On the heels of four wins at last weekend's tournament at Kansas Wesleyan, the Wayland Baptist volleyball team jumped one spot to No. 23 in this week's Tachikara-NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll.
The Pioneers are 12-2, matching the best start in school history.
Wayland was ranked the equivalent of No. 33 in the preseason poll then moved to No. 24 in the first regular-season poll last week. Before then, Wayland was last ranked on Oct. 19, 2010, at No. 23.
The Pioneers open Sooner Athletic Conference play this weekend in Oklahoma City, taking on Mid-America Christian at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Oklahoma City University at 11 a.m. Saturday. Wayland plays a non-conference match at 1 p.m. Saturday against East Central University.
The Pioneers end their month-long, 16-match road swing on Sept. 27 when they host Southwestern Christian University at 7 p.m.
The only other SAC team ranked is Oklahoma Baptist at No. 10. Wayland and OBU square off in the first of two meetings at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28.
For the seventh-straight week, Concordia (Calif.) is on top of the Top 25 poll. The Eagles own a 46-match win streak dating back to the start of 2012.
Thirteen of 23 conferences are represented throughout the Top 25, led by the Golden State Athletic Conference with five ranked teams, Concordia, No. 3 Biola, No. 9 Westmont (Calif.), No. 19 Vanguard (Calif.) and No. 22 The Master's. The Great Plains Athletic Conference lands four programs in the poll.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The third regular-season Top 25 will be announced Sept. 24.
Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 (Sept. 17)
|
RANK |
LAST WEEK |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
2013 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
|
1 |
1 |
Concordia (Calif.) (21) |
8-0 |
622 |
|
2 |
2 |
Texas at Brownsville (1) |
9-0 |
602 |
|
3 |
4 |
Biola (Calif.) |
9-0 |
582 |
|
4 |
6 |
Madonna (Mich.) |
15-0 |
546 |
|
5 |
8 |
Midland (Neb.) |
19-0 |
535 |
|
6 |
3 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
6-2 |
521 |
|
7 |
5 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
12-1 |
510 |
|
8 |
7 |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
11-1 |
494 |
|
9 |
9 |
Westmont (Calif.) |
12-0 |
467 |
|
10 |
10 |
Oklahoma Baptist |
9-3 |
429 |
|
11 |
12 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
16-1 |
426 |
|
12 |
11 |
Park (Mo.) |
12-2 |
410 |
|
13 |
15 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
13-0 |
364 |
|
14 |
16 |
Eastern Oregon |
13-2 |
343 |
|
T15 |
14 |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
6-5 |
336 |
|
T15 |
17 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
13-3 |
336 |
|
17 |
13 |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
16-3 |
321 |
|
18 |
18 |
Missouri Baptist |
11-1 |
267 |
|
19 |
19 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
11-0 |
264 |
|
20 |
21 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
9-2 |
235 |
|
21 |
23 |
Concordia (Ore.) |
10-2 |
227 |
|
22 |
22 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
10-2 |
185 |
|
23 |
24 |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
12-2 |
182 |
|
24 |
25 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
9-2 |
129 |
|
25 |
RV |
Hastings (Neb.) |
10-5 |
116 |
Others receiving votes: Davenport (Mich.) 93; Spring Hill (Ala.) 58; Bethel (Ind.) 58; Bryan (Tenn.) 55; Grand View (Iowa) 43; Cal State San Marcos 36; Tabor (Kan.) 31; Indiana Wesleyan 25; Jamestown (N.D.) 22; Menlo (Calif.) 19; Montana State-Northern 14; Evangel (Mo.) 8; Point Park (Pa.) 3.
