Alaska News

UAA women picked to win GNAC

Armed with an All-American center, a pair of Division I transfers and a roster that runs 21 players deep, the UAA women's basketball team takes aim at another championship season with season-opening games this week in Florida.

As they traveled cross-country Wednesday, the Seawolves picked up some preseason buzz when coaches in the Great Northwest Conference overwhelmingly christened UAA the conference favorite.

Eight of nine coaches gave UAA first-place votes in a preseason poll, marking the first time in the league's eight-year history the Seawolves have been picked to win the league. The Seawolves were the choice over defending conference champion Seattle Pacific, which was 29-1 last year.

Earlier this month, the Seawolves were ranked fifth in the nation in preseason rankings by the Women's Division II bulletin. They're the only GNAC team named in the top 25.

UAA finished as runners-up last season, and then went on to make it all the way to the Final Four of the NCAA Division II tournament -- the farthest the Seawolves have ever advanced in women's postseason play.

A handful of starters are gone from that team, but no matter.

Rebecca Kielpinski is back, and the two-time GNAC Player of the Year and second-team All-American has plenty of talent around her.

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Five letterwinners return from last year's 30-5 team -- Kielpinski, Elisha Harris, Danielle Dekel, Nikki Aden, Dasha Basova -- and Tristan Burnett is back after taking a season off.

Transfers Jackie Thiel (Florida Gulf Coast) and Viki Wohlers (Oregon State) bring Division I experience, and several newcomers hail from powerhouse junior college teams.

The Seawolves have 21 players on their roster, a result, perhaps, of the success they've enjoyed with coach Tim Moser, who is beginning his third season. He is 53-11 in two seasons at UAA.

UAA opens play Friday at the Tipoff Classic in Orlando, Fla. The Seawolves face Columbus State of Georgia at 10:30 a.m. ADT.

2008-09 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

(last year's overall record and conference record in parenthesis)

1. UAA (30-5, 15-3) (8 first-place votes) 86 points

2. Seattle Pacific (29-1, 18-0) (1 vote) 67

3. Northwest Nazarene (19-9, 12-6) 65

4. Western Washington (9-21, 6-12) 55

5. Saint Martin's (17-11, 10-8) 40

6. Montana State Billings (11-16, 8-10) 37

7. Central Washington (13-13, 5-13) 25

8. Western Oregon (8-19, 4-14) 22

9. UAF (12-14, 5-13) 17

Anchorage Daily News

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