Morningside is ranked second in the nation in the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Pre-Season Poll.

Morningside is ranked second in the nation in the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Pre-Season Top 25 Poll released on October 28.

The Mustangs return 13 letter winners, including three starters, from a team that posted a 29-7 record last season and reached the quarterfinals of the NAIA Division II National Tournament, where they dropped an 82-71 verdict against Cardinal Stritch University. Morningside was one of four teams to share last year’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season championship with a 16-4 league record.

Morningside won NAIA Division II National Championships in 2004, 2005, and 2009. Morningside has posted 11 consecutive 20-win seasons and has made 12 consecutive appearances in the NAIA Division II National Tournament.

Morningside is one of four teams from the GPAC ranked in the NAIA Pre-Season Top 25. Hastings College is ranked fifth, Concordia University is ninth, and Northwestern College is 15th.

The Mustangs will open the 2014-15 season on Thursday with an 8 p.m. game against AIB College of Business.

Click here for the complete NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Pre-Season Poll.