CORVALLIS, Ore. – For the third straight season, Oregon Tech was picked to finish second in the Cascade Conference preseason Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll, announced by the league office.
 
The Lady Owls, coming off their third-straight trip to the NAIA Tournament,  received 101 voter points and a pair of first-place tallies from the 11 CCC coaches. Tech returns CCC Player of the Year, Tatum Schmerbach, 2-time All-CCC post, Jozie Ramos, and starters Ayla Marsten and Kendall Fealey. The squad welcomes back 2-time All-CCC guard Gabbie Gascon and starting guard Brooke Anderson, who each missed last season due to injury.
 
College of Idaho (107 points) narrowly topped the Lady Owls for the top spot, as the Yotes return four starters from a NAIA Tournament team, including Freshman of the Year, Riley Beck. Defending CCC champ, Corban (100), earned three first-place nods, as the Warriors return the league's leading scorer, Jersey Huerta, but must replace three All-CCC picks. Lewis-Clark State (94) and Eastern Oregon (89) took fourth and fifth – LC having to replace talented guards Sitara Byrd and Payton Hymas, with EOU having to replace their top player, Kelsie Siegner.
 
The Lady Owls open the regular-season next weekend, traveling to Spokane for the Northwest Crossover Classic, meeting Frontier Conference foes Dakota State and Providence.
 
CCC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. College of Idaho (5)              107
2. Oregon Tech (2)                    101
3. Corban (3)                             100
4. Lewis-Clark State                  94
5. Eastern Oregon (1)                89
6. Southern Oregon                   69
7. Northwest                               49
8. Bushnell                                  47         
9. Warner Pacific                         31
10. Evergreen                              21
11. Walla Walla                            18