FHSU Athletics
LILBURN, Ga. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team moved up one spot to No. 5 in this week's the WBCA Coaches Poll, released Tuesday (Jan. 20) by the coaches organization.
Now 16-1 overall and 7-1 in MIAA play, the Tigers collected 469 points in the voting process, up from 456 one week ago. Defending national champion Grand Valley State held on to the top spot again this week, with Minnesota State slotted at No. 2. Pittsburg State is the only other MIAA team listed in the poll, with the Gorillas moving up three spots to No. 13.
The Tigers are one of only four teams to rank inside the top 10 of all 10 weekly polls released by the WBCA during the 2025-26 season. Fort Hays State has occupied seven of those top 10 spots at some point this season, ranking as high as No. 3 in weeks one and three and as low as No. 9 in the preseason.
This is the 16th time in program history that the Tigers have been ranked fifth in the DII coaches poll. FHSU is 24-4 all-time when ranked fifth. The Tigers have won more games as the fifth-ranked team in the country than any other spot in the poll (tied with No. 3 - 24-8). FHSU was last ranked fifth in the coaches poll on December 17, 2024 after its 9-0 start to the 2024-25 season.
The Tigers have now been ranked 130 times in the program's DII era, including 46 appearances in the top five and 89 appearances inside the top 10. FHSU is 201-49 all-time when ranked, 78-18 when ranked inside the top five and 147-29 when ranked inside the top 10.
Winners of nine in a row, the Tigers will play seven of their final 11 regular season games at home beginning Thursday (Jan. 22) when they host Rogers State. First tip is slated for 5:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. A win in that contest would give the Tigers their 17th double-digit winning streak in program history.
WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll - January 20, 2026
Rank - School (1st) - W-L - Points - Last Week
1 - Grand Valley State (23) - 15-0 - 575 - 1
2 - Minnesota State Mankato - 18-0 - 551 - 2
3 - Texas Woman's - 15-1 - 520 - 3
4 - Nova Southeastern - 17-0 - 496 - 4
5 - Fort Hays State - 16-1 - 469 - 6
6 - West Texas A&M - 17-1 - 455 - 7
7 - Indiana (Pa.) - 15-0 - 452 - 8
8 - Gannon - 17-2 - 387 - 5
9 - Colorado Mesa - 18-1 - 382 - 9
10 - Cal Poly Pomona - 15-1 - 351 - 11t
11 - Central Washington - 16-1 - 329 - 14
12 - Harding - 14-2 - 305 - 15
13 - Pittsburg State - 14-3 - 258 - 16
14 - Embry-Riddle - 13-2 - 249 - 17
15 - Lubbock Christian - 15-3 - 211 - 11t
16 - Northern Michigan - 15-3 - 206 - 13
17 - Miles - 15-2 - 193 - 21
18 - Coker - 13-3 - 176 - 10
19 - Ferris State - 13-3 - 168 - 22
20 - Daemen - 15-2 - 160 - 23
21 - Bentley - 11-2 - 104 - 24
22 - Winston-Salem State - 15-1 - 97 - 25
23t - Columbus State - 13-3 - 75 - 18
23t - Lincoln Memorial - 13-2 - 75 - 20
25 - Northwestern Oklahoma State - 13-3 - 69 - 19
Dropped out: None
Others receiving votes: Vanguard U. (12-2) 39; Minnesota Duluth (13-3) 34; Fairmont State (13-3) 31; Malone (13-4) 15; Missouri-St. Louis (14-2) 5