NIACC's Taylor Laabs drives to the basket during a game last season against Kirkwood.

October 26, 2017

NIACC women ranked No. 9 in preseason poll

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