Lady Eagles enter NCAA Division II Top 25
JEFFERSON CITY – A 7-0 start to begin the season has landed the Carson-Newman women’s basketball team in the national rankings for the first time in more than two years.
The Lady Eagles check in at No. 22 in this week’s USA Today/ESPN Division II Poll, released Tuesday. C-N received 122 votes after garnering just nine a week earlier.
“Being in the top 25 is nice, but it really doesn’t amount to a whole lot,” said Carson-Newman head coach Dean Walsh. “It does give the girls a sense of accomplishment for what they have done so far.”
“I think it also helps reinforce that what we are doing as a team is the right thing. We are definitely off to a faster start than we expected.”
The Lady Eagles will travel to the No. 1 ranked team in the poll, Northern Kentucky, this weekend. The game is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Carson-Newman will also play Edinboro on Friday at 5:30 p.m. as part of the Travel America Classic, hosted by NKU.
“It will be an honor and a challenge that our kids are really looking forward to,” Walsh said of playing the top team in the country. Northern Kentucky won the Division II women’s national championship last year.
“I think it can be a good measuring stick for how much more we need to work on.”
Two other South Atlantic Conference teams are also ranked in the Top 25 – Tusculum at No. 11 and Wingate at No. 25.
