Women's Basketball Slotted Third in GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
WINTHROP, Mass. — The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's basketball team was selected to finish third in the 2025-26 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced Thursday by the league office. The Blue Jays also earned two first-place votes. The annual poll is voted on by the conference's 13 head coaches.
USJ is set to open its 2025-26 season against Westfield State University on Friday, Nov. 14, during the opening day of the Gordon Classic.
Saint Joseph's College of Maine, last season's runner-up, was picked to win the GNAC in 2025-26, receiving 160 total points and six of 13 possible first-place votes. Emmanuel College followed in second place with 146 points and five first-place tallies, while USJ, the reigning GNAC champion, placed third with 144 points and the final two first-place votes. Albertus Magnus College (134) and Rivier University (120) rounded out the top five.
Regis College and Lasell University tied for sixth, followed by Norwich University and New England College. Colby-Sawyer College and Elms College tied for 10th, while Dean College and Mitchell College completed the poll in that order.
The Blue Jays are coming off a historic 2024-25 campaign, in which they captured the program's second-ever GNAC Championship. After finishing the regular season 16-9 overall and 11-3 in conference play, USJ entered the GNAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Blue Jays advanced to their second straight GNAC Championship Game after upsetting top-seeded Johnson & Wales University, 89-73, in the semifinals, before defeating second-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine, 66-59, to claim their first conference title since 1998.
2025-26 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| 1. | Saint Joseph's (Maine) | 160 (6) |
| 2. | Emmanuel | 146 (5) |
| 3. | Saint Joseph (Conn.) | 144 (2) |
| 4. | Albertus Magnus | 134 |
| 5. | Rivier | 120 |
| T-6. | Regis | 85 |
| T-6. | Lasell | 85 |
| 8. | Norwich | 74 |
| 9. | New England College | 66 |
| T-10. | Colby-Sawyer | 61 |
| T-10. | Elms | 61 |
| 12. | Dean | 30 |
| 13. | Mitchell | 17 |
About the GNAC
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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