Coming off one of the best seasons in program history, the Hillsdale College women's basketball team is aiming to remain a contender in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference title race despite significant graduation losses.

They're expected to be a contender this year by their peers in the conference, as the Chargers were picked to finish fifth out of 13 teams in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll announced on Thursday afternoon. Four-time defending champion Ashland was picked to win a fifth straight title in the poll, with nine first place votes, but the Eagles should receive a challenge from Malone, second in the poll with two first place votes, and Northwood, third in the poll with two first place votes. Findlay was picked to finish in fourth, just slightly edging out the Chargers by five votes.

There's promise and also significant questions surrounding the Chargers, who went 21-10 to finish runner-up to the Eagles last season and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Hillsdale graduates two All-G-MAC players, three starters, and four significant rotation players from last year's squad, leaving major holes for the Chargers to fill entering the 2025-26 season.

Despite the challenges, there's several reasons to be encouraged about Hillsdale's potential in 2025-26, due to several high-quality returners. The Chargers should have one of the top post tandems in the conference in junior Savannah Smith and sophomore Ellie Bruce. Smith was one of the team's leading scorers and a tough cover at center before an injury ended her season early, and in her absence, Bruce got major playing time and developed quickly into a 6-foot-2 force at both ends as well.

On the wing, Hillsdale returns heady starter Emma Ruhlman, a leader and tone-setter for the Chargers who contributes in a variety of ways, and sharpshooter Annalise Pietrzyk, who made 50 3-pointers at a 42% clip as one of Hillsdale's top players off the bench. Redshirt junior Sydney Pnacek is another skilled offensive player who could play the 3 or the 4 for Hillsdale and make significant contributions, and Payton Adkins is a veteran guard as well.

Much of the upside for Hillsdale depends on the rapid improvement of players in the sophomore class and from the contributions of a large incoming group. On the perimeter, Sarah Aleknavicius was a strong defender as part of the rotation last year and could have a breakout year in 2025-26 as her offensive game comes along. Twins Emilia and Magdalena Sularski both got a little bit of playing time as freshmen, and will play a much bigger role this year as the team looks to fill the starting point guard role. Maddy Greene also will compete for playing time after redshirting with an injury last season. 

Hillsdale is excited about its incoming freshmen class, which brings size and athleticism and could play a significant role for the Chargers as early as this season. 6-foot-3 center Addison Kincaid has significant upside in the paint and could contribute immediately thanks to her athleticism, while Katie Graves also adds size to Hillsdale's front line at 6-foot-2. Grace McKinney was a high school sharpshooter who can play the 3 or the 4 for Hillsdale, while sisters Maddie and Emma Kate Smith were prolific scoring and playmaking guards for Alabama prep powerhouse Trinity Presbyterian who will push for early roles in the back court.

The Chargers open the 2025-26 campaign at home as Hillsdale hosts a Midwest Region Crossover event. Hillsdale plays Illinois-Springfield at 5 p.m. on Friday and also takes on Purdue Northwest at 7 p.m. the following day. You can find Hillsdale's full 2025-26 schedule here.


2025-26 Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Ashland- 154 points (9 first place votes)
2. Malone-143 points (2 first place votes)
3. Northwood- 138 points (2 first place votes)
4. Findlay- 120 points
5. Hillsdale- 115 points
6. Kentucky Wesleyan- 95 points
7. Cedarville- 91 points
8. Thomas More- 84 points
9. Ohio Dominican- 69 points
10. Walsh- 64 points
11. Ursuline- 45 points
12. Tiffin- 37 points
13. Lake Erie- 28 points