GRINNELL, Iowa — The Midwest Conference revealed its preseason coaches' poll for women's basketball this afternoon, and Knox College, which finished the 2024-25 season with a 15-10 record overall and a 10-6 mark in league play, was picked to finish sixth in the nine-team league. Defending champion Ripon College was picked to defend its title, receiving 62 points and seven of the nine first-place votes, while Cornell College (53 points) and Lawrence University (52) finished second and third in the poll, respectively, while each garnering a first-place vote.

Grinnell College and Illinois college tied for fourth with 39 points, while Lake Forest College (18), Monmouth College (16) and Beloit College (11) fell in line behind the Prairie Fire.

Last year, Knox's season ended in heart-breaking fashion with a loss that left the team tied for fourth place without the tiebreaker to earn a spot at the Midwest Conference Tournament. But three of the four top scorers — all of whom averaged over 12 points per game — return for first-year head coach Emily Carpenter to make a run at the league title, despite what the poll says.

Junior point guard Bria Medina (5-6, Tucson, Ariz.) is a two-time All-Midwest Conference First Team selection and was second in the league in scoring (18.2 ppg) and free throw percentage (.796), while also ranking among the top four in assists (84), steals (54) and field goal percentage (.455). The former MWC Newcomer of the Year is just 90 points away from 1,000 for her career and has scored in double figures in 50 of the 52 games in her collegiate career. 

Joining Medina in the backcourt is her cousin, senior guard Kylee Callahan (5-8, Tucson, Ariz.), a 1,000-point scorer in her own right. The 2024 All-MWC First Team performer averaged 13.3 points and 5.2 rebounds while nearly matching Medina's assist total and is just seven helpers short of the Prairie Fire's career record. Knox boasts another Tucson native in the front court in sophomore forward Nayeli Nidez Acuña (5-10) who put up stellar numbers as a rookie last year with 12.4 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game, not to mention the fourth-best free throw percentage in the league (.757).

Coach Carpenter will be looking for some help in the post, and sophomore guard Izzy Robinson (5-9, Wadsworth, Ill.) was a nice mid-season addition last year as she produced 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds over 13 games off the bench. Galesburg native and forward Carly Smith (5-11) joins the team in her senior year to provide minutes down low as well, and junior Sarah Finley (6-1, Illiopolis, Ill.) will bring her accurate touch around the basket back after recovering from a preseason injury.

Other returners looking to take on more responsibility are junior forward Kendall Lade (5-8, Kankakee, Ill.) and junior guard Emma Sineath (5-5, North Port, Fla.) who missed all of last season with an injury. Rookie guards Xiyah Yarbrough (5-4, Syracuse, Utah) and Lucy Lawrence (5-5, Lowell, Mich.) will gets their opportunties to shine quickly as well.

Knox will open the season on Friday, Nov. 7 at the Wartburg Tipoff Tournament, taking on the host school that is ranked 14th in the country in the coaches' preseason poll. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. at Levick Arena with live video and stats available through the official website of Knox College athletics, PrairieFire.Knox.edu, courtesy of Wartburg.