By Alan Grosbach, Manager of Communications and Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Biola (Calif.) tops the first regular-season edition of the 2015 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The second regular-season edition will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
• Biola claims the No. 1 spot for the first time in program history, dating back to 2000. The Eagles claimed 12-of-18 possible first-place votes and 492 total points. No. 2 Viterbo (Wis.) garnered the remaining six first-place votes.
• Biola (Calif.), which has been ranked among the top 10 in 42-consecutive polls, hold the longest active streak in the Top 25 at 112-straight. Columbia (Mo.) is next with 101-consecutive mentions.
• Four newcomers joined the Top 25 this edition: No. 20 Montana Tech, No. 21 Westmont (Calif.), No. 24 Great Falls (Mont.) and No. 25 Doane (Neb.). None of these teams were ranked in 2014.
• Twelve of the 21 NAIA volleyball conferences are represented in the poll. The Great Plains Athletic Conference leads all leagues with five ranked programs – No. 4 Midland (Neb.), No. 12 Northwestern (Iowa), No. 15 Dordt (Iowa), No. 19 Hastings (Neb.) and No. 25 Doane (Neb.)
• Former member Fresno Pacific (Calif.) has the most No. 1 appearances with 70, followed by National American (S.D.) with 33.
• Biola, Concordia (Calif.), Northwestern (Iowa) and Texas at Brownsville were ranked among the top 10 in every edition in 2014.
• Only one program has been able to maintain the No. 1 ranking for an entire season, with Fresno Pacific accomplishing the feat in 2004, 2008 and 2009.
Poll Methodology
• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and the Association of Independent Institutions.
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low ratings) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the teams appears on.
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”
• For the complete Top 25 calendar, click
here.
2015 Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 1 (Sept. 8)
|
RANK |
LAST WEEK^ |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
2015 Record |
TOTAL POINTS |
|
1 |
2 |
Biola (Calif.) (12) |
8-0 |
492 |
|
2 |
4 |
Viterbo (Wis.) (6) |
9-0 |
487 |
|
3 |
3 |
Missouri Baptist |
9-1 |
467 |
|
4 |
9 |
Midland (Neb.) |
9-0 |
447 |
|
5 |
7 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
10-3 |
420 |
|
6 |
5 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
10-4 |
409 |
|
7 |
1 |
Park (Mo.) |
3-2 |
404 |
|
8 |
6 |
Eastern Oregon |
6-1 |
397 |
|
9 |
16 |
Southern Oregon |
9-0 |
360 |
|
10 |
8 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
6-4 |
353 |
|
11 |
18 |
Evangel (Mo.) |
9-0 |
323 |
|
12 |
12 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
7-2 |
315 |
|
13 |
10 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
4-4 |
303 |
|
14 |
20 |
Coastal Georgia |
9-1 |
280 |
|
15 |
25 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
7-1 |
263 |
|
16 |
11 |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
5-1 |
233 |
|
17 |
15 |
Madonna (Mich.) |
8-3 |
232 |
|
18 |
17 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
8-2 |
231 |
|
19 |
22 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
7-2 |
225 |
|
20 |
NR |
Montana Tech |
11-2 |
187 |
|
21 |
RV |
Westmont (Calif.) |
6-2 |
177 |
|
22 |
21 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
6-3 |
156 |
|
23 |
19 |
Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
9-3 |
141 |
|
24 |
NR |
Great Falls (Mont.) |
11-3 |
131 |
|
25 |
NR |
Doane (Neb.) |
8-4 |
96 |
Dropped from the rankings: Davenport (Mich.) (No. 13), College of Idaho (No. 14), Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) (No. 23), Jamestown (N.D.) (No. 24).
Others receiving votes: Bellevue (Neb.) 92; The Master’s (Calif.) 86;
College of Idaho 44; St. Thomas (Fla.) 40; St. Catharine (Ky.) 36; MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 31; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 29; Cornerstone (Mich.) 25; Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 17; Concordia (Neb.) 6; Jamestown (N.D.) 6; Davenport (Mich.) 3.
^Based off 2015 Preseason Coaches’ Poll (Aug. 18, 2015)