BOSTON – The Vermont women's basketball team has been selected third in the 2022-23 America East Preseason Poll. Senior co-captain Emma Utterback along with junior Anna Olson have been selected to the Preseason All-Conference team. The league announced the results on Wednesday morning. Voting was conducted by the conference's head women's basketball coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team.
 
RELATED LINKS
America East Release
2022-23 Roster | 2022-23 Schedule
 
Reigning America East champion UAlbany earned the number one spot, receiving seven of the nine first place votes, and 59 points overall. Maine was voted second overall with 54 total points. The Catamounts received one first place vote and 46 overall points earning the third overall spot in the preseason poll. NJIT was selected fourth in the poll with a total of 42 points, while Binghamton, the only other team to receive a first place vote, had 39 overall points for fifth. UMass Lowell received 27 points for sixth, while UNH and Bryant each garnered 21 points for a tie for seventh. UMBC rounded out the poll receiving 15 points.
 
Utterback earned the nod for the first time on the America East Preseason All-Conference Team while Olson received the distinction for the second straight season. The Vermont duo is joined by UAlbany's pairing of Kayla Cooper and Helene Haegerstrand. Also named to the Preseason All-Conference Team were Maine guard Anne Simon and Binghamton guard Denai Bowman.
 
Last season the Catamounts finished 13-5 in conference earning them the number three spot in the America East with an overall record of 20-11. Vermont fell to eventual conference champion UAlbany in the America East Semifinals. Utterback earned All-Conference First Team recognition on the season while leading the Cats' with averages of 13.5 points 3.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest. Olson garnered All-Conference Second Team with averages of 12.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 blocks per game from the forward position.
 
2022-23 America East Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
No.        School                  Points (1^st Place Votes)
1.             UAlbany                                 59 (7)
2.             Maine                                     54 
3.             Vermont                                46 (1)
4.             NJIT                                         42
5.             Binghamton                          39 (1)
6.             UMass Lowell                        27
T-7.         New Hampshire                   21
T-7.         Bryant                                     21
9.             UMBC                                     15
 
2022-23 America East Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Name                                                      School                 Yr.           Pos.
Denai Bowman                                     Binghamton         Sr.          Guard
Kayla Cooper                                         UAlbany               Jr.           Guard
Helene Haegerstrand                          UAlbany               Sr.           Forward
Anna Olson                                            Vermont              Jr.           Forward
Anne Simon                                           Maine                  Sr.           Guard
Emma Utterback                                   Vermont             Sr.           Guard
 
CATAMOUNT CHALLENGE
The seventh annual Catamount Challenge kicks off this week and runs through Friday, October 21. Donations can be made at go.uvm.edu/gocats and all gifts will go to an Excellence Fund for a specific UVM sport program.