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DAVIS, Calif. — Coming off its third consecutive Big West Conference regular season title, a league tournament crown, and an NCAA Tournament berth, the UC Davis women's basketball team was picked to repeat as conference champions by the media and selected second according to a vote of the league's head coaches in a pair of preseason polls released on Wednesday afternoon.

Season ticket plans for this year's campaign are now on sale, starting as low as $75 for the 14-game home schedule at The Pavilion. Fans can purchase their seats online at UCDavisAggies.com or by contacting the UC Davis athletic ticket office at (530) 752-AGS1.

The Aggies received eight first-place votes and 113 points overall to stand atop the media poll, shading second-place UC Irvine (four first-place votes, 104 points) and third-place UC Riverside (one first-place vote, 94 points). Hawai'i picked up the final first-place vote and stands fourth with 82 points, followed by CSUN (69 points), Long Beach State (53), Cal State Fullerton (44), Cal Poly (38), and UC Santa Barbara (33).

Roles were reversed according to the head coaches as the Anteaters received six of the nine first-place votes and 77 points overall to edge UC Davis, which finished with a pair of first-place nods and 70 points. The Highlanders picked up the final first-place vote and 60 points to stand third, followed by Hawai'i (52 points), Cal Poly (35), UC Santa Barbara (34), CSUN (33), Long Beach State (29), and Cal State Fullerton (15).

Senior American studies major Nina Bessolo was one of six players selected to the preseason All-Big West team by the coaches, coming off a junior year that saw the Hayward, Calif., native earn All-Big West honorable mention honors. She averaged a career-high 9.0 ppg and 3.9 rpg, shooting just over 40 percent from the floor overall and 35 percent from beyond the arc.

Bessolo is one of three seniors for the Aggies in 2019-20, along with psychology major Sophia Song (5.7 ppg, .427 FG%) and communication major Katie Toole (2.2 ppg, .586 FG%), as UC Davis returns eight letter winners and a pair of starters off of last season's squad that finished 25-7 overall (it's third consecutive 20-win season), a school record 15-1 in the Big West, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 15 seed at Stanford for the second time in the program's history.

One of only two players to start all 32 games last season, junior cell biology major Cierra Hall is also among the returning group after pacing the Aggies on the boards at 6.3 rpg while averaging 6.7 ppg and shooting .429 from the floor in just under 25 minutes per contest. Sophomore environmental science and management major Sage Stobbart also returns to help anchor the Aggies' inside game after averaging 3.3 ppg and 4.2 rpg in her Division I debut season in 2018-19, including a 12-point long-distance shooting display in the postseason a year ago against the Cardinal.

Led by three-time Big West Coach of the Year Jennifer Gross, who has guided her alma mater to 156 wins and four trips to the postseason over the last eight years, the season gets underway with an exhibition on Sunday (Oct. 27) at 2 p.m. against Stanislaus State, followed by another tune-up against Cal State East Bay on Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. A schedule that features eight postseason qualifiers and seven teams that finished among the top 150 in the final RPI opens in earnest on the road at Montana State on Nov. 8.

2019-20 BIG WEST CONFERENCE PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. UC Irvine (6) - 77 points
2. UC DAVIS (2) - 70
3. UC Riverside (1) - 60
4. Hawai'i - 52
5. Cal Poly - 35
6. UC Santa Barbara - 34
7. CSUN - 33
8. Long Beach State - 29
9. Cal State Fullerton - 15

2019-20 BIG WEST CONFERENCE PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
1. UC DAVIS (8) - 113 points
2. UC Irvine (4) - 104
3. UC Riverside (1) - 94
4. Hawai'i (1) - 82
5. CSUN - 69
6. Long Beach State - 53
7. Cal State Fullerton - 44
8. Cal Poly - 38
9. UC Santa Barbara - 33

2019-20 PRESEASON ALL-BIG WEST TEAM - COACHES
Jordan Sanders, UC Irvine
Jannon Otto, UC Riverside
Coco Miller, UC Santa Barbara
Shanaijah Davison, Long Beach State
Marina Ewodo, UC Riverside
Nina Bessolo, UC DAVIS

2019-20 PRESEASON ALL-BIG WEST TEAM - MEDIA
Jordan Sanders, UC Irvine
Jannon Otto, UC Riverside
Shanaijah Davison, Long Beach State
Raina Perez, Cal State Fullerton
Lauren Saiki, UC Irvine
Coco Miller, UC Santa Barbara
 

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ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 15 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.

MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 women's athletics programs. Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year. All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs. Visit https://give.ucdavis.edu/ATHG/324041 for more information.