Ashland University's women's basketball team has climbed all the way back to where it started 2024-25 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II Coaches Poll, as AU is tied for No. 5 in the latest edition of the poll, released on Tuesday (March 4) afternoon.
 
The Eagles, winners of a fourth consecutive Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season title, will look to win a fourth straight Great Midwest Tournament title, starting with a quarterfinal at home on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. vs. Thomas More.
 
Ashland is 27-3 and has won 21 games in a row and 27 consecutively at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, and the Saints are 11-17.
 
The latest WBCA ranking is the 189^th in which the Eagles have been in the Top 25, the 160^th in the Top 10, the 126^th in the Top 5, and the 69^th in a row as a ranked squad. AU is 354-23 (.939) all-time as a Division II ranked team.
 
As of Monday (March 3), Ashland is No. 2 in D-II in scoring defense (49.8 ppg. allowed), fourth in scoring margin (plus-20.4 ppg.), tied for sixth in field-goal percentage (46.3), and 10^th in rebounding margin (plus-9.1 rpg.). Individually, senior forward Hayley Smith is tied for 10^th in the nation in double-doubles with 15.
 
2024-25 ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WBCA COACHES POLL RANKINGS: No. 5 (preseason), No. 7 (Nov. 19), No. 14 (Nov. 26), No. 10 (Dec. 3), No. 20 (Dec. 10), No. 21 (Dec. 17), No. 19 (Dec. 31), No. 15 (Jan. 7), No. 14 (Jan. 14), No. 12 (Jan. 21), No. 11 (Jan. 28), No. 10 (Feb. 4), No. 8 (Feb. 11 and Feb. 19), No. 7 (Feb. 25), No. T-5 (March 4).