Date Posted: 1/9/2008

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Off to the best start in school history, the JU women's basketball team is gaining notice nationally, earning its first vote in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll released on Tuesday.

At a school that has enjoyed many years of national recognition and success with its men's basketball program (nine postseason appearances, including a trip to the national title game in 1970), the Dolphin women's program is beginning to enjoy its own success in only three and a half years under the guidance of head coach Jill Dunn.

Since the program began in 1999, the Dolphins had only one 10-win season (13 in 2000-01) and did not have a significant win over a larger school outside of Atlantic Sun Conference play in five seasons. Enter Dunn, who had recently enjoyed three A-Sun titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances as an assistant coach at Georgia State and was ready to take the next step as a head coach.

In her first season with the program, the Dolphins suffered some lumps but tied for the second most wins in program history with six during the 2004-05 campaign. After her first complete offseason (which included the arrival of forward Ashley Williams and guards Regina Omoite, DaVina Hamilton and Virginia Gregoire), Dunn led the squad to 10 wins and the program's first conference tournament appearance in four years.

In 2006-07, JU began to emerge as a program on the rise as the Dolphins shattered the record books with nine new program marks, including a 21-9 overall record, which tied for sixth in the nation for greatest turnaround (10 games) from the previous year. In only three years under the direction of Dunn, the program had seen an average improvement of 6.8 wins per season.

Now in their fourth season under Dunn, the Dolphins are enjoying even more success despite only passing the halfway point of the season. Along with the 12-3 mark, JU has won 17-consecutive home games (the third longest active streak in the nation), 10 consecutive wins against A-Sun opponents while also registering wins against the Atlantic Coast Conference (Miami), Atlantic 10 Conference (UMass) and Southeastern Conference (Florida) teams for the first time in program history.

Although the success grows, the next step for the Dolphins is to earn the program's first regular season title and conference tournament crown, which will lead to the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the JU women.

Related Links:
 • Full Story at JUDolphins.com
 • USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll