By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team is ranked in the top 10 in both preseason national polls, opening the year third in the D2SIDA Media Poll and seventh in the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll. This is the highest the Tigers have been listed in either preseason poll.
Fort Hays State is one of two MIAA programs listed in both polls, with Central Missouri opening the year 11th in the coaches poll and 15th according to the media. Emporia State is just outside the coaches top 25 and is the lone MIAA school in the receiving votes category.
The D2SIDA weekly poll also includes a regional ranking, with the Tigers opening the year ranked No. 1. FHSU received five of the six possible first-place votes in the regional standings.
This is the eighth straight season the Tigers have been recognized in the national polls, and the ninth year overall. The Tigers are 83-24 all-time when ranked in the WBCA Top 25, including a 79-23 mark under Tony Hobson. FHSU is 5-0 all-time when ranked seventh in the WBCA poll.
The Tigers have now been ranked in a preseason poll three times since joining Division II. The Tigers opened last year 12th in the coaches poll and 22nd in the media poll, while FHSU entered the 2015-16 season ranked 10th in both polls after the last run to the regional title game in 2014-15.
Fort Hays State opens exhibition play Friday (Nov. 1) against Kansas State before traveling to St. Joseph, Mo. to open the regular season on Friday, November 8 against Minnesota Duluth.
Below are the complete preseason national polls.
| WBCA DII Coaches Poll – Preseason | D2SIDA Media Poll – Preseason | ||||||||
| Team (1st) | 2018-19 Rcd. | Pts. | 2018-19 Final Rank | Rk. | Team (1st) | 2018-19 Rcd. | Pts. | 2018-19 Final Rank | |
| Drury (8) | 35-1 | 550 | 3 | 1 | Lubbock Christian (14) | 32-5 | 393 | 24 | |
| Lubbock Christian (14) | 31-6 | 538 | 1 | 2 | Drury (2) | 37-1 | 385 | 1 | |
| Grand Valley State | 29-4 | 458 | 8 | 3 | Fort Hays State | 32-2 | 359 | 3 | |
| Azusa Pacific | 28-6 | 436 | 9 | 4 | Azusa Pacific | 28-6 | 330 | RV | |
| Virginia Union | 28-3 | 404 | 13 | 5 | Virginia Union | 28-3 | 305 | 7 | |
| UC San Diego | 30-1 | 394 | 6 | 6 | Anderson | 30-3 | 294 | 5 | |
| Fort Hays State | 32-2 | 368 | 5 | 7 | UC San Diego | 30-1 | 283 | 2 | |
| Ashland | 29-3 | 333 | 11 | 8 | Grand Valley | 29-4 | 268 | 17 | |
| Indiana (Pa.) | 30-4 | 330 | 4 | 9 | Saint Anselm | 22-10 | 267 | NR | |
| Saint Anselm | 22-10 | 328 | 14 | 10 | Nova Southeastern | 21-12 | 266 | NR | |
| Central Missouri (1) | 25-7 | 295 | NR | 11 | Colorado Mesa | 27-4 | 217 | 15 | |
| West Texas A&M | 29-4 | 264 | 23 | 12 | Glenville State | 29-4 | 216 | 11 | |
| Anderson (S.C.) | 30-3 | 251 | 22 | 13 | Ashland | 29-3 | 206 | 10 | |
| Lee (Tenn.) | 25-7 | 247 | NR | 14 | Central Missouri | 25-7 | 194 | 22 | |
| Nova Southeastern | 21-12 | 228 | 16 | T15 | Florida Southern | 30-4 | 185 | 12 | |
| Alaska Anchorage | 30-3 | 225 | 7 | T15 | North Georgia | 30-5 | 185 | 20 | |
| University of the Sciences | 30-3 | 174 | 12 | 17 | West Texas A&M | 29-4 | 130 | 8 | |
| Minnesota State Moorhead | 27-7 | 172 | NR | 18 | IUP | 30-4 | 127 | 18 | |
| Le Moyne (N.Y.) | 26-6 | 151 | NR | 19 | Le Moyne | 26-6 | 122 | NR | |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State | 36-1 | 150 | 2 | 20 | Union | 27-4 | 100 | 16 | |
| Lander | 23-9 | 139 | NR | 21 | Usciences | 30-3 | 81 | 6 | |
| Glenville State | 30-3 | 133 | 25 | 22 | MSU-Moorhead | 27-7 | 68 | NR | |
| North Georgia | 30-5 | 132 | 15 | 23 | Lewis | 27-5 | 47 | 21 | |
| Angelo State | 26-6 | 98 | 19 | 24 | Cal U | 26-6 | 44 | 25 | |
| Benedict | 20-7 | 73 | NR | 25 | Bentley | 28-4 | 31 | 14 |