SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The North Dakota State Bison women's basketball team was voted seventh in the Summit League preseason poll released Monday by the league office.
 
South Dakota was tabbed the preseason favorite with 20 first-place votes, while South Dakota State was picked second with 13 first-place votes. Denver was picked for third and garnered the remaining first-place vote.
 
Oral Roberts was picked for fourth, followed by Western Illinois, North Dakota and NDSU. Omaha and Purdue Fort Wayne round out the poll in eighth and ninth, respectively.
 
NDSU returns its top four scorers in juniors Michelle Gaislerova (14.4), Emily Dietz (9.1) and Sofija Zivaljevic (8.8) and senior Rylee Nudell (8.6). 
 
As a team, the Bison return 84 percent of their scoring and 62 percent of their rebounding from last season.
 
The Bison women host Minnesota Crookston in an exhibition game on Nov. 1 before opening the regular season at Northern Iowa on Nov. 6. The regular season home opener at the Scheels Center is Nov. 10 against Northern Illinois.
 

2019-20 Preseason Summit League Player of the Year
Ciara Duffy – South Dakota

Preseason All-Summit League First Team
Ciara Duffy, South Dakota, Sr., G (14.6 ppg/4.7 rpg/2.9 apg)
Tagyn Larson, South Dakota State, Sr., F (10.5 ppg/6.4 rpg/1.7 apg)
Lauren Loven, Denver, Sr., G (14.3 ppg/1.9 rpg/1.6 apg)
Madison Nelson, Denver, Sr., F (16.5 ppg/8.9 rpg/1.0 bpg)
Myah Selland, South Dakota State, Jr., F (12.5 ppg/5.4 rpg/3.3 apg)
Hannah Sjerven, South Dakota, Jr., C (11.8 ppg/5.9 rpg/1.9 bpg) 

Preseason All-Summit League Second Team
Tylee Irwin, South Dakota State, Jr., G (7.5 ppg/3.7 rpg/1.7 apg)
Olivia Kaufmann, Western Illinois, Sr., G (16.0 ppg/5.4 rpg/3.8 apg)
Chloe Lamb, South Dakota, Jr., G (9.6 ppg/2.7 rpg/1.6 apg)
Keni Jo Lippe, Oral Roberts, Jr., G (13.3 ppg/5.2 rpg/1.9 apg)
Madison McKeever, South Dakota, Sr., G (7.8 ppg/2.9 rpg/1.9 apg) 

*Preseason player of the year automatically earns a spot on the first team

Preseason Poll

1. South Dakota (20) - 527
2. South Dakota State (13) - 496
3. Denver (1) - 394
4. Oral Roberts - 370
5. Western Illinois - 332
6. North Dakota - 213
7. North Dakota State - 181
8. Omaha - 147
9. Purdue Fort Wayne - 85