Northwestern opens the 2018-19 season ranked in the top 10 in the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Coaches’ poll released Tuesday by the national office.
The Red Raiders, coming off a 2017-18 season where they lost in the national semifinals and finished 25-9, are eighth in the initial poll of the season. They are one of three GPAC teams in the top 10 (Concordia-1, Dakota Wesleyan-2) and one of six conference teams in the top 25 (Morningside-11, Hastings-13, Jamestown-T16).
Concordia holds down the top spot in the preseason poll, earning 10 of the 12 possible first place votes. Last year’s national champion, Dakota Wesleyan, is second, followed by Southeastern (Fla.), Saint Xavier (Ill.) and Marian (Ind.).
Northwestern, under the direction of head coach Chris Yaw, returns three starters and seven letter winners off last year’s team. The Red Raiders open the season at Dakota State on Thursday, Oct. 25.
2018-19 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll (Oct. 23)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | TEAM (FIRST-PLACE VOTES) | 2017-2018 RECORD | POINTS |
| 1 | 2 | Concordia (Neb.) (10) | 36-2 | 311 |
| 2 | 7 | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) (1) | 32-6 | 295 |
| 3 | 1 | Southeastern (Fla.) (1) | 31-1 | 290 |
| 4 | 4 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 32-3 | 277 |
| 4 | 5 | Marian (Ind.) | 32-3 | 277 |
| 6 | 3 | College of the Ozarks (Mo.) | 31-2 | 268 |
| 7 | 6 | Eastern Oregon | 31-3 | 243 |
| 8 | 11 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 25-9 | 240 |
| 9 | 9 | Indiana Tech | 30-5 | 220 |
| 9 | 19 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 22-10 | 220 |
| 11 | 13 | Morningside (Iowa) | 22-12 | 212 |
| 12 | 10 | Southern Oregon | 28-5 | 203 |
| 13 | 12 | Hastings (Neb.) | 26-7 | 195 |
| 14 | NR | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 17-14 | 183 |
| 15 | 17 | Indiana Wesleyan | 25-9 | 156 |
| 16 | 14 | Valley City State (N.D.) | 25-5 | 150 |
| 16 | 8 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 31-5 | 150 |
| 18 | 16 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 23-10 | 138 |
| 19 | 15 | Taylor (Ind.) | 24-11 | 136 |
| 20 | RV | Tabor (Kan.) | 18-14 | 123 |
| 21 | 21 | Lawrence Tech (Mich.) | 25-7 | 121 |
| 22 | RV | Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) | 19-10 | 95 |
| 23 | 23 | Bryan (Tenn.) | 25-10 | 85 |
| 24 | 20 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 30-4 | 67 |
| 25 | 24 | Antelope Valley (Calif.) | 22-7 | 58 |
* Last week refers to the final regular-season poll of the 2017-2018 season. Beginning last year, there is no longer a postseason coaches’ poll.
Others receiving votes: Oregon Tech 55, Bethany (Kan.) 47, Reinhardt (Ga.) 28, Aquinas (Mich.) 28, Bellevue (Neb.) 18, Oklahoma Wesleyan 14, St. Thomas (Fla.) 12, IU East (Ind.) 7, UC Merced (Calif.) 6, Huntington (Ind.) 5, Northwest Christian (Ore.) 4, Rochester (Mich.) 4, Indiana Northwest 3
