SXU's Women's Basketball Team Makes History!

Saint Xavier University’s (SXU) women’s basketball team recently secured the top spot in the latest installment of the 2015 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time in program history! SXU has held the No. 2 national ranking during both the 2009 – 10 season and earlier this season, but has never been able to secure the No. 1 spot until now.

SXU garnered 10 of the possible 12 first-place votes and tallied 311 total points to earn the NAIA’s highest ranking in this year’s third edition of the national poll. Previous No. 1 Morningside College (Iowa) fell to No. 2 nationally with its 9-1 record after suffering its first loss of the season. The next NAIA Top 25 Poll is scheduled for release after the holidays on Tuesday, Jan. 5.

This incredible accomplishment was featured in the Tuesday, Dec. 8 issue of DNAinfo Chicago. The article discussed the team’s perfect 10-0 record, as well as the milestone achievement of head coach Bob Hallberg.

Additionally, the team received a nice shout out during the sportscast of CBS 2 Chicago’s 6 p.m. news on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Hallberg became SXU’s first women’s basketball head coach in 1999. He also is the first coach to ever lead an NAIA women’s and men’s basketball team to the top spot in the rankings. Hallberg guided his alma mater Chicago State to the men’s top spot in an NAIA poll when he was head coach in 1983.