NAIA Women's Basketball First Regular Season Top 25 Sees Big Shifts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After two weeks of play, the first regular-season Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll is here.
The top 8 teams remained largely the same with the exception of a flip between four and five with Marian (Ind.) and Dakota State (S.D.). The only other team outside of the Top 8 to remain at the same rank was Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).
Four teams joined the Top 25 this week: Concordia (Neb.), Rio Gande (Ohio), Montana Tech and Loyola (La.).
Briar Cliff (Iowa) and Concordia (Neb.) made the largest move in the poll, with Briar Cliff moving up 11 spots from No. 20 to No. 6 and CUNE from being unranked to No. 11.
|
|
1. Dordt (Iowa) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 15 Mount Marty (S.D.), Nov. 19 Northwestern (Iowa), Nov. 22 Hastings (Neb.) Notes: Opens season at 4-0, including a win over RV Grand View (Iowa). The team is averaging 84 points per game, led by Gracie Schoonhoven with 82 points on the season. Macy Sievers follows contributing 72 points so far this season. |
|
|
2. Bethel (Tenn.) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 18 Fisk (Tenn.), Nov. 21 Haskell (Kan.), Nov. 22 Texas A&M-San Antonio, Nov. 25 Faulkner (Ala.) Notes: Opens the season with a seven-game win streak that includes a win over then-No. 10 Indiana Wesleyan. The Wildcats sit at third in the nation in field goal percentage (48.7). |
|
|
3. Campbellsville (Ky.) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 14 Tennessee Southern, Nov. 15 Reinhardt (Ga.), Nov. 21 Texas A&M-San Antonio Notes: Opens the season on a six-game win streak that includes a win over then-No. 10 Indiana Wesleyan. The Tigers are second in the nation in assists per game (20.3). |
|
4. Marian (Ind.) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 15 Cumberlands (Ky.), Nov. 19 Bethel (Ind.), Nov. 22 Spring Arbor (Mich.) Notes: Opens season at 4-0 that includes a win over RV Pikeville. Abbey McNally leads the charge for the Knights with 59 points on the season. |
|
|
5. Dakota State (S.D.) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 15 Bellevue (Neb.), Nov. 21 Providence (Mont.), Nov. 22 Montana State - Northern, Nov. 25 Northwestern (Iowa) Notes: Opens season at 3-1 with an average margin victory of 24 points. |
|
|
6. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 14 Brewton-Parker (Ga.), Nov. 15 Life (Ga.), Nov. 22 Oregon Tech, Nov. 25 Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) Notes: Opens the season with a six-game win streak. The Lions are led by Jenna Satterly and Carissa Curtis from beyond the arc with 78.6% and 51.2%, respectively. |
|
|
T-7. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 21 Shawnee State (Ohio), Nov. 22 Rio Grande (Ohio) Notes: Opens the season at 4-0. |
|
|
T-7. Saint Francis (Ind.) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 12 IU East (Ind.), Nov. 15 Indiana Tech, Nov. 19 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio), Nov. 22 Grace (Ind.) Nov. 24 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) Notes: Opens the season at 4-0. Cali Gregory leads the Cougars with 53.7 field goal percentage and boasts 54 points on the season. |
|
|
9. Briar Cliff (Iowa) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 12 Peru State (Neb.), College of Saint Mary (Neb.), Nov. 19 Waldorf (Iowa), Nov. 22 Doane (Neb.) Nov. 25 Dakowa Wesleyan (S.D.) Notes: Opens the season with a five-game win streak that includes a win over RV Grand View (Iowa). The team is highlighted by Abby Lee and Mallie McNair, who have dropped 108 and 96 points so far this season in the team's five contests. |
|
|
10. Langston (Okla.) Games prior to next poll: Nov. 15 Wiley (Texas), Nov. 20 Nelson (Texas), Nov. 22 Texas Wesleyan Notes: Opens the season at 3-0. Areyanna Hunter leads the lions with 44 points on the season. |
| TREND | RANK | LAST TIME | INSTITUTION[FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | POINTS |
| ● | 1 | 1 | Dordt (Iowa) [20] | 4-0 | 540 |
| ● | 2 | 2 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 7-0 | 520 |
| ● | 3 | 3 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 6-0 | 506 |
| ▲ | 4 | 5 | Marian (Ind.) | 4-0 | 465 |
| ▼ | 5 | 4 | Dakota State (S.D.) | 3-1 | 462 |
| ● | 6 | 6 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 6-0 | 425 |
| ● | T-7 | 7 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 4-0 | 421 |
| ▲ | T-7 | 8 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 4-0 | 421 |
| ▲ | 9 | 20 | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 5-0 | 373 |
| ▲ | 10 | 11 | Langston (Okla.) | 3-0 | 348 |
| ▲ | 11 | NR | Concordia (Neb.) | 4-0 | 339 |
| ▲ | 12 | 13 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 3-1 | 321 |
| ▼ | 13 | 10 | Indiana Wesleyan | 4-3 | 316 |
| ▲ | 14 | 16 | Carroll (Mont.) | 1-1 | 283 |
| ▼ | 15 | 14 | Oregon Tech | 2-0 | 279 |
| ▼ | 16 | 9 | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | 2-1 | 255 |
| ▲ | 17 | 21 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 1-0 | 234 |
| ▲ | 18 | 19 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 4-0 | 213 |
| ▲ | 19 | 25 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 6-0 | 203 |
| ▲ | 20 | RV | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 3-0 | 145 |
| ▲ | 21 | RV | Montana Tech | 4-0 | 131 |
| ▲ | 22 | RV | Loyola (La.) | 3-1 | 126 |
| ▼ | 23 | 17 | Indiana Tech | 2-1 | 98 |
| ● | 24 | 24 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 3-1 | 96 |
| ▼ | 25 | 12 | Hastings (Neb.) | 2-2 | 90 |
Dropped from Top 25: Arizona Christian, LSU Shreveport (La.), Southern Oregon, Shawnee State (Ohio)
Receiving Votes: Governors State (Ill.) 78, LSU Shreveport (La.) 77, Providence (Mont.) 76, Southeastern (Fla.) 67, Georgetown (Ky.) 60, Southern Oregon 57, Corban (Ore.) 51, Friends (Kan.) 37, Florida Memorial 25, Huntington (Ind.) 25, Columbia (Mo.) 24, Evangel (Mo.) 13, Grand View (Iowa) 12, Morningside (Iowa) 11, William Carey (Miss.) 10, Cumberland (Tenn.) 7
Xavier (La.) 6, Shawnee State (Ohio) 5
Poll Methodology
- The national poll is for publicity purposes only and does not influence the selection process for national championship consideration.
- A panel of head coaches representing each conference and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) votes in the poll.
- The Top 25 teams are selected using a points-based system:
- 30 points for a 1st-place vote, 29 for 2nd, 28 for 3rd, and so on.
- The highest and lowest rankings received by each team are discarded before final tallying.
- Teams receiving only one point are not listed as "receiving votes."
- For the Preseason Poll, there is no "previous ranking" column since it is the initial poll and differs from the prior rating system.
Key: RV - Receiving Votes, NR - Not Ranked, ▲- Climbed, ▼- Dropped, ● - Steady
