By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
After four wins against quality Division II opponents to start the year, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team was ranked No. 1 in the first regular season release of the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll, distributed Tuesday (Nov. 23) by the coaches association. It is the second time the Tigers have been ranked atop the coaches poll during the team’s DII era.
The Tigers also moved up in the latest D2SIDA Media Poll, climbing two spots to sit at No. 2. Fort Hays State was fourth in the preseason coaches poll and fourth in the most recent media poll
Fort Hays State was listed first on 14 of the 22 ballots submitted in the coaches poll this week. The Tigers totaled 522 points in the voting process, 30 more than second-ranked Lubbock Christian.
FHSU grabbed two first-place votes in the latest media poll, with the Tigers sitting 17 points behind top-ranked Alaska-Anchorage.
The Tigers were ranked atop two consecutive polls in December 2015 (12/8 and 12/15), going 4-1 in games as the top-ranked team in the country. FHSU also reached the top spot in the media poll once in January of 2019 (1/19).
Fort Hays State has been listed in the top 25 at some point during nine of the last 10 seasons, including appearances in the top five in six of the last eight campaigns. The Tigers are 115-31 all-time when ranked in the coaches poll.
Central Missouri is the only other MIAA team listed in the latest coaches poll, coming in 25th. Nebraska-Kearney and Emporia State are receiving votes, while the Lopers are also receiving votes in the media poll.
The Tigers will play their first game as the top-ranked team in the country Tuesday evening when FHSU hosts NAIA powerhouse Sterling College at 5:30 p.m. FHSU will then head out on the road to open conference play next week against Washburn (Dec. 1) and Emporia State (Dec. 4).
| WBCA DII Coaches Poll – November 23, 2021 | ||||
| Rk. | School (1st) | W-L | Pts. | Last |
| 1 | Fort Hays State (14) | 4-0 | 522 | 4 |
| 2 | Lubbock Christian (7) | 6-1 | 492 | 1 |
| 3 | Drury | 6-1 | 469 | 2 |
| 4 | North Georgia (1) | 5-0 | 454 | 6 |
| 5 | Lander | 3-1 | 436 | 3 |
| 6 | Ashland | 3-0 | 425 | 8 |
| 7 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 3-0 | 422 | 10 |
| 8 | Gannon | 2-0 | 378 | 9 |
| 9 | Alaska Anchorage | 3-0 | 361 | 12 |
| 10 | Glenville State | 3-0 | 330 | 14 |
| 11 | Azusa Pacific | 4-1 | 283 | 5 |
| 12 | Indiana, Pa. | 4-0 | 183 | 29 |
| 13 | Western Washington | 3-0 | 180 | 31 |
| 14t. | Minnesota Duluth | 2-1 | 176 | 18 |
| 14t. | Tampa | 5-2 | 176 | 11 |
| 16t. | Bentley | 2-0 | 165 | 22 |
| 16t. | Union, Tenn. | 2-1 | 165 | 19 |
| 18 | Grand Valley State | 3-0 | 163 | 34 |
| 19 | Carson-Newman | 3-1 | 145 | 21 |
| 20 | Lee, Tenn. | 4-0 | 138 | 37 |
| 21 | Barton | 3-0 | 111 | 33 |
| 22 | Tuskegee | 2-0 | 101 | 32 |
| 23 | Valdosta State | 2-1 | 94 | 15 |
| 24 | Colorado Mines | 3-1 | 75 | 23 |
| 25 | Central Missouri | 3-3 | 72 | 6 |
| D2SIDA Media Poll – November 23, 2021 | ||||
| Rk. | School (1st) | W-L | Pts. | Last |
| 1 | Alaska-Anchorage (10) | 3-0 | 381 | 2 |
| 2 | Fort Hays State (2) | 4-0 | 364 | 4 |
| 3 | Drury (1) | 6-1 | 361 | 3 |
| 4 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 3-0 | 343 | 6 |
| 5 | Lander (1) | 3-1 | 324 | 1 |
| 6 | Lubbock Christian | 6-1 | 320 | 10 |
| 7 | North Georgia (1) | 5-0 | 314 | 5 |
| 8 | Lee (1) | 4-0 | 278 | 12 |
| 9 | Ashland | 3-0 | 275 | 11 |
| 10 | Gannon | 2-0 | 269 | 13 |
| 11 | Indiana (Pa.) | 4-0 | 239 | 9 |
| 12 | Bentley | 2-0 | 199 | RV |
| 13 | Western Washington | 3-0 | 191 | RV |
| 14 | Catawba | 4-0 | 184 | 20 |
| 15 | Colorado Mesa | 3-0 | 152 | 24t |
| 16 | Southwestern Oklahoma State | 3-2 | 150 | 21t |
| 17 | Grand Valley State | 3-0 | 131 | RV |
| 18 | Glenville State | 3-0 | 129 | 23 |
| 19 | Azusa Pacific | 4-1 | 112 | 7 |
| 20 | Tampa | 5-2 | 103 | 24t |
| 21 | Minnesota-Duluth | 2-1 | 83 | 15 |
| 22 | Colorado School of Mines | 3-1 | 70 | 8 |
| 23 | USciences | 2-0 | 61 | RV |
| 24 | Union (Tenn.) | 2-1 | 37 | NR |
| 25 | Dominican (N.Y.) | 5-0 | 33 | NR |