FREELAND, Mich. -- In a preseason poll of nine Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) women's basketball coaches, Hope was predicted to finish first overall in tallying all eight possible first-place votes.

Hope, the 2020 MIAA automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship, totaled 56 points.  Trine, slated to finish second in the league, received 49 points and the remaining first-place vote.  Albion (40 points) edged Calvin (37 points) for third place, while Alma tallied 28 points to rank fifth ahead of Adrian (21 points).  Olivet (12 points) and Kalamazoo (10 points) rounded out the poll.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.  Although Saint Mary's season has been canceled, the head coach was permitted to vote in the women's preseason poll.

Hope was the only team in all of the NCAA that was still undefeated (29-0 overall, 16-0 MIAA) following the second round of the 2020 NCAA Tournament.  Hope and Trine (23-6 overall, 14-2 MIAA) had advanced to the Sweet 16 with the potential to meet each other in the championship game, however, the remainder of the tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.

Hope features the 2020 MIAA Most Valuable Player, Kenedy Schoonveld, along with two-time MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, Olivia Voskuil.  Lauren Newman returns for a fourth year after receiving All-MIAA Second Team honors last season.

Trine will look to top returnees Tara Bieniewicz and Kayla Wildman in their junior year.  Bieniewicz was named first team All-MIAA last year, while Wildman was selected to the second team.

Albion (21-6 overall, 14-2 MIAA) returns three-time All-MIAA player Rain Hinton in her fourth season with the Brits.

The 2021 women's basketball season will begin this Saturday, Jan. 23, with Olivet hosting Trine, Hope hosting Albion, and Calvin hosting Alma.  The final seven games on this season's schedule will count as conference contests.

The 2021 MIAA Women's Basketball Tournament will include all eight teams and will begin Tuesday, March 2, with first-round play; semifinals will be held on Thursday, March 4, followed by the final on Saturday, March 6.