NIACC women ranked No. 9 in preseason poll

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

October 26, 2017

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.