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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Voters Expect BGSU 3-Peat
October 25, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 25, 2006
By MAUREEN FULTON, Blade Sports Writer -
CLEVELAND - Ali Mann appreciated the smiles and handshakes. She enjoyed hearing about how well everybody's practices were going and how good everyone's freshmen are.
At yesterday's Mid-American Conference women's basketball media day at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, Mann and the rest of the Bowling Green State University contingent received what will likely be their last well-wishes of the season from around the league.
"Everyone's nice to everyone at MAC media day," said Mann, a first-team All-MAC player last season. "But the rivalries in this room - it's not just one team. It used to be Bowling Green-Toledo, but it is Bowling Green-everybody now. We get everyone's best effort."
The Falcons, two-time defending MAC champions who went undefeated in the league last year, were picked for a three-peat in a preseason poll released yesterday.
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MAC WOMEN'S POLL
MAC Media vote (first-place votes in parentheses): WEST DIVISION 1. Eastern Michigan (21) - 214 2. Western Michigan (8) - 188 3. Ball State (6) - 157 4. Northern Illinois (6) - 142 5. Toledo - 94 6. Central Michigan - 66
EAST DIVISION 1. Bowling Green (40) - 245 2. Kent State (1) - 193 3. Miami - 136 4. Ohio - 115 5. Buffalo - 112 6. Akron - 60 MAC Tournament champion: Bowling Green (36), Kent State (2), Western Michigan (2), Toledo (1).
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"Polls are reflective of how you did last year," BGSU coach Curt Miller said. "Considering we have all our starters back and nine veterans, it wasn't unexpected. But with a new year come new challenges, a new dynamic and new chemistry."
Eastern Michigan was picked to defend its West division title, receiving 21 first-place votes. The University of Toledo was picked to finish fifth in the West.
"MAC championships and NCAA tournaments, we've gotten our program to a point where we expect to do that," EMU coach Suzy Merchant said.
UT is hoping to break a string of three consecutive losing seasons. Last year the Rockets finished 11-18 and had a 4-12 last-place finish in the West. UT did reach the conference tourney semifinals, losing to BGSU.
"You can't dwell on [losses]," UT coach Mark Ehlen said. "You can just do the best job of getting your team ready and try to recruit better players. It's a great challenge for us to get our program back to where it's been."
The Rockets return three starters in Danielle Bishop, Savannah Werner, and Diana Reindl. UT has six newcomers, including three junior-college transfers, who should make the team more athletic and perhaps able to accomplish more than predicted.
"[The poll] is a tremendous motivation," Bishop said. "Ever since I've been here we've had losing seasons. This year I'm looking forward to starting over. I'm hoping to come out strong and hopefully finish strong."
Along with the most votes, BGSU had the most people at media day. Along with Miller and Mann, preseason All-MAC players Liz Honegger and Kate Achter came for the event. Achter, the only first-timer among them, took home some words of wisdom from the keynote speaker, basketball analyst Clark Kellogg.
"Like Clark Kellogg said in his speech, things play out the way they will and [polls] aren't always right," Achter said. "It's a good honor to have, but we're not looking into it too much.
"It was a good speech. I enjoyed it."
