Women's Basketball October 19, 2026 Claire Gay, UMW Sports Information

Montana Western Picked Sixth in 2026-27 FC Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll

DILLON, Mont. – The Montana Western women's basketball program was tabbed sixth in the 2026 Frontier Conference Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll, the league office announced Monday.

Dakota State was selected as the preseason favorite after a 30-6 overall record and trip to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship semifinals.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. First place is worth 11 points, second place is worth 10 points, third place is worth nine points, and so on to the last place with one point.

The league will be awarded two automatic bids to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament. The regular-season champion will receive the first automatic bid. The second berth will be awarded to the Frontier Conference Tournament Champion. In the event the regular-season champion is the tournament champion, then the second berth will be awarded to the tournament's runner-up.

2026-27 Frontier Conference Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll
First-place votes are listed in parentheses

Rank	Team	Points
1	Dakota State (8)	117
2	Rocky Mountain (2)	110
3	Montana Tech (2)	103
4	Carroll	89
5	MSU-Northern	75
6	Montana Western	70
7	Providence	65
8	Valley City State	60
9	Bismarck State	44
10	Bellevue	31
11	Dickinson State	25
12	Mayville State	13

A LOOK BACK AT 2025-26
Montana Western finished 14-14 on the season and 11-11 in conference play. Season highlights include four wins over ranked or receiving-votes opponents and a trip to the Frontier Conference Tournament semifinals

2026-27 ROSTER NOTES
The Bulldogs are returning eight from the 2025-26 squad.

2025-26 Frontier Sixth Woman of the Year and Second Team All-Conference honoree Bailee Sayler is back for her junior season. She led the Bulldogs in scoring last season with 13.5 points per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from distance.

Tayva Phillips and Ava Bellach return for their senior seasons with UMW. The duo ranked fourth and fifth on the team in scoring with 7.9 and 6.5 points per game, respectively.

Mila Hawk and Maile Wilcox join Sayler in the junior class. Hawk shot 46.6 percent from the floor and 62.5 percent from beyond the arc in 2025-26 and Wilcox shot 36.8 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe.

Brooke Deyak, Kyle Pancost, and Kasey Hendren are back with the team for their sophomore season. Pancost ranked second on the team with 5.4 rebounds per game last season while Deyak finished second in three-point percentage (45.0). Hendren was sidelined in 2025-26 due to injury.

The Bulldogs bolstered their 2026 squad with seven newcomers. Transfers Maddie Kaufman (sophomore) and Silivia Fonongaloa (junior) bring physicality and toughness while freshman Ava Blair, Reese Gustin, Kendyl Meinhold, Madeline Moline, and Marisa Snider add depth and versatility.

COACHES CORNER
Head Coach Ryan Sullivan returns for his second year in charge of the women's basketball program. Wes Knox also returns as assistant coach alongside first-year assistant Kiera Cox.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Bulldogs tipoff the 2026-27 season with three games this week. First, they welcome Hope International Thursday (10/22) at 6 p.m. Then, they head to Spokane, Wash., to take part in the Northwest Crossover Classic where they will faceoff against Evergreen State (10/24, 5 p.m. MT) and LC State (10/25, 7 p.m. MT).

For complete coverage of UMW Women's Basketball, be sure to follow us on social media at @umw_wbb (Instagram), @umw_wbb (X), and @Montana Western Women's Basketball (Facebook) or visit our official website at UMWBulldogs.com.

#GOBULLDOGS!

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