SPOKANE, Wash. ? For the first time in Great Northwest Athletic Conference's 8-year history, the Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team has been picked to win in the league's preseason coaches' poll, announced Wednesday by the league office.

The Seawolves received 86 points and eight of nine first-place votes in the annual poll, outdistancing defending GNAC champion Seattle Pacific (67 pts) and fellow NCAA qualifier Northwest Nazarene (65). SPU has won five of the seven GNAC titles, while UAA is seeking its first in 2008-09.

UAA, which finished runner-up with a 15-3 league record in 2007-08, is coming off a 30-5 overall mark and a trip to the NCAA Semifinals. The Seawolves return All-America senior center Rebecca Kielpinski, the two-time GNAC Player of the Year, as well as senior forward Dasha Basova and senior guards Elisha Harris and Danielle Dekel.

Third-year head coach Tim Moser will also premiere a fine recruiting class that includes Division I transfers Jackie Thiel (Sr., G, Florida Gulf Coast) and Viki Wohlers (So., C, Oregon State), plus five more transfers and three freshmen.

The Seawolves begin the 2008-09 season when they travel Oct. 31-Nov. 2 to Disney's Division II East Coast Tip-Off Classic in Orlando. UAA, ranked fifth in the preseason top 25 by Women's Division II Bulletin, will open against Columbus (Ga.) State on Friday at 10:30 a.m. ADT.

2008-09 Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rk Team (1st-place votes) 07-08 Records Pts
1. ALASKA ANCHORAGE (8)   30-5, 15-3    86
2. Seattle Pacific (1)    29-1, 18-0    67
3. Northwest Nazarene     19-9, 12-6    65
4. Western Washington     9-21, 6-12    55
5. Saint Martin's         17-11, 10-8   40
6. Montana State Billings 11-16, 8-10   37
7. Central Washington     13-13, 5-13   25
8. Western Oregon         8-19, 4-14    22
9. Alaska Fairbanks       12-14, 5-13   17
(First-place votes in parentheses. Points awarded on 10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).