The undefeated New York University women's basketball team has risen to #1 in the national rankings in a
poll released by D3hoops.com on Monday, December 19.
The 8-0 Violets moved up from #2 when the #1 team in the nation,
Hope College, lost on Saturday.
This is the first time since the
D3hoops.com poll was established in 1999-2000 that NYU has achieved the top spot. The voting panel consists of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country.
"Obviously the most important ranking is the last one, but I am super proud for this program to be acknowledged by the voters at
D3hoops.com as the #1 team in the country for the first time in program history," said Head Coach
Meg Barber. "Hopefully, it will fuel our work ethic over the break and into the gauntlet of UAA (University Athletic Association) play."
The Violets last played on December 11, when they
defeated then-#13 Tufts University 74-54. That road win in Medford, MA, represented NYU's smallest margin of victory all season. The Violets have outscored their opponents by an average of 34.5 (83.6-49.1) points per game, the third-best margin in NCAA Division III.
The team's well-rounded offense is being led by four double-digit scorers:
Natalie Bruns (13.5),
Belle Pellecchia (12.3),
Jenny Walker (11.1), and
Erica Miller (10.6). As a team, the Violets are shooting .462 (#3 in NCAA Division III) from the field while holding opponents to a .299 clip (#14). NYU's assist-to-turnover ratio is fifth-best in the nation (1.27) and its assists per game (18.9) is sixth-highest.
On the defensive end, NYU has out-rebounded its opponents 375-290, an average of 10.6 per game (18th in NCAA Division III).
"I couldn't be happier for our amazing student-athletes, coaching staff, athletic department, and our community of fans that have supported our vision of being one of the top programs in the country," Barber added.
The Violets return to the court when they host the NYU Holiday Classic on December 29-30 at the Brooklyn Athletic Facility. NYU will face Stockton University on Thursday at 5:00pm and Bowdoin College at 3:00pm on Friday.
