ORU Athletics
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Oral Roberts women’s basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the Summit League Preseason Poll and senior Keni Jo Lippe was named to the Preseason All-Summit League First Team.
Lippe was named to the Preseason All-Summit League First Team for the first time in her career. She finished last season averaging 18.5 points, 8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
South Dakota, the 2019-20 regular season and tournament champion, topped the poll for the second-consecutive year after tallying 587 points. The Coyotes received 25 of the 36 first-place votes, while the remaining 11 went to in-state rival South Dakota State, who held down the second spot (566 points; 11 first-place votes).
Sjerven averaged 12.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg to go with a league-leading 58.1 percent clip from the field last season. Joining her on the Preseason All-Summit League First team were teammate Chloe Lamb, Oral Roberts guard Keni Jo Lippe, Omaha forward Mariah Murdie and South Dakota State forwards Paiton Burckhard and Myah Selland.
The Preseason All-Summit League Second Team is made up of the South Dakota State forward duo of Tylee Irwin and Tori Nelson, South Dakota guard Monica Arens, North Dakota forward Julia Fleecs and Western Illinois forward Evan Zars.
Points for the preseason poll were compiled on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, while all-league teams were compiled on an 11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. The top six vote-getters earned first-team honors and the next five were selected to the second team. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes or team.
2020-21 Women’s Basketball Postseason Awards
2020-21 Preseason Summit League Player of the Year
Hannah Sjerven – South Dakota
Preseason All-Summit League First Team
Paiton Burckhard, South Dakota State, Jr., F (14.2 ppg/5.7 rpg/1.8 apg)
Chloe Lamb, South Dakota, Sr., G (11.2 ppg/3.3 rpg/1.5 apg)
Keni Jo Lippe, Oral Roberts, Sr., G (18.5 ppg/8.0 rpg/2.5 apg)
Mariah Murdie, Omaha, Jr., F (11.1 ppg/6.0 rpg/1.2 bpg)
Myah Selland, South Dakota State, Jr., F (13.8 ppg/5.0 rpg/3.0 apg)
Hannah Sjerven, South Dakota, Sr., F (12.2 ppg/7.3 rpg/2.0 bpg)
Preseason All-Summit League Second Team
Monica Arens, South Dakota, Sr., G (9.3 ppg/3.9 rpg/1.8 apg)
Julia Fleecs, North Dakota, Jr., F (12.2 ppg/4.8 rpg/0.7 apg)
Tylee Irwin, South Dakota State, Sr., F (8.5 ppg/5.1 rpg/2.3 apg)
Tori Nelson, South Dakota State, So., F (9.7 ppg/3.9 rpg/1.0 spg)
Evan Zars, Western Illinois, Jr., F (9.1 ppg/9.3 rpg/1.5 bpg)
*Preseason Player of the Year automatically earns a spot on first team
Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| Rank | School (1st Place Votes) | Points |
| 1. | South Dakota (25) | 587 |
| 2. | South Dakota State (11) | 566 |
| 3. | Western Illnois | 389 |
| 4. | Oral Roberts | 376 |
| 5 | North Dakota State | 371 |
| 6. | Kansas City | 323 |
| 7. | Denver | 300 |
| 8. | North Dakota | 203 |
| 9. | Omaha | 124 |