Holland Reporter

The Grand Valley State University women's basketball team has been selected as the top choice in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll. The poll, announced by the conference office, awarded the Lakers all 100 possible points and first-place votes from the 10 other teams in the league. The team is aiming for its fifth consecutive league title.

Northern Michigan was ranked second with 87 points, followed by Ferris State in third with 84 points and one first-place vote. Parkside and Wayne State rounded out the top five with 72 and 66 points, respectively.

Grand Valley State is coming off a successful season, having secured its second National Championship in program history. The team posted a 38-2 record in the 2024-25 season, winning 37 games by double digits. The Lakers led the nation in bench points per game and scoring margin. They also ranked among the top 10 nationally in categories such as scoring offense, field goal percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio, assists per game, turnover margin, rebound margin, scoring defense, steals per game, and three-pointers per game. The team claimed both the GLIAC regular season championship for a fourth consecutive year and the conference tournament title for the third straight year.

Head Coach Mike Williams will return with several key players this season. Nicole Kamin, a First-Team All-Conference and GLIAC All-Defensive Team selection, averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last year, along with a team-high 101 steals and 91 assists. Starting guard Molly Anderson will also return after contributing 79 assists and 39 steals last season. Other returning players include key reserves Paige Vanstee, MacKenzie Bisballe, Lexi Plitzuweit, and Avery Zeinstra. Vanstee was named Midwest Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player after averaging over eight points and four rebounds in just 16 minutes per game. Bisballe earned Freshman of the Year honors in the league, was named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team, and was the team's second-leading scorer with 10.3 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds and a team-high 55 blocks.

The Lakers will also add six freshmen to the roster this year. Three players are set to return from injury, while four redshirts will join the rotation this winter.

The full results of the 2025-26 GLIAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll are as follows: Grand Valley State (100 points), Northern Michigan (87), Ferris State (84), Parkside (72), Wayne State (66), Michigan Tech (48), Saginaw Valley State (46), Roosevelt (43), Davenport (25), Lake Superior State (21), and Purdue Northwest (13).