KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After bursting onto the college basketball scene with a solid debut season the Bellevue University women's basketball team has earned national attention as the Bruins are receiving votes in the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, as announced by the National Office on Tuesday afternoon.
Last week Bellevue was picked to finish third in the North Star Athletic Association Preseason Coaches' Poll after a 16-15 (9-7 NSAA) inaugural season.
Bellevue returns 11 letter-winners off of last year's team including all-conference selections Caletria Curtis (11.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG) and Ryleigh McCartney (8.6 PPG, 59 3-pointers). Those two, combined with a great deal of experience among the returns, should lead an even stronger team in 2017-18.
New to the team are juniors Marylyn Mozena (volleyball), Morgan Cuffe (NIACC), Riley Galvin (NIACC), and Shayla Dean (DMACC) as well as freshman Jamie Winkler (Louisville HS).
The Bruins are one of four NSAA schools featured in the poll with heavyweight Jamestown ranked No. 9 and Mayville State and Valley City State, like Bellevue, receiving votes.
In total Bellevue plays four games against teams ranked in the Preseason Top 25; vs. #10 Morningside (Nov. 7), vs. #6 College of the Ozarks (Dec. 30), vs. #9 Jamestown (Jan. 6), and at #9 Jamestown (Feb. 9)
BU will play an additional four games against teams receiving votes; vs. Valley City State (Jan. 5), vs. Mayville State (Jan. 13), at Valley City State (Jan. 27), and at Mayville State (Feb. 10).
The Bruins open their season at the Oklahoma Wesleyan Classic on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 27-28 with games against Central Christian College of the Bible (Friday, 2 p.m.) and St. Gregory's (Saturday, 2 p.m.).
Bellevue will host Morningside in the home-opener at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
