WATERVILLE, Maine - The University of Maine at Farmington women's basketball team was picked to finish first by the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) coaches in the 2026 NAC Preseason Poll, which was announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.

The reigning NAC Champions earned the No. 3 seed last season, dismantling VTSU Lyndon in the quarterfinals and defeating Husson handily in the semifinals before upsetting top-seeded Maine Maritime Academy, 70-58, in the championship game to secure their trip to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. The conference title was the fourth in program history for the Beavers and their first since 2007.

The conference consists of just eight teams this season, with SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Delhi departing at the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year. The top six teams will once again earn a playoff berth this year, with the top two teams receiving a bye into the semifinal round.

Poll Results

1. UMaine-Farmington – 61 pts (5)
2. Maine Maritime Academy – 54 pts (1)
3. Husson University – 53 pts (2)
4. Thomas College – 37 pts
5. Vermont State University Lyndon – 35 pts
6. UMaine-Presque Isle – 19 pts
7. Vermont State University Johnson – 18 pts
8. Lesley University – 11 pts

The Team

Farmington returns a good portion of its core from last year's championship team, highlighted by reigning NAC Defensive Player of the Year and D3Hoops.com All-Region selection Jessica Dow and Second Team All-Conference standout Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine). The duo combined to average 27.8 points per game, with Pingree leading the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game, while Dow was just behind her at 12.5 points per game. Dow and Pingree are both efficient scorers who can get their points in a multitude of ways. Pingree finished the season shooting 49.3% from the floor and 71.8% from the free-throw line. She recorded nine 20-point performances, including a season-high 25 points in the NAC Championship game. Dow shot 45.5% from the floor and 72.1% from the free-throw line. She scored in double figures 19 times last season, including averaging 16.5 points per game over the final 11 games of the season.

In many ways, Farmington's defense was its best offense a season ago. On the defensive end of the floor, the Beavers are an athletic and pesky group that wreaks havoc on opponents' ballhandlers. Last year, Farmington forced 24.0 turnovers per game and averaged 23.5 points off turnovers per game. The defensive unit is led by Dow, who averaged 2.9 steals per game. Fellow senior Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine), junior guard Makayla Emerson (Bradley, Maine), and sophomore Kytana Williamson (Nobleboro, Maine) are also part of the defensive group that Farmington can deploy against opposing ballhandlers to make life difficult. Williamson finished second on the team with 53 steals, while Mayo totaled 32 and Emerson finished with 20.

Also among Farmington's returners this season are senior Audrey Mackie (South Thomaston, Maine) and sophomores Lilly Gray (Benton, Maine) and Ella Rice (Winthrop, Maine). Mackie made 23 starts last season for Farmington, averaging 7.0 points per game while shooting 34.5% from beyond the arc and leading the team with 40 three-pointers made. Gray, a 6-foot forward, had a couple of big scoring performances last season, reaching double figures six times, including a season-high 23 points against SUNY Delhi. Gray will look to help fill the void down low left by the graduation of Sarah Poli. Rice appeared in 19 games last season and will likely see an increased role as a tenacious defender off the bench.

First-years Taylor Loring (Bradley, Maine) and Kaitlyn Frost (Monmouth, Maine) highlight the Beavers' rookie class. Both are expected to see minutes right away and make immediate contributions.

Season at a Glance

Farmington kicked off its season on Friday evening on the road against Plymouth State University. The Beavers walked away with an 80-55 wire-to-wire victory. The Beavers are slated to host the University of Maine at Augusta on Tuesday evening for their 2026-27 home opener. Farmington also boasts an incredibly challenging non-conference schedule, traveling to Amherst to compete in a tournament where they will face the Mammoths and then either Springfield College or the University of New England. The Beavers will also travel to Rhode Island College for a tournament, where they will face RIC and then either No. 3 Bates College or Babson College.

UMF will open conference play at home against the University of Maine at Presque Isle on January 9. All teams in the conference will play each other twice, once at home and once on the road. Farmington will host Maine Maritime in a rematch of the NAC Championship on February 2 before traveling to Castine for the second matchup on February 20.