FHSU Sports Information Department
The final WBCA Division II Rankings for the 2015-16 season have been released and Fort Hays State finishes at No. 24 in the nation. Fort Hays State was a part of every WBCA Poll this season, which included a 13-consecutive poll stay in the top 10 of the rankings this year. The Tigers earned their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, finishing in a tie for second in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State started the season at No. 10 in the nation in the WBCA Preseason Poll. The Tigers began their climb immediately in the poll by moving up to No. 7 in the first regular season poll and then No. 5 the following week. With a win over No. 1 ranked Emporia State on December 5, the Tigers vaulted all the way to No. 1 in the nation for the first time in program history at the NCAA level.
The Tigers enjoyed a stay at No. 1 for a month until their first loss of the season pushed them down to No. 3 in the nation on January 5. The Tigers held steady at the No. 3 ranking for three consecutive weeks before sliding back a bit more to No. 7 for two straight weeks. The Tigers bounced back and forth for a few weeks, moving up to No. 5, falling back to No. 10, and then moving back up to No. 9. The Tigers fell out of the top 10 for the first time on March 1, holding the No. 12 ranking. Following the MIAA Tournament, the Tigers slid a bit more to No. 16 and then after a loss in the NCAA Tournament, dropped to No. 24 in the final poll of the season.
The Central Region of the NCAA Tournament was stacked once again this year. Six of the eight teams that played in the regional entered the tournament ranked inside the top 20 nationally. A No. 16 ranked Fort Hays State team had to play No. 7 ranked Winona State in the opening round of the tournament. Another first round game pitted the No. 10 and No. 12 ranked teams against each other. All six teams are in the final poll with regional champion Pittsburg State at No. 6, Winona State at No. 12, Emporia State at No. 16, Arkansas Tech at No. 17, Missouri Western at No. 19, and Fort Hays State at No. 24.
The Tigers finished the season at 25-6 overall, the second best record in the program’s NCAA Division II history after a 30-4 mark in 2014-15. FHSU reached 20 wins in a season for the fifth consecutive year (a new program record) and made consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
Below is the final WBCA Poll for the 2015-16 season.
| Rank | Institution – First Place Votes | Previous Rank | Record | Total Points |
| 1 | Lubbock Christian University (Texas) – 24 | 1 | 35-0 | 600 |
| 2 | University of Alaska – Anchorage | 4 | 38-3 | 576 |
| 3 | Bentley University (Mass.) | 25 | 29-6 | 502 |
| 4 | Virginia Union University (Va.) | 8 | 28-3 | 461 |
| 5 | California Baptist University | 5 | 29-3 | 393 |
| 6 | Pittsburg State University (Kan.) | 19 | 29-6 | 388 |
| 7 | Ashland University (Ohio) | 3 | 31-2 | 379 |
| 8 | Grand Valley State University (Mich.) | NR | 26-10 | 332 |
| 9 | Florida Southern College | NR | 27-6 | 320 |
| 10 | Benedict College (S.C.) | 11 | 29-3 | 313 |
| 11 | Limestone College (S.C.) | 2 | 30-1 | 310 |
| T12 | West Texas A&M University | 15 | 28-5 | 309 |
| T12 | Winona State University (Minn.) | 7 | 30-4 | 309 |
| 14 | Drury University (Mo.) | 14 | 26-5 | 302 |
| 15 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 6 | 28-3 | 278 |
| 16 | Emporia State University (Kan.) | 18 | 28-6 | 243 |
| 17 | Arkansas Tech University | 12 | 27-4 | 242 |
| 18 | West Liberty University (W.Va.) | 17 | 29-5 | 202 |
| 19 | Missouri Western State | 10 | 27-4 | 196 |
| 20 | University of California – San Diego | 21 | 26-5 | 193 |
| 21 | Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) | 13 | 27-3 | 183 |
| 22 | Union University (Tenn.) | 9 | 28-4 | 176 |
| 23 | Francis Marion University (S.C.) | NR | 24-9 | 174 |
| 24 | Fort Hays State University (Kan.) | 16 | 25-6 | 118 |
| 25 | Augusta University (Ga.) | NR | 24-9 | 62 |
Others receiving votes: New York Institute of Technology 45; Bellarmine University (Ky.) 31; Nova Southeastern University (Fla.) 29; Columbus State University (Ga.) 28; California University of Pennsylvania (Pa.) 22; Ursuline College (Ohio) 21; Quincy University (Ill.) 17; Anderson University (S.C.) 15; American International College (Mass.) 8.