HELENA -- Montana Tech's women's basketball team enters the 2026-27 season picked third in the Frontier Conference's preseason coaches' poll, the league office announced Monday morning. 

The defending Frontier Conference tournament champions captured 103 points and two first-place votes in the annual poll. Dakota State, last season's regular-season champion, took top honors with 117 points and eight top nods, while Rocky Mountain collected 110 points and the other two first-place votes. Montana Tech finished well ahead of fourth-place Carroll, which garnered 89 points. 

The Orediggers enjoyed historic success in 2025-26, including the team's first conference tournament title since 1983, the program's first-ever NAIA tournament victory, and a program-record 26 victories. 

Montana Tech retains the services of two all-conference players in juniors Brooke Badovinac and Halle Haber, both of whom were second-teamers a season ago. Senior point guard Avery Carlson also returns as a starter for the Orediggers. 

The team will have a chance to repeat its Frontier tournament title in front of its hometown fans as the basketball championships return to the Butte Civic Center February 27-March 1. 

The Orediggers enter 2026-27 in search of a third-straight NAIA national tournament appearance, something the program has not yet accomplished in its history. 

One more exhibition appears on the Montana Tech schedule, tomorrow's trip to MSU-Billings, before the Orediggers begin the regular season Saturday at home against Hope International at 6 p.m.

2026-27 Frontier Conference Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll
First-place votes are listed in parentheses
 

Rank	Team	Points
1		117 (8)
2		110 (2)
3		103 (2)
4		89
5		75
6		70
7		65
8		60
9		44
10		31
11		25
12		13

 

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