Women's Basketball | 10/30/2012 3:38:00 PM
October 30, 2012-The Emporia State Lady Hornets come in a t #19 in the USA Today Sports/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Divisin II Preseason Top 25. It is the 13th time in the last 15 years The Lady Hornets have been in the Coaches National Poll 205 weeks since first appearing in the 1997-98 preseason poll.
The Lady Hornets have been ranked in the top ten of the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll 140 times, the most of any current NCAA Division II school. ESU has been to 14 NCAA Tournaments, made the Regional Championship or “Sweet 16” nine times, has made five trips to the Elite Eight, three to the Final Four, two national title game appearances and won the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship.
The Lady Hornets, who were ranked #18 in the D2 Bulletin Preseason Top 25, advanced to both the MIAA Tournament and NCAA South Central Regional Tournament Championship games last season. They return three starters off of last year's 23-9 team, including two seniors that were a part of Emporia State's 2010 National Championship team as freshmen.
Senior Jocelyn Cummings was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year last season while averaging 8.5 points and 2.6 assists per game on the offensive end. She scored a career high 27 points in Emporia State's 71-65 victory over Washburn in the regional semifinals. Rachel Hanf ranks seventh on the Lady Hornet all-time list for made three-pointers entering her senior year. She was the 2010 MIAA Freshman of the Year. Sophomore Merissa Quick is the leading returning scorer and rebounder for Emporia State. She averaged 10.7 points and 6.9 rebounds a year ago and her 222 boards were the most by a Lady Hornet freshman since joining the NCAA.
The Lady Hornets have finished in the top three of the MIAA or have advanced to the MIAA Tournament Championship game in each of the last ten years and 14 of the last 15 years.
The Lady Hornets open the exhibition season on Monday, November 5 against Evangel in White Auditorium. The regular season tips off on Tuesday, November 13 against 2012 NCAA Tournament team Newman in White Auditorium. Emporia State will play ten games against teams that played in last year's NCAA Tournament.
USA TODAY Sports/ESPN Division II Preseason Top 25
Rank Institution (1st Place Votes) LY Rec Pts
1 Ashland University (Ohio) -23 2 33-2 767
2 Bentley University (Mass.) 3 31-4 726
3 Pittsburg State University (Kan.) 6 27-6 634
4 Rollins College (Fla.) 5 28-6 573
5 South Carolina - Aiken 12 27-4 535
6 Edinboro University (Pa.) 9 30-2 533
7 Metro State College (Colo.) 11 27-4 519
8 UC - San Diego 10 30-3 488
9 Shaw University (N.C.) -8 1 29-6 444
10 Clayton State University (Ga.) 13 29-4 434
11 Indianapolis (Ind.) NR 19-11 377
12 Holy Family University (Pa.) NR 26-8 312
13 Grand Canyon University (Ariz.) 18 24-4 309
14 Western Washington University NR 22-8 293
15 Gannon University (Pa.) 21 22-7 284
16 Wayne State College (Neb.) 4 32-3 275
17 Washburn University (Kan.) 14 29-5 261
18 Augustana College (S.D.) NR 24-7 256
19 Emporia State University (Kan.) 19 23-9 236
20 Lander University (S.C.) 8 24-8 229
21 Southern Connecticut State T24 25-6 156
22 Alaska - Anchorage 7 30-5 132
23 Northeastern State (Okla.) 16 25-5 131
24 Ferris State University (Mich.) NR 23-7 125
25 Wisconsin - Parkside 15 24-6 117
Others Receiving Votes: Ala.-Huntsville 116; Tarleton State 99; Fort Lewis 84; Wingate 82; IUP 67; Simon Fraser 50; Florida Southern 49; Arkansas Tech 38; Maryville-St Louis 38; Drury 33; Minn.-Duluth 23; Bloomsburg 21; Nova Southeastern 21; Limestone 20; Harding (Ark.) 19; Valdosta State 19; Chico State 18; Fairmont State 18; Dowling 14; Lenoir-Rhyne 13; Pace 12; Mich. Tech 11; West Alabama 10; Dixie State 8; Saint Mary's (Texas) 8; Ark.-Fort Smith 8; Fort Hays State 6; Concordia-St. Paul 5; Newberry 5; Mary (N.D.) 4; Central Missouri 3; Barton 1; Caldwell College (N.J.) 1; CSU - Monterey Bay 1; CSU - Pueblo 1; Fort Valley State 1; Glenville State 1; West Texas A&M 1.
MIAA Teams in bold
Central Region teams in italics
