Three CCC Teams Finish Year Ranked in NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Postseason Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After winning their first red banner, Marian (Ind.) ends the season at No. 1 in the postseason edition of the 2019 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, released Thursday by the NAIA office.
Three Cascade Collegiate Conference teams were represented on the poll after all three qualified for the final site of the NAIA Championship Tournament. Southern Oregon University leads the trio with a No. 9 ranking, while Eastern Oregon University sits at No. 13 and Corban University is right behind at No. 15.
2019 Women’s Volleyball Coaches’ Poll
| RANK |
LAST TIME |
SCHOOL [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
| 1 |
11 |
Marian (Ind.) [19] |
38-2 |
529 |
| 2 |
NR |
Westmont (Calif.) |
29-7 |
512 |
| 3 |
6 |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
35-7 |
488 |
| 4 |
8 |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
33-6 |
485 |
| 5 |
1 |
Park (Mo.) |
32-4 |
447 |
| 6 |
2 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
32-2 |
441 |
| 7 |
3 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
37-3 |
435 |
| 8 |
4 |
Missouri Baptist |
34-7 |
412 |
| 9 |
5 |
Southern Oregon |
31-5 |
386 |
| 10 |
12 |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
33-4 |
371 |
| 11 |
10 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
32-6 |
358 |
| 12 |
13 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
30-11 |
340 |
| 13 |
7 |
Eastern Oregon |
31-5 |
334 |
| 14 |
15 |
Concordia (Neb.) |
25-8 |
297 |
| 15 |
14 |
Corban (Ore.) |
22-10 |
283 |
| 16 |
16 |
Oklahoma City |
37-4 |
282 |
| 17 |
19 |
Montana Tech |
27-8 |
256 |
| 18 |
9 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
29-6 |
243 |
| 19 |
23 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
28-10 |
217 |
| 20 |
17 |
Providence (Mont.) |
25-8 |
205 |
| 21 |
18 |
Lawrence Tech (Mich.) |
32-4 |
175 |
| 22 |
21 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
29-7 |
171 |
| 23 |
20 |
College of Saint Mary (Neb.) |
25-17 |
139 |
| 24 |
NR |
Texas Wesleyan |
26-10 |
122 |
| 25 |
24 |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
33-5 |
121 |
Others receiving votes: Madonna (Mich.) 114, Midland (Neb.) 68, Ottawa (Kan.) 59, Xavier (La.) 33, IU Kokomo (Ind.) 26, Menlo (Calif.) 26, Saint Francis (Ind.) 18, Dordt (Iowa) 16, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 15, Trinity Christian (Ill.) 9, Dakota State (S.D.) 7, Saint Mary (Kan.) 6
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
- This is the first time that the Marian Knights have been ranked at No. 1.
- The Knights started the season at No. 24 and made their way to the top of the mountain to earn the team’s first title in women’s volleyball.
- Westmont (Calif.) made the biggest jump from being not ranked to No. 2 in the postseason poll after finishing the championship as the runners-up.
- The only team that was ranked in the Top 5 in the final regular-season poll that remained in the Top 5 is Park (Mo.).
- No. 16 Oklahoma City is the only team that remained at the same rank as they were in the final regular-season rating.
- New to the Top 25 this week: No. 2 Westmont, No. 24 Texas Wesleyan
- Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) holds the longest active streak in the Top 25 with 72 consecutive appearances. The Blue Raiders land at No. 11 this week.
- There has only been one program that has been able to maintain the No. 1 ranking for an entire season, with former member Fresno Pacific (Calif.) 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, 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 rating) 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 appear on.
- Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”