ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell women's basketball team has been picked sixth overall in the 2017-18 Ivy League media preseason poll, as was announced today by the conference office. The media poll is made up of 17 voters - two from media covering each of the conference's eight schools and one from a national media member.
 
Penn was selected to three-peat, as the Quakers garnered 129 points and 12 first-place votes to hold off Princeton, which totaled 120 points and five first-place votes. It marks the closest margin between the top two teams in the preseason poll since 2014-15, when the Tigers and Quakers tied for first-place.

The four teams that earned spots in the inaugural Ivy League Women's Basketball Tournament were picked to return, as Harvard was selected to finish third with 98 points, followed by Brown in fourth with 87 points.

Yale was picked to place fifth with 64 points, followed by Cornell (48), Columbia (42) and Dartmouth (24).

Coming off a fourth place finish in the Ivy League standings with a record of 16-11 overall and 7-7 in the conference, the Big Red will have a new look for the 2017-18 campaign. The graduation of one of the most talented classes in program history has opened the door to a group of enthusiastic underclassmen that are eager to make their mark. Leading the way will be key reserves from a year ago – seniors Janée Dennis and Christine Ehland, as well as junior sharp-shooter Caroline Shelquist, and sophomores Samantha Widmann and Danielle Jorgenson. 
 
The Big Red opens the 2017-18 campaign with a pair of road games as it travels to Loyola and Pitt on Friday, Nov. 10 and Monday, Nov. 13, respectively. Cornell hosts Colgate in its home opener at Newman Arena on Thursday, Nov. 16.

2017-18 IVY LEAGUE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL 
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1.     Penn (12) – 129
2.     Princeton (5) – 120
3.     Harvard – 98
4.     Brown – 87
5.     Yale – 64
6.     Cornell – 48
7.     Columbia – 42
8.     Dartmouth – 24