VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a historic run to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Elite Eight, the Valdosta State Lady Blazers finished fifth in the final D2SIDA Media Top 25 and sixth in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25, announced Monday.

 
Finishing fifth in the D2SIDA Top 25 is the highest finish for the Lady Blazers in the eight-year history of the poll, while it also was the highest finish in the WBCA poll in program history, as VSU finished a previous-best ninth in 2007-08.
 
NCAA Division II National Champion Glenville State finished as the top team in the country in both polls with a 35-1 record as the Pioneers defeated Western Washington 85-72 in the national title game last Friday.  WWU, who defeated VSU in the Elite Eight, 58-55, finished second in both polls, followed by Grand Valley State and North Georgia to round out the top four.  VSU was fifth in the D2SIDA poll, while Union was fifth in the WBCA poll, with VSU sixth.   
 
Click on the links to the right of this story for the complete polls for both organizations.  
 
Under third-year head coach Deandra Schirmer, the Lady Blazers had a magical run to the Elite Eight in 2021-22, with a thrilling regional championship title at Union as VSU reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1984.  In the regional, the No. 7-seed Lady Blazers defeated No. 2-seed Tampa (59-50), No. 3-Seed Lee (70-44) and upset top-ranked and No. 1-seed Union 66-58 in the regional final.  VSU was one of three No. 7-seeds following regional play to qualify for the Elite Eight this season.
 
VSU then earned the No. 4-seed in the Elite Eight last week in Birmingham, Ala., where it led by as many as many as 12 points in the first quarter against WWU, but was unable to hang on.  Schirmer now is 62-21 in her time in Titletown and 4-2 in the NCAA postseason with the Elite Eight finish this season and a second round berth in 2021.