When Ashland University's women's basketball team finished the 2020-21 season, it was ranked No. 20 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) poll.
To begin the 2021-22 campaign, the Eagles have been slotted much higher than that.
As released on Tuesday (Nov. 2), Ashland starts the new season at No. 8. It is the same position the Eagles started at in 2019-20, when they finished 31-0 and got to the NCAA Division II postseason, but had it canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the 102
nd time the Eagles have been in the Top 10 in the D-II coaches poll, and the 122
nd time in the Top 25.
Ashland, which was selected to finish No. 2 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference preseason poll, is the highest-ranked league team in the WBCA preseason poll.
In 2020-21, Ashland finished 16-9 overall, and was the runner-up in both the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II Midwest Regional tournaments.
Over the last decade, the Eagles are 293-36 (.891), have won two NCAA Division II national titles, have been national runner-up twice, had two undefeated seasons, won a D-II-record 73 games in a row, have had six 30-win seasons, made the NCAA postseason nine times, and are 158-11 (.935) at the Sherrill Hudson Court in Kates Gymnasium.
Ashland's women will begin the 2021-22 campaign on Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. at home vs. Lindenwood.
ALL-TIME ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NCAA DIVISION II TOP 25 COACHES POLL RANKINGS
2021-22 (1) – No. 8 (preseason).
2020-21 (1) - No. 20 (March 27).
2019-20 (16) - No. 8 (preseason), No. 7 (Nov. 19), No. 6 (Nov. 26 and Dec. 3), No. 4 (Dec. 10, Dec. 17 and Jan. 7), No. 3 (Jan. 14), No. 2 (Jan. 21, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18, Feb. 25, March 3 and March 9).
2018-19 (18) - No. 2 (preseason and Nov. 20), No. 1 (Nov. 27 and Dec. 4), No. 8 (Dec. 11, Dec. 18 and Jan. 2), No. 7 (Jan. 8), No. 6 (Jan. 15), No. 5 (Jan. 22), No. 3 (Jan. 29), No. 11 (Feb. 5 and Feb. 12), No. 10 (Feb. 19), No. 7 (Feb. 26), No. 6 (March 5), No. 4 (March 11), No. 11 (April 1).
2017-18 (17) - No. 1 (preseason, Nov. 21, Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Dec. 12, Dec. 21, Jan. 3, Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 23, Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 4), No. 2 (March 24).
2016-17 (17) - No. 5 (preseason), No. 3 (Nov. 22), No. 2 (Nov. 29 and Dec. 6), No. 1 (Dec. 13, Dec. 21, Jan. 3, Jan. 10, Jan. 17, Jan. 24, Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 14, Feb. 22, Feb. 28, March 6 and March 25).
2015-16 (16) - No. 15 (preseason), No. 13 (Nov. 24 and Dec. 1), No. 12 (Dec. 8), No. 11 (Dec. 15), No. 7 (Jan. 5), No. 6 (Jan. 12), No. 4 (Jan. 19), No. 3 (Jan. 26 and Feb. 2), No. 6 (Feb. 9), No. 5 (Feb. 16), No. 6 (Feb. 23), No. 5 (March 1), No. 3 (March 8), No. 7 (April 6).
2014-15 (1) - No. 22 (March 31)
2013-14 (3) - No. 15 (preseason), No. 20 (Nov. 19), No. 23 (Nov. 26)
2012-13 (17) - No. 1 (preseason-Feb. 12), No. 3 (Feb. 19), No. 2 (Feb. 26-March 12), No. 1 (April 2)
2011-12 (12) - No. 25 (Dec. 13), No. 18 (Jan. 3), No. 15 (Jan. 10), T-No. 12 (Jan. 17), No. 9 (Jan. 24), No. 6 (Jan. 31), No. 5 (Feb. 7-21), No. 4 (Feb. 28), No. 2 (March 6 and 27).
1996-97 (2) - No. 18 (Jan. 7), No. 24 (Jan. 14)
1995-96 (1) - T-No. 23 (Jan. 16)
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