KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After claiming its first red banner, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) is the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, the national office announced on Wednesday. The Blue Raiders captured 11-of-14 first-place votes as well as 371 points. Dordt captured the remaining three first place votes and are ranked in second place after finishing runner-up last year. Northwestern College comes into the season ranked 7th
The Defenders posted a 34-8 overall record in 2017 and finished the GPAC season with a 14-2 mark and the Defenders were tri-champions in the regular season race, and returns seven players who played in at least 41 matches in 2017.
Northwestern finished the 2017 season with a 30-6 overall record, reaching the round of 16 at the NAIA National Championship before losing to Westmont (Calif.). Kyle Van Den Bosch begins his 14th season as the Red Raiders head coach and returns six starters and seven letter winners from the 2017 season.
2018 Women’s Volleyball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll – (Aug. 14)
RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1st Place Votes] | RECORD | POINTS |
1 | 1 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) [11] | 35-0 | 371 |
2 | 2 | Dordt (Iowa) [3] | 34-8 | 364 |
3 | 4 | Missouri Baptist | 34-9 | 345 |
4 | 3 | Viterbo (Wis.) | 40-2 | 341 |
5 | 6 | Park (Mo.) | 32-4 | 328 |
6 | 5 | Westmont (Calif.) | 36-4 | 298 |
7 | 11 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 30-6 | 296 |
7 | 7 | College of Idaho | 28-7 | 296 |
9 | 10 | Grand View (Iowa) | 34-8 | 281 |
10 | 9 | Hastings (Neb.) | 28-3 | 277 |
11 | 13 | Midland (Neb.) | 21-11 | 248 |
12 | 14 | Montana Tech | 25-10 | 238 |
13 | NR | Southern Oregon | 15-11 | 214 |
14 | 18 | Columbia (Mo.) | 34-8 | 205 |
15 | 12 | Eastern Oregon | 24-11 | 193 |
16 | 17 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 28-8 | 181 |
17 | 20 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 22-6 | 175 |
18 | RV | Doane (Neb.) | 17-12 | 167 |
19 | 8 | Corban (Ore.) | 27-9 | 156 |
20 | 24 | Madonna (Mich.) | 29-7 | 130 |
21 | 19 | Bellevue (Neb.) | 30-13 | 123 |
22 | 22 | Indiana Wesleyan | 29-12 | 104 |
23 | RV | Ottawa (Kan.) | 30-13 | 103 |
24 | 21 | Northwest (Wash.) | 24-10 | 95 |
25 | 15 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 23-10 | 90 |
Dropped from the rankings: No. 23 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), No. 25 Saint Xavier (Ill.), No. 16 Morningside (Iowa)
Others receiving votes: Embry-Riddle 88, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 77, Campbellsville (Ky.) 44, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 37, Marian (Ind.) 27, Morningside 18, Kansas Wesleyan 11, William Woods (Mo.) 6, Reinhardt (Ga.) 5, Aquinas (Mich.) 4, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 4, Mobile (Ala.) 4, Trinity Christian (Ill.) 3, Vanguard (Calif.) 3, Lourdes (Ohio) 3