ST. PAUL, Minn. - To say the University of Northwestern Women's Basketball team will look different in 2025-26 would be an understatement. The Eagles return just 4% of their minutes from last season, but are hopeful that an infusion of young talent will keep them competitive this season. In the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll that was released Wednesday, UNW was picked by the conference's coaches to finish fifth. Minnesota Morris was picked as the unanimous champion.
The full UMAC preseason poll and preview can be found
here.
One returning mainstay for Northwestern is Head Coach
Aaron Kahl, who begins his 16th season at the helm. Kahl is the winningest coach in program history with 257 wins and also holds the best winning percentage among the program's six coaches (62.4%). He is a three-time UMAC Coach of the Year and a seven-time NCCAA Regional Coach of the Year, including last season. While Kahl's Eagles do not return much experience, there will be a few familiar faces back for year two on campus.
Brenna Vogel (New Prague, Minn./Homeschool) played the most minutes of any returner from last year's squad (103), averaging 2.6 points per game and 2.0 rebounds per game in just 7.9 minutes per contest (13 games), with a 77.8 free throw percentage.
Reese Schmidt (Watertown, S.D./Florence) is the leading returning scorer at 3.1 points per game in 11 games and 61 minutes, and had the second-highest field goal percentage on the team without factoring in qualifying metrics (47.8%).
Karley Loven (Swanville, Minn./Swanville) will factor into the rotation in her second year at UNW as well after receiving a medical redshirt last season.
Joining Vogel, Schmidt and Loven will be a cast of incoming transfers and freshmen that Coach Kahl and his staff are excited to see in purple for the first time. The Eagles will begin their season on Saturday, November 8th at home against Central College.
2025-26 UMAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Place |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Minnesota Morris (6) |
36 |
| 2 |
UW-Superior |
28 |
| 3 |
Martin Luther |
24 |
| 4 |
Bethany Lutheran (1) |
23 |
| 5 |
Northwestern |
17 |
| 6 |
North Central |
10 |
| 7 |
Crown |
9 |
