Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll Released
EOU 16th, CU 23rd, CI RV
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Riding a 45-match win streak, Concordia (Calif.) is ranked No. 1 for the sixth-straight time in the first regular-season edition of the 2013 Tachikara-NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The defending national champions recorded 22-of-23 first-place votes and 653 total points. Only two other teams held their spot from the Preseason Top 25: No. 4 Biola (Calif.) and No. 7 Georgetown (Ky.).
Second-ranked Texas at Brownsville hops up one position thanks to a 8-0 record and four Top-25 victories. The Ocelots garnered 631 points and the remaining first-place nod. Texas at Brownsville now has been in the top three for 27-straight polls.
No. 3 Columbia (Mo.), a victim of Texas at Brownsville on Aug. 31, dropped one spot and stands with 602 points. No. 4 Biola checks in with 598 points and No. 5 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) gathered 566 points. The Pioneers improved three positions as they have compiled an 8-0 record.
Standing at 7-0 on the young season, Concordia looks for its 46th-straight win Tuesday against Cal State San Marcos, a team that was ranked 20th in the preseason. The current streak is tied for fourth-longest in NAIA history, which dates back to the start of 2012. Jessica Israel leads the No. 1-ranked offense, in terms of kills, with an average of 4.9 per set.
Five newcomers dot the first regular-season poll, highlighted by No. 23 Concordia (Ore.) and No. 24 Wayland Baptist (Texas). Before today, Concordia was last ranked on Aug. 13, 2003 (Preseason) at No. 17. Wayland Baptist was last ranked on Oct. 19, 2010 at No. 23. No. 25 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) and No. 19 Vanguard (Calif.) were both ranked at least once last year, while No. 21 Dordt (Iowa) was mentioned during the 2011 season.
There were five teams that fell out of the Top 25: College of Idaho (No. 6), Cal State San Marcos (No. 20), Point Park (Pa.) (No. 22), Grand View (Iowa) (No. 24) and Carroll (Mont.) (No. 25).
No. 12 Northwestern (Iowa) was the best improvement within the Top 25, sprinting up 11 spots. After a 3-2 loss in their second match on Aug. 23 against Tabor (Kan.), the Red Raiders have won 11-consecutive matches including recent wins over then-No. 5 Oklahoma Baptist and then-No. 12 Bellevue (Neb.). Conversely, No. 22 The Master's (Calif.) tumbled down 13 positions. The Mustangs are 10-2, but fell to unranked foes Davenport (Mich.) and Menlo (Calif.).
Fourteen of 23 conferences are represented throughout the Top 25, led by the Golden State Athletic Conference with five ranked teams, Concordia, Biola, No. 9 Westmont (Calif.), No. 19 Vanguard and No. 22 The Master's. The American Midwest Conference and Great Plains Athletic Conference each land a trio of schools in the poll.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The second regular-season Top 25 will be announced Sept. 17.
For the complete volleyball ratings calendar, click here.
Notes: (All information as of 2000) With the top ranking, Concordia (Calif.) pushes its all-time total to nine No. 1 positions and looks to become the fifth school (since 2000) to have double-digit totals... Former member Fresno Pacific (Calif.) has the most No. 1 appearances with 70, followed by former member National American (S.D.) with 32, Columbia (Mo.) with 20 and Texas at Brownsville with 18… The Golden State Athletic Conference has now led all conferences each week with the most representatives -- four in the Preseason Top 25 and five in Week One... By dropping out of the Top 25, Grand View snaps its 20-straight rankings, which was eighth-longest on the active list... Also, by falling out, Cal State San Marcos halts its 14-straight stretch... No. 12 Northwestern (Iowa) enjoys its highest ranking since a No. 4 position on Nov. 14, 2010... Concordia has the longest active streak in the Top 25 as it has been ranked for 87-straight polls, dating back to the start of the 2006 season; right behind is Biola (Calif.) with 86-consecutive mentions followed by Columbia (74), Texas at Brownsville (49) and Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (39)… For the last 22 polls, Concordia has either been ranked Nos. 1 or 2... There has only been one program that has been able to maintain the No. 1 ranking for an entire season with Fresno Pacific accomplishing the feat in 2004, 2008 and 2009… So far, 30 different teams have been ranked in two polls --- last year, 38 teams were ranked at least on one occasion, with 13 of those being included in all 13 polls.
2013 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll (Sept. 10)
|
RANK
|
LAST WEEK^
|
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)
|
2013 RECORD
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
1
|
Concordia (Calif.) (22)
|
7-0
|
653
|
|
2
|
3
|
Texas at Brownsville (1)
|
8-0
|
631
|
|
3
|
2
|
Columbia (Mo.)
|
4-1
|
602
|
|
4
|
4
|
Biola (Calif.)
|
7-0
|
598
|
|
5
|
8
|
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
|
8-0
|
566
|
|
6
|
11
|
Madonna (Mich.)
|
13-0
|
544
|
|
7
|
7
|
Georgetown (Ky.)
|
9-1
|
527
|
|
8
|
13
|
Midland (Neb.)
|
13-0
|
499
|
|
9
|
16
|
Westmont (Calif.)
|
11-0
|
467
|
|
10
|
5
|
Oklahoma Baptist
|
9-3
|
445
|
|
11
|
14
|
Park (Mo.)
|
8-1
|
431
|
|
12
|
23
|
Northwestern (Iowa)
|
12-1
|
414
|
|
13
|
15
|
Viterbo (Wis.)
|
11-2
|
383
|
|
14
|
10
|
Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
|
5-4
|
371
|
|
15
|
19
|
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
|
10-0
|
358
|
|
16
|
21
|
Eastern Oregon
|
10-2
|
356
|
|
17
|
12
|
Bellevue (Neb.)
|
8-3
|
305
|
|
18
|
T17
|
Missouri Baptist
|
8-1
|
285
|
|
19
|
RV
|
Vanguard (Calif.)
|
9-2
|
253
|
|
20
|
T17
|
Indiana Wesleyan
|
8-3
|
225
|
|
21
|
RV
|
Dordt (Iowa)
|
8-2
|
177
|
|
22
|
9
|
The Master's (Calif.)
|
10-2
|
157
|
|
23
|
NR
|
Concordia (Ore.)
|
7-2
|
151
|
|
24
|
RV
|
Wayland Baptist (Texas)
|
8-2
|
145
|
|
25
|
NR
|
Rocky Mountain (Mont.)
|
8-2
|
123
|
Others receiving votes: Cal State San Marcos 119; Hastings (Neb.) 80; Davenport (Mich.) 78; Spring Hill (Ala.) 73; College of Idaho 63; Menlo (Calif.) 61; Tabor (Kan.) 59; Grand View (Iowa) 57; Jamestown (N.D.) 37; Bryan (Tenn.) 33; Baker (Kan.) 30; St. Francis (Ill.) 18; Montana State-Northern 11; Point Park (Pa.) 8; Bethel (Ind.) 6; Evangel (Mo.) 5.
^ Ranking in 2013 Preseason Top 25 Poll (Aug. 20)