Their near .500 record notwithstanding, the Wayland Baptist volleyball team remains ranked in the top 15 of the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, a credit to the caliber of competition the Pioneers have faced this season.
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The 7-6 Pioneers are No. 13 this week, down two places from last week's ranking. Wayland opened the season in the No. 3 position.
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WBU went 3-2 last week when the Pioneers opened Sooner Athletic Conference play with a sweep of Mid-America Christian on Thursday before playing four matches on Friday and Saturday as part of hosting the Coca-Cola Classic. Wayland defeated Our Lady of the Lake and Huston-Tillotson, both in three, but lost to a pair of ranked teams in No. 2 Texas-Brownsville, the defending national champion, in four and to No. 5 Columbia, Mo., in three.
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The only other SAC team receiving Top 25 votes, Oklahoma Baptist, fell from No. 15 to No. 18. The Lady Bison also participated in the Coca-Cola Classic, defeating University of the Southwest in five and Our Lady of the Lake in four while falling in three to both Columbia and UT-Brownsville.
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Wayland returns to SAC play this weekend, entertaining Southwestern Assemblies of God (0-2 overall, 0-1 SAC) at 7 p.m. Friday and Texas Wesleyan (2-8, 0-0) at 11 a.m. Saturday, to wrap up a seven-match home stand.
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Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – No. 2 (Sept. 16)
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RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2014 Record | TOTAL POINTS |
1 | 1 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (21) | 13-2 | 622 |
2 | 2 | Texas-Brownsville (1) | 12-1 | 602 |
3 | 3 | Concordia-Irvine (Calif.) | 14-1 | 582 |
4 | 12 | Park (Mo.) | 14-0 | 549 |
5 | 9 | Columbia (Mo.) | 13-1 | 524 |
6 | 6 | Biola (Calif.) | 12-3 | 518 |
7 | 5 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 14-2 | 502 |
8 | 4 | Viterbo (Wisc.) | 17-3 | 491 |
9 | 8 | Madonna (Mich.) | 14-2 | 462 |
10 | 9 | Midland (Neb.) | 10-3 | 453 |
11 | 14 | Eastern Oregon | 14-1 | 411 |
12 | 13 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 10-3 | 379 |
13 | 11 | Wayland Baptist (Texas) | 7-6 | 373 |
14 | 10 | Grand View (Iowa) | 7-4 | 357 |
15 | 16 | Southern Oregon | 9-2 | 349 |
16 | 18 | Hastings (Neb.) | 10-3 | 299 |
17 | 17 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 12-4 | 297 |
18 | 15 | Oklahoma Baptist | 9-6 | 281 |
19 | 19 | Evangel (Mo.) | 10-3 | 276 |
20 | 21 | Missouri Baptist | 11-0 | 239 |
21 | 23 | Dordt (Iowa) | 7-5 | 209 |
22 | 22 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 12-2 | 180 |
23 | 24 | Cal State San Marcos | 12-5 | 144 |
24 | 25 | Davenport (Mich.) | 9-3 | 143 |
25 | RV | Coastal Georgia | 12-0 | 120 |
Others receiving votes:Â Jamestown (N.D.) 107; Westmont (Calif.) 90; College of Idaho 52; Grace (Ind.) 48; Ashford (Iowa) 40; Bryan (Tenn.) 39; St. Catharine (Ky.) 37; Montana Tech 31; Trinity Christian (Ill.) 27; Concordia (Neb.) 15; Cornerstone (Mich.) 11; Carroll (Mont.) 7; Baker (Kan.) 6; Kansas Wesleyan 4; Mobile (Ala.) 3; The Master's (Calif.)Â