MADISON, S.D. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team has been picked to finish sixth in the nine-team North Star Athletic Association Preseason Coaches' Poll as announced by the conference office.

The Bruins earned 33 points in the poll in what can be viewed as a sign of respect that the league's coaches have for the crop of players assembled by first year Head Coach Dave Denly.

Defending NSAA regular-season and tournament champion University of Jamestown topped the poll with 79 points and seven first place votes. Dickinson State, an NAIA National Tournament qualifier in 2015-16, secured 70 points and the other two first place votes.

Valley City State (65 points), Mayville State (41), and Dakota State rounded out the top five positions in the poll. Following Bellevue, in seventh, eighth, and ninth position were Presentation (26), Viterbo (19), and Waldorf (16), respectively.

Points are awarded on a 9-1 basis (9 for first, 8 for second, etc.) and coaches could not vote for their own team.

Each NSAA member will be playing a total of 16 conference games this season, with each team playing home and away against every school during the conference slate.

The conference season gets underway on Friday, Dec. 2. Bellevue plays their first-ever NSAA game at Viterbo at 5:30 p.m.

The North Star Women's Basketball Postseason Tournament Champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Tournament to be held in Sioux City, Iowa. The National Tournament takes place from Mar. 8-14.

Coach Denly is tasked with leading a group of 12 players, including eight junior college transfers. Early on Denly is likely to look to juniors Sierra Roberts (Overland Park, Kan.) and Caletria Curtis (Denham Springs, La.) to set the tone for the Bruins. Roberts played two seasons at Kansas City (Kan.) Community College where she averaged 11.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game en route to leading the Blue Devils to an NJCAA Division II National Championship last season. Curtis, meanwhile, averaged 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in her two-year career at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College.

Bruins fans will notice a pair of familiar faces on the roster as former Bruin volleyball All-American graduate student Beth Walker (Dubuque, Iowa) and current women's soccer goalkeeper junior Bailey Petzoldt (Hastings, Neb.) are both part of Bellevue's inaugural roster.

Additionally, Bellevue has an Omaha-area players on the roster in freshman Elexis Martinez (Omaha, Neb.), a transfer from Northwest Missouri State.

In total, the BU roster boasts players from seven states. Juniors Shanae Collins (Sibley, La.), Taylor Cormier (Foster City, Calif.), Christen Voyles (Reno, Nev.), Alexandra Bader (Vacaville, Calif.), Ryleigh McCartney (Frontenac, Kan.), and Cassidy Hubbs (Glenpool, Okla.) make up the remainder of the 10 upper classmen on the team. Angeliece Tucker (Gardner, Kan.) is the lone true freshman on the roster.

The Bruins open their season at the Oklahoma Wesleyan Classic on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 28-29.

Bellevue fans can catch their first glimpse of the new program on Wednesday, Nov. 2 when BU hosts Grace University at 7:30 p.m. in their home-opener.

2016-17 NSAA Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

*First place votes in parentheses