SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State women's basketball team was ranked sixth in the 2020-21 GLIAC North Division Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll as announced by the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) on Thursday, Dec. 17.
The Lakers received 11 points in the poll to put them behind first place Ferris State (53), Michigan Tech (47), Northern Michigan (41), Parkside (38) and Purdue Northwest (26).
The Lake Superior State women's basketball, led by fourth-year Head Coach Brandon Lokken, is set to open the 2021 season on Friday, Jan. 8 at Wayne State. The Lakers, who compiled an 8-19 overall record during the 2019-20 season, will look to build upon their win total this season. The Lakers have now posted eight wins in back-to-back seasons which is the most in consecutive years since the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. Last season's four conference wins were the most by the Lakers in GLIAC play since the 2015-16 season.
The Lakers graduated a strong class last season, consisting of Lexie Khon, Abby Ostman, Claire Radtke, and Morgan Villemure. As a result, this year's Laker squad will rely heavily on the team's youth to make up for those losses. With an incoming class of seven players, the Lakers will look to their juniors and seniors for the leadership that will be needed with so many new faces. Seniors Rebecca Villanueva and Taylor Bryant will both be expected to fulfill that leadership role both on and off the court.
Lake Superior State will be led by sophomore forward Mattison Rayman, who posted 245 points in her freshman season at LSSU (9.1 ppg). Rayman scored more points than any other returning Laker last season and also was the team's best rebounder last season with a team-best 217. In her sophomore season, Rayman will step into a bigger role for the Lakers, especially with the departure of Lexie Khon.
Redshirt junior guard Sadie DeWildt will also continue to be an important piece for the Lakers as she started all 27 games for the Lakers last season while leading the team in assists (66).
Five freshmen will join the Lakers this year as well as two transfers. This year's freshman class consists of guard Jozie Bontrager (Jackson, Mich.), point guard Brittany Bowman (Kingsley, Mich.), guard Abbey Krugh (Niles, Mich.), forward Hailey Voelker (Colby, Wisc.) and guard Jaden Wilder (Manton, Mich.). Margot Woughter, a sophomore guard, has joined the Lakers following a season at Indiana Wesleyan University and Carson Nitz, a junior guard, has played the past two seasons at Rock Valley College.
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