Thief River Falls - Lofty goals and high expectations are the norm when it comes to the Northland Community & Technical College women's basketball program, and this year is no exception. The Pioneers are the defending NJCAA Division III national tournament runner-up (in 2020) – there was no Division III tournament in 2021 – and they have been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2022 national title based on the first NJCAA Division III coaches poll off the season. 

The Pioneers received all nine first place votes in the poll, which was released Oct. 18. (NJCAA preseason poll) Rock Valley (Ill.) is second and fellow MCAC program Rochester is third. Owens Community College (Ohio) is fourth in the poll and North Country (N.Y.) rounds out the top five. 

Conspicuously absent from the preseason poll is defending national champion Western Tech (La Crosse, Wis.). The Pioneers beat the Cavaliers, an MCAC southern division team, in the 2019-20 regular season, with the Cavaliers avenging the loss in the 2020 title game. The Pioneers won't have to wait long for a rematch – they are slated to play the Cavaliers Saturday as part of the GCC Classic hosted by Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, Mich. 

NJCAA Preseason Coaches Poll

Place	Name	Points	1st Place
1	Northland Community & Technical College	135	9
2	Rock Valley College	126	0
3	Rochester Community and Technical College	117	0
4	Owens Community College	108	0
5	North Country Community College	99	0
6	Dallas College - Mountain View	90	0
7	University of Connecticut at Avery Point	81	0
8	Hostos Community College	72	0
9	Anne Arundel Community College	63	0
10	Madison College	54	0
11	Nassau Community College	45	0
12	Middlesex County College	36	0
13	Onondaga Community College	27	0
14	Minnesota State Community & Technical College	18	0
15	Dallas College - Cedar Valley	9	0