Cal Poly Women’s Basketball will tipoff the 2020-21 season in an away game at the No. 2-ranked Stanford Cardinal on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
The Mustangs will look to pick up where they left off eight months ago, recording two upset wins in the Big West Conference Tournament before the competition was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Senior forward Sierra Campisano and sophomore guard Abbey Ellis each received Preseason All-Conference Team honors, each ahead of their second season with Cal Poly. Campisano averaged 17.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 2019-20, second and fourth in the conference respectively, and Ellis recorded 15.6 points and 4.6 assists per contest.
Cal Poly is also returning senior guard Malia Holt, who trailed only Ellis and Campisano in minutes on the team last season, and sophomore guard Maddie Willett who missed the entire 2019-20 season due to hip surgery. Willett made the Big West All-Freshman team two seasons ago, ranking ninth in the conference in three-point percentage at 34.2%.
The Mustangs were voted fourth in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, and fifth in the Big West Preseason Media Poll.
Stanford is ranked as the No. 2 team in the country ahead of Wednesday’s game, their highest ranking in preseason since 2009-10. The team is returning their top three per-game scorers from last year in guards Kiana Williams, Lexie Hull and Haley Jones. Williams was an All-American honorable mention as a junior last season, averaging 15.0 points per game and leading the team in six different categories (minutes, points, assists, field goals made, three-point field goals made and free-throw percentage).
Stanford leads the all-time series 7-1, with Cal Poly’s one victory coming in 1978.
The game is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. inside Maples Pavilion.