MASON CITY – The NIACC women’s basketball team is ranked No. 9 in the preseason NJCAA Divsion II poll released Thursday.
NIACC was 19-13 overall and 9-5 in the ICCAC in the 2016-17 season. The Lady Trojans advanced to the NJCAA Region XI title game for the fourth straight season before falling to eventual national champion.
It is the fourth straight season that the NIACC women have been ranked in the preseason poll. The Lady Trojans were 14th in the 2016-17 preseason poll, ninth in the 2015-16 initial poll and seventh in the first 2014-15 poll.
The Lady Trojans return four players that received all-region honors a year ago. Taylor Laabs was a first-team all-NJCAA Region XI selection, UU Longs was a second-team all-region pick and Kelsie Willert and Khalilah Holloway were both third-team all-region picks.
Kirkwood is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll and DMACC is ranked No. 15.
NIACC opens the season Nov. 3-4 in the annual Konigsmark Klassic. The Lady Trojans face No. 18 Illinois Central on Nov. 3 and Bay College on Nov. 4.
NJCAA Division II preseason poll
Kirkwood, Johnson County, Monroe CC, Kankakee, Parkland, Pima, St. Louis, Guilford Tech, NIACC, Highland, Kan., Mesa, Kalamazoo Valley, Chesapeake, Moraine Valley, DMACC, Macomb, Owens, Illinois Central, Cape Fear, North Arkansas.
RECENT HISTORY IN THE POLLS
2017-18 season
Oct. 26 – 9th
2016-17 SEASON
Dec. 20 – 17th
Dec. 13 – 16th
Dec. 6 – 9th
Oct. 25 – 14th
2015-16 SEASON
March 7 – 13th
Feb. 24 – 13th
Feb. 18 – 17th
Feb. 10 – 19th
Feb. 3 – Not ranked
Jan. 27 – Not ranked
Jan. 21 – Not ranked
Jan. 13 – Not ranked
Jan. 6 – Not ranked
Dec. 16 – 5th
Dec. 9 – 4th
Dec. 2 – 4th
Oct. 27 – 9th
2014-15 SEASON
March 4 – 5th
Feb. 25 – 6th
Feb. 18 – 6th
Feb. 11 – 5th
Feb. 4 – 8th
Jan. 28 – 8th
Jan. 22 – 9th
Jan. 14 – 10th
Jan. 7 – 7th
Dec. 17 – 2nd
Dec. 10 – 2nd
Dec. 3 – 2nd
Oct. 28 – 7th
2013-14 SEASON
Feb. 26 – 1st
Feb. 19 – 1st
Feb. 12 – 1st
Feb. 5 – 1st
Jan. 29 – 2nd
Jan. 22 – 2nd
Jan. 15 – 1st
Jan. 8 – 1st
Dec. 18 – 1st
Dec. 11 – 2nd
Dec. 4 – 3rd
Oct. 28 – Not ranked.
