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LADY HORNETS RANKED #7 IN WBCA/USA TODAY/ESPN PRESEASON POLL

November 4, 2009-The NCAA Division II Coaches agree with the D2 Bulletin that the Emporia State Lady Hornets will open the season as the #7 team in the country. The WBCA/USA Today/ESPN Preseason Coaches Top 25 was released today with ESU selected in the top preseason Top Ten for the ninth time in the last 12 seasons.

This is the 90th straight week and 160th week overall that ESU has been in the Coaches Top 25 since first appearing in the 1997-98 preseason poll. The Lady Hornets have resided in the top ten in 113 polls since 1997-98, the most of any active NCAA Division II program. This marks the 13th straight year the Lady Hornets have been nationally ranked.

The Lady Hornets have won the last two MIAA championships and have captured seven MIAA titles in the last 12 seasons. ESU has been to the NCAA Tournament 12 times in the last 13 seasons with four trips to the Elite Eight.

The Lady Hornets return four players that started at least three games on last year’s team that advanced to the NCAA Division II Regional Semifinals for the tenth time in 13 years.

First-team All-MIAA selection Cassondra Boston leads a group of three returning starters and seven letterwinners including MIAA All-Defensive Team standout Sophia Lenard. Boston was ESU's leading scorer a year ago at 14.9 points per game.

ESU will open the season on November 8 with an exhibition game against Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks were the Division I WNIT runners-up last season. The regular season will get underway with a game against Benedictine on November 17 in White Auditorium.

USA TODAY ESPN Division II Top 25

Others Receiving Votes: Francis Marion University (S.C.) - 110; Valdosta State University (Ga.) - 75; Shaw University (N.C.) - 63; Drury University (Mo.) - 56; Philadelphia University (Pa.) - 47; Bentley University (Mass.) - 41; Tusculum College (Tenn.) - 40; Fort Valley State University (Ga.) - 37; Lander University (S.C.) - 36; Ouachita Baptist University (Ark.) - 32; University of District of Columbia - 32; Millersville University of Pennsylvania - 31; Johnson C. Smith University (N.C.) - 26; Northwood University (Mich.) - 24; Concordia University, St. Paul (Minn.) - 22; American International College (Mass.) - 21; Augustana College (Ill.) - 21; Columbus State University (Ga.) - 19; Rollins College (Fla.) - 18; West Liberty State College (W. Va.) - 18; University of the Incarnate Word (Texas) - 16; Arkansas Tech University - 15; Georgia College & State University - 14; University of Arkansas- Monticello - 12; Barton College (N.C.) - 10; Carson-Newman College (Tenn.) - 7; University of New Haven (Conn.) - 7; University of South Carolina - Aiken 7; University of Wisconsin - Parkside - 6; Fairmont State University (W. Va.) - 5; Winona State University (Minn.) - 5; Dowling College (N.Y.) - 4; University of West Georgia - 4; Pittsburg State University (Kan.) - 3; Queens College (N.Y.) - 3; Seton Hill University (Pa.) - 3; Virginia State University - 3; California State Polytechnic University - Pomona - 2; Molloy College (N.Y.) - 2; Nova Southeastern University (Fla.) - 2; Wingate University (N.C.) - 2; Abilene Christian University (Texas) - 1; Bowie State University (Md.) - 1; Lewis University (Ill.) - 1; Minnesota State University, Moorhead - 1; Saint Mary's University (Texas) - 1