Nov. 8, 2006

Grand Valley State's women's basketball team was picked by the head coaches of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) to win the North Division. GVSU, the reigning NCAA Division II National Champions, received all six of the first-place votes it was eligible for and tallied 36 points.

Grand Valley State returns 10 letterwinners and four starters from last year's team that tallied a school best 33-3 overall record en route to the GLIAC Championship, Great Lake Region, and NCAA Division II National Championship titles. The Lakers will be led by senior guard Erika Ryskamp who averaged 11.2 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.2 rebounds and junior guard Crystal Zick who posted 13.0 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds last season. Senior forward Julia Braseth, the NCAA DII National Championship Most Outstanding Player, tallied 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game a season ago. Grand Valley will be led by head coach Dawn Plitzuweit who has guided the Lakers to a 9631 overall and 54-18 GLIAC mark in four seasons.

Ferris State University, which finished with 29 points in the poll, placed second, just ahead of Michigan Technological University. The Huskies received one first-place vote and finished with 26 total points. Lake Superior State University tallied 21 points and finished fourth in the poll, followed by Northwood University with 16 points. Saginaw Valley State University (11 points), and Northern Michigan University (8) rounded out the field finishing sixth and seventh in the poll, respectively.

In the South Division, Ashland garnered four of five possible firstplace votes to top the poll with 24 points. Hillsdale College received one first-place nod, finishing second with 19 points. Gannon University also recorded one first-place vote, but placed third with 16 points. The University of Findlay tallied 14 points and finished fourth in the poll. Wayne State University (8 points) and Mercyhurst College (7) were picked to finish fifth and sixth, respectively.

Each of the GLIAC's 13 coaches ranked the teams in the division in which they play, but were not allowed to vote for their own team. The first-place team on the North Division ballot received six points, while the second-place team received five points, etc. The first-place team in the South Division received five points, while the second-place team received four points, etc.

Grand Valley State claimed the GLIAC title last season, defeating Ashland in the Conference Tournament finals. The 2006-07 GLIAC tournament quarterfinal games will be played on Tuesday, Feb. 27, on campus sites with the higher seeds hosting the games. The semifinals and finals will be hosted by the highest remaining seed on Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3.

GLIAC women's basketball teams open play on Wednesday, Nov. 15 with conference play beginning Wednesday, Nov. 29.