The Emporia State women’s basketball team has been picked as the preseason No. 3 team in the nation by the Women’s Division II Bulletin.
ESU trails only North Dakota and defending national-champion Grand Valley State in the poll. The Lady Hornets will face Grand Valley on Dec. 18 in the Travel America Classic hosted by Northern Kentucky.
St. Cloud State and West Texas A&M round out the top five.
Washburn (No. 11) is the only other MIAA team in the poll.
ESU returns four starters and 80 percent of the scoring from last year’s team, which reached the Elite Eight for the fourth time in 10 seasons.
The Lady Hornets begin practices this Sunday and open their exhibition season against Kansas State on Nov. 5.
ESU volleyball goes 1-1 in Arkansas competition
The Emporia State volleyball team split a pair of matches Friday at the Henderson State Invitational, with both coming against regionally-ranked opponents.
ESU defeated Harding 30-25, 25-30, 30-25, 30-18, before falling to No. 19 North Alabama 31-29, 33-31, 29-31, 30-17. It was the Hornets’ 11th loss to a ranked opponent.
Arica Shepard led the Hornets against Harding, registering 15 kills. Leah Griswold added 14 and Mary Walczuk contributed 10.
Shepard was even better statistically against North Alabama, racking up 20 kills and also 20 digs.
ESU (12-13) will continue play in Arkadelphia, Ark., today, facing Ark.-Monticello and Henderson State starting at 9 a.m.
ESU XC women take 5th in El Dorado Invitational
The Emporia State women’s cross country team finished fifth at the Ollie Isom Invitational in El Dorado on Friday.
The meet was a late addition to the schedule, serving as a tune-up for the MIAA Cross Country Championships next week.
Elizabeth Stutz picked up her second personal record in as many weeks, pacing the ESU runners with a 27th-place finish and a two-mile time of 13:14.41.
Jenna Boswell was right behind her, taking 29th with a time of 13:47.84. Aubrey Folk (38th), Janine Peltz (41st) and Ryan Green (42nd) rounded out the Hornet finishers.
ESU coach Dave Harris held out his top three women’s runners and also his men’s team, using the meet strictly as training for those women who were late arrivals on the team.
The Hornets begin the MIAA championships next Saturday at 10 a.m. in Bolivar, Mo.