The Calvin University women's basketball team was voted first in the MIAA Preseason Poll released by the conference on Thursday.
The Knights were the unanimous selection atop the poll and received all eight possible first-place votes. Hope College finished second with 17 total points in the poll and one first-place vote, followed by Trine University in third with 20 total points.
Calvin is coming off an 18-11 season that finished with the program's first MIAA Tournament Championship since 2015 and its first trip to the NCAA III Tournament since 2017 before falling in the opening round at UW-Oshkosh. The Knights finished the conference season with a 11-5 record, good for third place before defeating Hope and Trine in the league tournament to secure the automatic bid.
The Knights return seven players who averaged at least 10 minutes per game last season, led by All-MIAA First Team and D3hoops.com Preseason All-American
Anna Fernandez (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Christian Academy/Wheaton College). Fernandez averaged 14.3 points per game as a junior last season.
Hannah Sall (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian), Katleyn LaRue (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) and
Chloe Wiegers (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) return as starters from last season, while
Gabby Halliwill (Charlotte, Mich./Lansing Catholic),
Jamie Custer (Galena, Ohio/Worthington Christian) and
Lydia Sall (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) each played significant roles off the bench. LaRue earned All-MIAA Second Team honors last season after averaging 11.4 points per game and leading the Knights with 51 three-point field goals.
Junior
RyAnn Rohrer (Ludington, Mich./Ludington),
Emma Witte (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) and Sami Dekuiper (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) each return after missing last season due to injury. Rohrer earned All-MIAA First Team honors as a sophomore following the 2023-24 season after averaging 11.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while Witte averaged 12.1 points per game that season in 14 starts. Dekuiper has started 25 games in the backcourt for the Knights the last two seasons.
The Knights, ranked 18th in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 Poll and 21st in the WBCA Preseason Top 25 Poll, will open the season on Friday, November 7, on the road at UW-River Falls. The Knights will then face UW-La Crosse at UW-River Falls on Saturday, November 8.
