GREAT FALLS, Mont. – In the first national poll of the season of the 2020-21 season, the University of Providence women's basketball team was ranked 25^th nationally.

The Argos, who haven't played a game so far this season, are one of two Frontier Conference teams that made the Top 25 in this poll; Carroll (5-0) was ranked #6. Rocky Mountain College received votes, but ultimately weren't ranked. The Argos weren't ranked in the preseason poll that kicked off the season.

"I'm glad to see us in the Top 25," head coach Bill Himmelberg said. "I think we deserve it. I'm happy for our kids. This shows that we get a lot of respect around the country."

All-Americans Parker Esary and Emilee Maldonado lead a team with high expectations for the upcoming season. The team is coming off a 21-12 season, including winning three games on the road to win the Frontier Conference Tournament Championship. They were awarded a 6-seed in the NAIA National Tournament before the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have a lot of great players returning from last year and what we accomplished last year plays a big part in the ranking," Himmelberg said. "We feel like we have a lot of momentum. We talk about controlling what we can control and let the rest work itself out."

The Argos returned to campus this week to begin practicing for the upcoming season. Their first game will be on the road against Montana Tech on Jan. 4. The first home game will be Jan. 9 against Carroll, although the Frontier Conference announced last week that they would extend their no fans policy for the foreseeable future.

If you'd like to be a "Fan in the Stand", please reach out to assistant athletic director Jim Sargent at jimmy.sargent@uprovidence.edu or by calling 406-791-5208.

You can watch all Argo games online at www.upargos.com.