Another week, another spot ahead for Wayland Baptist in the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 poll.
The Pioneeres, following 3-0 wins over Texas-Permian Basin, Texas Wesleyan and Southwestern Assemblies of God University, continued their slow rise in the poll, this week moving up one more spot to No. 20.
It's been a slow but steady rise for Wayland (19-3 overall, 5-1 Sooner Athletic Conference) since the Pioneers entered Top 25. WBU was ranked the equivalent of No. 33 in the preseason poll before moving to No. 24 in the first regular-season poll. It's been a one-spot jump every week since.
Oklahoma Baptist (19-4) remained the only other SAC team in the poll. The Lady Bison went from 12
th to ninth this week.
Wayland returns to the court at 7 p.m. Friday at home against St. Gregory's University (5-15, 2-5). The Pioneers host John Brown University (10-14, 4-3) at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
For the third-straight week, the top-four teams held their ranking in the Top 25, headed by No. 1 Concordia (Calif.) which is riding a 52-match win streak. Concordia was followed by No. 2 Texas at Brownsville, No. 3 Biola (Calif.) and No. 4 Madonna (Mich.) Moving into the top five for the first time was No. 5 Northwestern (Iowa)
Thirteen of 23 conferences are represented throughout the Top 25, led by the Golden State Athletic Conference with five ranked teams, Concordia, Biola, No. 13 The Master's, No. 16 Westmont and No. 18 Vanguard (Calif.). The American Midwest Conference and Great Plains Athletic Conference each land three programs in the poll.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The sixth regular-season Top 25 will be announced Oct. 15.
Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll (Oct. 8)
|
RANK |
LAST WEEK |
SCHOOL |
2013 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
|
1 |
1 |
Concordia (Calif.) (23) |
14-0 |
653 |
|
2 |
2 |
Texas at Brownsville |
16-0 |
632 |
|
3 |
3 |
Biola (Calif.) |
14-0 |
611 |
|
4 |
4 |
Madonna (Mich.) |
25-0 |
590 |
|
5 |
6 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
23-1 |
557 |
|
6 |
5 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
17-1 |
555 |
|
7 |
7 |
Midland (Neb.) |
23-2 |
533 |
|
8 |
9 |
Park (Mo.) |
20-2 |
493 |
|
9 |
12 |
Oklahoma Baptist |
19-4 |
472 |
|
10 |
11 |
Eastern Oregon |
19-2 |
460 |
|
11 |
8 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
21-1 |
447 |
|
12 |
14 |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
11-6 |
407 |
|
13 |
T16 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
14-3 |
387 |
|
14 |
13 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
22-5 |
370 |
|
15 |
T16 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
15-4 |
365 |
|
16 |
10 |
Westmont (Calif.) |
14-4 |
343 |
|
17 |
15 |
Missouri Baptist |
19-1 |
336 |
|
18 |
20 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
13-5 |
286 |
|
19 |
23 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
16-9 |
251 |
|
20 |
21 |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
19-3 |
248 |
|
21 |
19 |
Concordia (Ore.) |
14-4 |
225 |
|
22 |
22 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
13-4 |
197 |
|
23 |
18 |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
19-6 |
192 |
|
24 |
RV |
Davenport (Mich.) |
16-6 |
171 |
|
25 |
25 |
Cal State San Marcos |
19-8 |
140 |
Others receiving votes: Hastings (Neb.) 99; Trinity Christian (Ill.) 92; Viterbo (Wis.) 69; Indiana Wesleyan 44; Cornerstone (Mich.) 39; Spring Hill (Ala.) 37; Montana State-Northern 35; Bryan (Tenn.) 23; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 15; Menlo (Calif.) 6; Campbellsville (Ky.) 5; Jamestown (N.D.) 5; College of the Ozarks (Mo.) 3.
