WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Marietta College women's basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Ohio Athletic Conference Preseason Poll announced Thursday (Oct. 30) morning by the conference office.
 
Last year's OAC regular season and tournament champions, Baldwin Wallace University, received eight first place votes, totaling 64 points, to receive the top spot in the poll. Ohio Northern University was second with 47 points. The University of Mount Union received the other first place vote and collected 44 points to get third place.
 
Otterbein University received 43 points in the poll to put them in fourth place. Capital University was close behind with 42 points to give them fifth place. The Pioneers garnered 39 points in the very close poll to place them sixth.
 
The bottom three includes Muskingum University (20 points), Wilmington College (15 points), and Heidelberg University with 10 points.
 
"While being picked sixth in the preseason isn't the result we hoped for, it fuels our drive to get better each day," said Marietta College head coach Jenna Andersen. "We're embracing the challenge, staying focused, and committed to proving ourselves throughout the season. We are looking to prove a lot of people wrong this year."
 
Last season the Pioneers went 15-11 overall and 9-9 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, giving them the number five seed in the OAC tournament. Marietta was then knocked off by Capital in the quarterfinal round to end the season.
 
Marietta opens the season at home against Bethany College on Saturday (Nov. 8) with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
 
The complete poll is below. First-place votes are in parenthesis.
 
OAC Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. Baldwin Wallace (8) — 64
2. Ohio Northern — 47
3. Mount Union (1) — 44
4. Otterbein — 43
5. Capital — 42
6. Marietta — 39
7. Muskingum — 20
8. Wilmington — 15
9. Heidelberg — 10