Wayland Baptist is slotted No. 5 in the NAIA Division Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
The Flying Queens, who open the season Nov. 1 in Missouri against Central Methodist, are joined in the top five by Sooner Athletic Conference rival Oklahoma City, which is ranked third. WBU and OCU, the defending national runner-up, tied for first in the SAC preseason rankings.
No other SAC teams are ranked, although Mid-America Christian and Science & Arts of Oklahoma received votes.
Wayland returns all but one starter off last year's squad, which went 29-6 overall and 19-3 in the conference to come in a game behind OCU. The Flying Queens went on to win the SAC Tournament, defeating OCU in the championship game, 68-62. Wayland qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the sixth straight season, falling to No. 12 Our Lady of the Lake, 96-93, in the second round.
OLLU is ranked right behind Wayland to start this season at No. 6.
Everyone returns for coach
Alesha Ellis except two-time all-American honorable mention guard
Maci Merket.
Morgan Bennett, a senior guard, was named 2
nd Team all-American after averaging 9.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.3 assists and 1.6 steals. SAC Newcomer of the Year
Kaylee Edgemon, a 5-11 junior, was second on the team at 13.0 ppg and 5.3 rpg and was named honorable mention all-American.
A pair of 6-foot seniors are back in
Deborah VanDijk and
Kambrey Blakey. Both all-conference honorable mention selections, the 6-foot VanDijk averaged 10.8 ppg and 5.3 rpg, while Blakey came in at 12.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg.
Other returners are sophomore guards
Cailyn Breckel and
Payton Brown, along with redshirt sophomore
Jolie Donaldson. Newcomers expected to play significant roles include 6-foot
Blakely Gerber, the MVP of the Class 1A state tournament for Nazareth, and sophomore
Jenna Cooper, a 5-11 transfer from Abilene Christian.
After opening on the road Nov. 1 at Central Methodist (Mo.), the Flying Queens' home-opener is set for 5 p.m. Nov. 5 against Sul Ross State.
2019-20 NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
| RANK |
LAST TIME |
SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES] |
2019 RECORD |
POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
34-3 |
217 |
| 2 |
2 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
33-3 |
207 |
| 3 |
10 |
Oklahoma City |
33-5 |
201 |
| 4 |
5 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
28-7 |
199 |
| 5 |
7 |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
29-6 |
187 |
| 6 |
12 |
Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) |
28-7 |
178 |
| 7 |
6 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
26-8 |
173 |
| 8 |
8 |
Westmont (Calif.) |
24-8 |
171 |
| 9 |
3 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
29-4 |
163 |
| 10 |
13 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
22-10 |
153 |
| 11 |
14 |
Shawnee State (Ohio) |
25-10 |
148 |
| 12 |
NR |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
20-12 |
145 |
| 13 |
16 |
Talladega (Ala.) |
28-6 |
133 |
| 14 |
10 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
25-6 |
129 |
| 15 |
17 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
23-11 |
101 |
| 16 |
15 |
Bethel (Tenn.) |
28-6 |
100 |
| 17 |
RV |
Providence (Mont.) (Mont.) |
18-14 |
99 |
| 18 |
20 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
20-13 |
95 |
| 19 |
RV |
Clarke (Iowa) |
23-12 |
94 |
| 20 |
18 |
Lyon (Ark.) |
25-8 |
89 |
| 21 |
NR |
Thomas More (Ky.) |
32-0 |
76 |
| 22 |
19 |
Menlo (Calif.) |
20-10 |
72 |
| 23 |
RV |
LSU Alexandria (La.) |
22-8 |
65 |
| 24 |
22 |
Loyola (La.) |
26-7 |
60 |
| 25 |
9 |
William Penn (Iowa) |
30-3 |
54 |
Receiving Votes: Lewis-Clark (Idaho) 49, Xavier (La.) 43, Montana Western 31, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 26, Georgetown (Ky.) 23, Science & Arts of Oklahoma 17, Pikeville (Ky.) 10, William Jessup (Calif.) 3
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