University of St. Thomas Athletics
Tommies picked to finish fourth in Summit League Preseason Poll
10/6/2026 9:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – It's October, which means college basketball is right around the corner. The University of St. Thomas women's basketball team was picked the finish fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches Poll for the 2026-27 season, its highest preseason ranking since transitioning to Division I in 2021.
The Tommies received 283 votes in the Preseason Poll, which is voted on by head coaches, athletic communications professionals, and media members. North Dakota State was picked to win the conference for the second consecutive season, stunning South Dakota State and halting the Jackrabbits impressive win streak versus Summit League opponents. South Dakota State was picked to finish second, and South Dakota third.
Oral Roberts, which St. Thomas beat in the Summit League Quarterfinal last season, was selected to finish fifth, while Kansas City (sixth), Omaha (seventh) and North Dakota (eighth) round out the final three spots.
Adding to the preseason excitement, standout forward Alyssa Sand (Albany, Minn. / Albany) was selected as a member of the Preseason All-Conference team. Sand made history as the program's first Division I First Team All-Conference honoree following the 2025-26 season and was also selected to the Summit League's All-Defensive team after breaking the program's single-season record in blocks and steals.
ST. THOMAS PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTION:
Alyssa Sand (Jr.; Forward; Albany, Minn. / Albany)
- 2025-26 First Team All-Summit League
- 2025-26 All-Defensive Team
- 2025-26 Summit League Academic Honor Roll member
- 2024-25 Summit League All-Freshman Team
- First player in the DI era named First Team All-Summit League and All-Defensive Team
- Led the Summit League in steals and steals/game
- Averaged a team best 14.1 points per game vs. Summit League opponents
- Shot .503 from the floor in conference play and added 1.1 blocks/game
- Ranked top-100 in the nation in steals, steals/game, blocks, blocks/game, rebounds, and field goal percentage
THE PEARSON FILE
The 2026-27 season also marks a new chapter for the Tommies under the leadership of Mandy Pearson, who takes the helm as head coach for her first season. Pearson was appointed the fifth head coach in the program's history in March after a successful tenure at Minnesota-Duluth.
UP NEXT
The Tommies will kick off their season on Monday, November 2, against Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT.
