Tennessee Lady Vols Return To AP Top 10 For First Time Since 2015

KNOXVILLE, TN — The Lady Vols of the University of Tennessee knocked off then-No. 2 Texas on Sunday and have now risen four spots to no. 7 in The Associated Press women's basketball poll. UConn continued to be No. 1 in the Top 25 released on Monday and the Longhorns fell six spots to eighth.

Tennessee (10-0) was a perennial top team in the sport but hasn't been among the first 10 teams in the poll since Nov. 30, 2015.

Both teams are chasing the Huskies (8-0), who routed DePaul in their only game this past week. UConn received all 32 first place votes from a national media panel. The Huskies, like many other teams, are off for exams this week.

Notre Dame, Louisville, Mississippi State and South Carolina follow UConn. Baylor, Tennessee, Texas, Oregon and West Virginia round out the first 10.

Iowa (10-1) entered the Top 25 for the first time since 2015, coming in at No. 25. Kentucky fell out.

Other poll tidbits:

OKLAHOMA BLUES: UCLA and South Florida slipped up this week losing at Oklahoma State and Oklahoma respectively. The Bruins dropped four spots to No. 11 while the Bulls fell six places to No. 22. UCLA has a two-game eastern swing at Seton Hall and Fordham coming up before beginning Pac-12 play.

SURGING WILDCATS: No. 20 Villanova is off to its best start since the 1979-80 season, winning its first nine games. The Wildcats held off Temple down the stretch on Sunday, winning 69-65 to equal the squad's mark from 38 years ago. Villanova has its best ranking since Jan. 12, 2004 when the team was 19th.

SHE SAID IT: "If that was the No. 2 team in the country, where do we stand now?" Tennessee senior Mercedes Russell asked after the win over Texas. "82-75. There's your answer right there."

BIG GAMES: There are two games this week between ranked teams as No. 9 Oregon visits sixth-ranked Mississippi State on Wednesday. The 12th-ranked Florida State Seminoles visit No. 8 Texas on Sunday.

See the full poll here.

By DOUG FEINBERG, AP Basketball Writer

Photo credit: Calvin Mattheis/Associated Press