51 in NCAA National Tournament.
- Top Returners
- Lexi Hagen, So., G | All-UMAC Honorable Mention, UMAC All-Academic Team | 8.6 ppg, 41.0 FG%, 38.0 3PT% |
- Taylor Schuck, So., G | UMAC All-Academic Team | 109 points, 27 steals, 64 assists |
- Grace Landvik, So., G | 38 steals, 46 assists, 89 points |
University of Wisconsin-Superior
- Emily Carpenter | 1st season |
- 2021-22 Season
- UMAC record 5-9, 6-19 | 5th |
- Postseason:
- Lost to Minnesota Morris, 64-47 in UMAC Quarterfinals
- Top Returners
- Kaelyn Christian, Sr., G | 2022 All-UMAC Second Team | 12.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.1 apg |
- Sam Parendo, Jr., G | 2022 UMAC All Defensive Team | 4.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.4 spg |
- Mady Sanders, Sr., G | 6.8 rpg, 5.4 ppg, 1.8 apg |
- Need to Know: UW-Superior alumna Emily Carpenter (2020) begins her first season as interim head coach in 2022-23, becoming the eighth head coach in program history, dating to 1976-77.