2016 Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll - Sept. 27
CC RV
By Spencer Scheve, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Spring Arbor (Mich.) claimed all 19 first place votes and 529 points to earn a fourth consecutive No. 1 ranking in the Women's Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, the National Office announced Tuesday. The Cougars continue their quest for back-to-back national titles, as they have started the season 8-0. The first Modified Ratings Percentage Index (MRPI) Poll will be released on Wednesday, Sept. 28, and the third regular season poll will be released on Oct. 4.
Top 25 highlights (historical information dates back to 1999):
• Spring Arbor (Mich.) claims its fourth No.1 ranking in-a-row, the most in school history. The last time the Cougars were out of the Top 25 was on Nov. 9, 2010.
• The Cougars are led by Bethany Balcer, who is ranked No. 1 in the NAIA in shots per game (7.25), and Ashley Timmons, who is ranked No. 2 in goals against per game (0.16).
• Coming in second is Keiser (Fla.) with 511 points in the edition.
• Rounding out the top 5 is Westmont (Calif.) at No. 3 with 494 points, William Carey (Miss.) at No. 4 with 473 points and Northwestern Ohio at No. 5 with 468 points.
• The biggest move in the Top 25 was Siena Heights (Mich.) dropping three spots from No. 16 to No. 19 in this edition.
• There are two new teams in the Top 25 – No. 24 John Brown (Ark.) and No. 25 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.).
• Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) owns the longest active streak of consecutive appearances in the Top 25 with 173-consecutive mentions, including 144-straight in the Top 10 ranking.
• No. 6 Lindsey Wilson has the most No. 1 rankings with 58, followed by former NAIA member Azusa Pacific (Calif.) with 33.
• Former NAIA member Lee's (Tenn.) 2011 team is the last squad to be preseason ranked No. 1 and win the national title in the same year.
For the complete ratings calendar, click here.
Poll Methodology
- The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, Association of Independent Institutions and Unaffiliated Groups.
- 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 ratings calendar, click here.
2016 Woman's Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll (Sept. 27)
| RANK |
LAST ^ |
SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES) |
2016 RECORD |
FINAL POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) (19) |
8-0-0 |
529 |
| 2 |
2 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
9-0-0 |
511 |
| 3 |
3 |
Westmont (Calif.) |
9-0-1 |
494 |
| 4 |
5 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
7-2-0 |
473 |
| 5 |
4 |
Northwestern Ohio |
7-1-1 |
468 |
| 6 |
6 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
4-3-0 |
441 |
| 7 |
7 |
Mobile (Ala.) |
7-2-1 |
429 |
| 8 |
8 |
Martin Methodist (Tenn.) |
6-1-2 |
409 |
| 9 |
9 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
5-2-0 |
390 |
| 10 |
10 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
7-2-0 |
377 |
| 11 |
12 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
7-1-1 |
348 |
| 12 |
11 |
Biola (Calif.) |
7-0-2 |
343 |
| 13 |
15 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
8-0-2 |
323 |
| 14 |
13 |
St. Ambrose (Iowa) |
5-1-2 |
299 |
| 15 |
16 |
Cumberland (Tenn.) |
6-1-1 |
284 |
| 16 |
14 |
Kansas Wesleyan |
5-0-2 |
275 |
| 17 |
18 |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
8-1-0 |
255 |
| 18 |
16 |
Baker (Kan.) |
6-3-0 |
239 |
| 19 |
16 |
Siena Heights (Mich.) |
5-2-2 |
218 |
| 20 |
20 |
Taylor (Ind.) |
8-0-0 |
216 |
| 21 |
21 |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
5-1-2 |
197 |
| 22 |
22 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
8-2-0 |
176 |
| 23 |
25 |
Marian (Ind.) |
6-4-0 |
112 |
| 24 |
NR |
John Brown (Ark.) |
6-1-1 |
105 |
| 25 |
NR |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
4-1-4 |
86 |
|
Others receiving votes: Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 80; Davenport (Mich.) 77; Robert Morris (Ill.) 59; Viterbo (Wis.) 55; Southeastern (Fla.) 53; St. Thomas (Fla.) 24; Georgetown (Ky.) 17; Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 12; Ottawa (Kan.) 10; Missouri Valley 6; Midland (Neb.) 6; UC Merced (Calif.) 4; Carroll (Mont.) 3; Indiana Wesleyan 3