2017 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll — No. 8
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time dating back to 1999, William Carey (Miss.) rests atop the NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The Crusaders garnered 14 first-place votes and 494 total points.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 1999)
• William Carey, which is one of two unbeaten teams remaining in NAIA women’s soccer, improved to 14-0-0 on the season with wins over Bethel (Tenn.), 3-0, and at then-No. 1 Martin Methodist (Tenn.), 1-0, last week.
• The Crusaders return to the pitch Saturday against No. 11 Mobile (Ala.) in the club’s regular-season finale.
• No. 2 Spring Arbor (Mich.) claimed the other two first-place votes this week.
• No. 25 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) is the only newcomer to the poll this week. The Tigers, who boast a 10-5-1 mark this season, were ranked multiple times during the 2016 season.
• Spring Arbor takes over the longest active streak in the Top 25 after Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), which had previously appeared in 202-consecutive Top 25 Polls, dropped out this edition. The Cougars have been listed in 81-straight polls. No. 6 Keiser (Fla.) is next on the list with 79-consecutive Top 25’s.
• Lindsey Wilson own the most No. 1 rankings since 1999 with 58, followed by former member Azusa Pacific (Calif.) with 32, Westmont (Calif.) and former member Concordia (Ore.) with 19, former member Lee (Tenn.) at 16, Martin Methodist at 15 and Spring Arbor with 14.
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
2017 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 8 (Oct. 24)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2017 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 4 | William Carey (Miss.) (14) | 14-0-0 | 494 |
| 2 | 2 | Spring Arbor (Mich.) (4) | 15-1-0 | 475 |
| 3 | 1 | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) | 15-1-0 | 471 |
| 4 | 3 | University of Northwestern Ohio | 13-1-1 | 456 |
| 5 | 5 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 13-3-0 | 434 |
| 6 | 6 | Keiser (Fla.) | 13-1-1 | 418 |
| 7 | 8 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 14-0-2 | 396 |
| 8 | 9 | Columbia (Mo.) | 15-1-0 | 388 |
| 9 | 7 | Westmont (Calif.) | 12-3-1 | 354 |
| 10 | 11 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 12-1-0 | 349 |
| 11 | 10 | Mobile (Ala.) | 12-3-0 | 335 |
| 12 | 13 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 13-1-1 | 326 |
| 13 | 14 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 12-2-1 | 302 |
| 14 | 12 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 13-3-1 | 289 |
| 15 | 15 | Marian (Ind.) | 13-2-1 | 280 |
| 16 | 16 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 10-3-1 | 252 |
| 17 | 17 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 13-3-0 | 233 |
| 18 | 19 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 11-2-2 | 222 |
| 19 | T20 | John Brown (Ark.) | 13-2-0 | 217 |
| 20 | T20 | Hastings (Neb.) | 13-1-2 | 205 |
| 21 | 22 | Georgia Gwinnett | 11-3-1 | 192 |
| 22 | 24 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 12-2-1 | 165 |
| 23 | 18 | Midland (Neb.) | 11-2-2 | 140 |
| 24 | 25 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 11-4-1 | 129 |
| 25 | NR | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 10-5-1 | 67 |
Dropped from Top 25: Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (No. 23)
Others Receiving Votes: Menlo (Calif.) 62; Indiana Wesleyan 61; Bellevue (Neb.) 60; St. Thomas (Fla.) 35; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 25; Graceland (Iowa) 17; Antelope Valley (Calif.) 16; Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 14; Concordia (Neb.) 12; Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 11; LSU Alexandria (La.) 10; Eastern Oregon 6; Taylor (Ind.) 4.
