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Villanova women back in AP top 25

The Wildcats have reentered the Associated Press top 25 for the first time in 13 seasons.

Villanova’s Kelly Jekot in action during the Wildcats’ upset win over Duke on Nov. 19.
Villanova’s Kelly Jekot in action during the Wildcats’ upset win over Duke on Nov. 19.Read moreJerry Millevoi

The top 25 in women's basketball is a fairly exclusive sorority that typically includes the usual suspects.

So when an unranked team knocks off one of those highly-ranked teams, it's going to garner some attention. Then, if it stays undefeated, it can suddenly find itself in the top 25 for the first time in a long time.

Highlighted by a convincing 64-55 victory over then 11th-ranked Duke, Villanova is off to an undefeated start, and on Monday climbed into the Associated Press top 25 for the first time since 2004.

The Wildcats (5-0) are ranked 25th.

"Earning a spot in the top 25 is a nice reward for the players," said longtime Villanova coach Harry Perretta. "It gives them some notoriety for their hard work.

"It is still very early in the season, so the rankings don't really mean all that much. With that said, I am happy to be one of the 25 teams that is ranked this week."

Villanova was picked to finish third in the Big East preseason poll. Preseason favorite Marquette is ranked 23rd.

Villanova has five out-of-conference games, including Big Five matchups against St. Joseph's, Temple, and La Salle, before opening Big East play on Dec. 28 at Creighton.

"We need to continue to get better each day," Perretta said. "I think the kids would tell you that we still haven't played our best basketball. We are hitting a very difficult stretch in the schedule, so we will need to elevate our game going forward. The main thing we need to improve upon is shooting the ball more consistently."