SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Yellowjacket women's basketball team was predicted to finish in a tie of first place in the 2026-27 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) preseason poll, the league announced Wednesday.
 
The Yellowjackets claimed four-of-seven first place votes and 32 points from the league's poll of head coaches. Garnering the remaining first place nods was Bethany Lutheran, who also logged 32 points.
 
Returning for the Yellowjackets in the new year is the senior trio of Hope Carlson (Duluth, Minn./Proctor), Charlotte Ferstl (Plain, Wis./River Valley) and Maddie Reott (Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton). Carlson averaged 9.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season on her way to a spot on the All-UMAC Second Team. Ferstl boasted an average of eight points, 1.3 assists and seven rebounds per game as a junior, while Reott joined Carlson on the league's second team with 8.5 points, 2.1 assists and six rebounds per game.
 
The poll resumes with Minnesota Morris in third place with 29 points. Martin Luther and Crown are neck-and-neck with 18 and 17 points, respectively, while Crown (11) and North Central (eight) round out the league in sixth and seventh place, respectively.
 
The Yellowjackets commence the new year Friday, Nov. 6 where they travel to Lawrence. The opening tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Appleton, Wis.