Northwestern College moved up two spots in this week’s NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball coaches’ poll released by the national office earlier today.
Ranked 17th in the preseason poll on Oct. 24, Northwestern climbed two spots to 15th in this week’s (Nov.28) poll, totaling 157 points. The Red Raiders are off to a 5-3 start to the season, 2-0 in GPAC play, with all three losses to ranked teams. This is the highest ranking for the Red Raiders since the preseason poll in 2014-15. They are one five teams from the GPAC in the top 25, joining Concordia (2), Dakota Wesleyan (6), Morningside (10) and Hastings (19).
Saint Xavier (Ill.) is the top ranked team in this week’s poll, moving up one spot and earning five of 12 possible first place votes. Concordia moved up to second, also receiving five first place votes, followed by Southeastern (Fla.), Marian (Ind.) and College of the Ozarks (Mo.). Marian, the defending champion, held down the top spot in the preseason poll.
Northwestern will head to No.10 Morningside on Wednesday night for a GPAC showdown between ranked teams.
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1ST PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 2 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) [5] | 6-0 | 306 |
| 2 | 3 | Concordia (Neb.) [5] | 7-0 | 305 |
| 3 | 4 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 9-0 | 288 |
| 4 | 1 | Marian (Ind.) [2] | 10-1 | 280 |
| 4 | 6 | College of the Ozarks (Mo.) | 9-0 | 280 |
| 6 | 8 | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | 7-1 | 261 |
| 7 | 5 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 5-2 | 242 |
| 8 | 9 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 8-2 | 232 |
| 8 | 7 | Eastern Oregon | 6-2 | 232 |
| 10 | 10 | Morningside (Iowa) | 8-2 | 228 |
| 11 | 14 | Indiana Tech | 9-1 | 224 |
| 12 | 15 | Southern Oregon | 7-0 | 197 |
| 13 | 13 | Indiana East | 7-2 | 196 |
| 14 | 12 | Tabor (Kan.) | 5-2 | 182 |
| 15 | 17 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 5-3 | 157 |
| 16 | NR | Mayville State (N.D.) | 6-1 | 151 |
| 17 | 21 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 6-2 | 137 |
| 18 | 19 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 6-1 | 133 |
| 19 | 20 | Hastings (Neb.) | 6-1 | 127 |
| 20 | 23 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 6-3 | 119 |
| 21 | 16 | Friends (Kan.) | 5-3 | 118 |
| 22 | 11 | Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) | 4-3 | 104 |
| 23 | NR | Indiana Wesleyan | 7-2 | 96 |
| 24 | NR | Lawrence Tech (Mich.) | 7-1 | 92 |
| 25 | NR | Northwest Christian (Ore.) | 7-0 | 72 |
Dropped From Top 25: UC Merced, Indiana Northwest, Siena Heights (Mich.), Milligan (Tenn.)
Others Receiving Votes: Valley City State (N.D.) 67; Point (Ga.) 27; Ave Maria (Fla.) 27; Taylor (Ind.) 26; Trinity Christian (Ill.) 22; Concordia (Mich.) 18; Oregon Tech 13; Antelope Valley (Calif.) 7; IU Kokomo 3
