GOLDEN SUNS RECEIVE 15 VOTES IN PRESEASON
USA TODAY/ESPN DIVISION II TOP 25 COACHES' POLL

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – With the start of the 2009-10 season a little less than two weeks away, Arkansas Tech Women’s Basketball received 15 votes in the Preseason USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll that was released on Wednesday.

Tech was 22nd among the 45 teams that received votes in the preseason poll.

The USA Today/ESPN WBCA Coaches’ Poll is voted on weekly by a panel of 30 head coaches at NCAA Division II institutions and all the coaches are members of the WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association). This season, Tech Head Coach Dave Wilbers is a voter in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll.

Tech, who returns two starters, including senior guard Ashley Chisum (Benton, Ark.), the team’s only three-year letterwinner, and three letterwinners from last season’s 19-9 team, was one of two Gulf South Conference schools mentioned in this year’s preseason poll and one of three schools ranked from the South Region.

The Golden Suns are one of six Gulf South Conference schools mentioned in the Preseason poll as four-time defending GSC Champion Delta State (30-7 last season) opens the 2009-10 season ranked fourth. In addition to Tech, Valdosta State (75 votes), Ouachita Baptist (32 votes), Arkansas-Monticello (12 votes) and West Georgia (4 votes) all received votes in the Preseason WBCA poll.

Michigan Tech (27-7 last season) opens the season as the top-ranked team as the Huskies earned 563 points and 12 first place votes. Franklin Pierce (29-6 last season), the defending D-II National Runners-up, is ranked second as they earned 552 points and three first place votes and California [PA] (29-5 last season) is ranked third. Delta State is fourth as they earned a first place and the Lady Statesmen are followed by Fort Lewis College (28-3 last season) at No. 5. Fort Lewis earned two first place votes.

The next five begins with Minnesota State-Mankato (32-2 last season) at No. 6 as they earned the final eight first place votes. Following MSU-Mankato is Emporia State (26-6 last season) at No. 7 and Alaska-Anchorage (31-4 last season) at No. 8. Stonehill (22-8 last season) is ranked ninth and West Texas A&M (28-6 last season) rounds out the Top 10 at No. 10.

Indianapolis (24-10 last season) headlines the next 10 at No. 11 and they are followed by Central Oklahoma (23-5 last season) at No. 12 and Clayton State (26-7 last season) at No. 13. UC-San Diego (27-5 last season) is ranked 14th and they are followed by Northern Kentucky (29-3 last season) at No. 15 and Seattle Pacific (23-4 last season) at No. 16. Holy Family [PA] (26-6 last season) is at No. 17, while Washburn (27-5 last season) is ranked 18th, Gannon [PA] (30-4 last season) is at No. 19 and Lenoir-Rhyne (27-5 last season) rounds out the Top 20 at No. 20.

The final five of the preseason poll begins with Indiana [PA] (26-6 last season) at No. 21 and they are followed by Tama [FL] (26-6 last season) at No. 22 and Hillsdale (27-4 last season) at No. 23. Quincy [IL] (27-5) is at No. 24 and Grand Valley State (20-10 last season) rounds out the poll at No. 25.

Tech will open its two-game exhibition slate on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Missouri Stateat 7 p.m. and then will play an exhibition game at home on Nov. 14 against the University of Ozarks at 2 p.m. The Golden Suns, the fourth all-time winningest NCAA Division II women’s basketball program with 788 victories, opens its 32nd season of competition on Monday, Nov. 16 at home against Central Baptist. Tip-off for the season opener is set for 5:30 p.m. at Tucker Coliseum.       

USA TODAY ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll

Preseason Poll: November 4, 2009

USA TODAY ESPN Division II Top 25 women's basketball poll, with first-place votes to the right, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th.

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.

 -- Tech Athletics --