Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

McLEAN, Va. – After improving to 17-9, 9-6 CAA with a 65-52 victory over the College of William & Mary on Sunday, the University of Delaware women’s basketball team earned itself a pair of votes in the Feb. 22 USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.

This is Delaware’s first vote in a Coaches’ poll since the 2006-07 season when it ranked or received votes on 13 separate occasions. The same season, the Blue Hens also received nods in 13 Associated Press polls.

Delaware made its first ever men’s or women’s basketball appearance in a preseason AP poll this season when the Hens received a lone vote. Delaware also notched a single vote in the Nov. 16 AP poll. In addition to the team garnering such honors, freshman Elena Delle Donne (at right) received votes in the AP preseason All-America team comprised of five members and another 24 who received votes.

At 27-0, the University of Connecticut leads the Top 25 poll with each of the 31 first-place votes, while Stanford University, University of Nebraska, University of Tennessee and Xavier University close out the top five spots. Delaware is joined by 16 other teams in receiving votes.

The USA Today/ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 31 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. The board for the 2009-10 season: Phil Stern, University of Maryland - Baltimore County; Bill Fennelly, Iowa State University; Jose Fernandez, University of South Florida; Jamie White, University of Northern Colorado; Marcia Foster, Cal State Fullerton; Dayna Smith, Cornell University; Mike Bradbury, Morehead State University; Gordy Presnell, Boise State University; Rick Reeves, Gardner Webb; Sharon Versyp, Purdue; LaVonda Wagner, Oregon State University; Mike Morris, Samford University; Rick Pietri, University of South Alabama; Tanya Haave, University of San Francisco; Cynthia Cooper-Dykes, Prairie View A&M Univ.; Nell Fortner, Auburn; Jim Flanery, Creighton University; Michael Shafer, University of Richmond; Lynn Bria, Stetson; Kenny Brooks, James Madison; Royce Chadwick, Marshall; Sandy Botham; University of Wisconsin - Millwaukee, Stephanie DeWolfe, Saint Peter’s College; Sue Guevara, Central Michigan; Aaron Johnston, South Dakota State University; LeDawn Gibson, Florida A&M; Sue Semrau, Florida State; Elaine Elliott, University of Utah; Gela Mikalauskas, Wagner; Tammy Smith, Lafayette College; Lee Ann Riley, Stephen F. Austin. Chair: Jennifer Rizzotti, University of Hartford.

Delaware will next return to the Bob Carpenter Center to face Northeastern on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m., its third-to-last regular-season game of 2009-10.