2018 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll — Poll Seven (Oct. 16)
Spring Arbor (Mich.) continues unbeaten streak while William Carey (Miss.) gains ground
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 1999)
- Spring Arbor posted a pair of shutout 7-0 wins over Goshen (Ind.) and Bethel (Ind.) over the course of the week.
- Midfielder Bethany Balcer has been one of the top scoring threats in the NAIA this season. The senior is ranked fifth in the nation in game winning goals with six.
- Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) made a four-point jump from 14 to 10 after a 3-0 shutout win over then-No. 10 Cumberland (Tenn.).
- Grace (Ind.) and Cumberlands (Ky.) are both newcomers to the Top 25. The Lancers boast a 14-1 record while the Patriots snagged a 1-0 win over then-No. 15 Georgia Gwinnett to make the jump to No. 24.
- Spring Arbor continues to hold the longest active Top 25 Poll streak, moving to 92 consecutive appearances in the poll. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) holds the national record since 1999 with 203 consecutive appearances, which was stopped on Oct. 24, 2017. Keiser (Fla.) is right behind Spring Arbor at No. 9, extending its streak to 90 weeks.
- Lindsey Wilson own the most No. 1 rankings since 1999 with 58, followed by former member Azusa Pacific (Calif.) with 32. Spring Arbor is in third with 23 followed closely by Westmont (Calif.) and former member Concordia (Ore.) with 19 apiece.
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.”
2018 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – Poll Seven (Oct. 16)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Spring Arbor (Mich.) [14] | 12-0-1 | 495 |
| 2 | 2 | William Carey (Miss.) [4] | 13-1 | 485 |
| 3 | 3 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 12-1-1 | 465 |
| 4 | 5 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 10-1 | 436 |
| 5 | 4 | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) | 12-1-1 | 434 |
| 6 | 6 | Keiser (Fla.) | 12-2-1 | 429 |
| 7 | 7 | John Brown (Ark.) | 10-2-1 | 398 |
| 8 | 8 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 12-2 | 388 |
| 9 | 9 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 12-1-2 | 365 |
| 10 | 14 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 6-2-2 | 341 |
| 11 | 12 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 7-2-1 | 339 |
| 12 | 11 | Westmont (Calif.) | 10-1-2 | 320 |
| 13 | 16 | Hastings (Neb.) | 10-0-2 | 291 |
| 14 | 13 | Mobile (Ala.) | 10-4 | 284 |
| 15 | 10 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 12-2 | 273 |
| 16 | 18 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 11-3 | 262 |
| 17 | 17 | Marian (Ind.) | 8-3-3 | 225 |
| 18 | 20 | Trinity Christian (Ill.) | 14-0 | 224 |
| 19 | 15 | Georgia Gwinnett | 10-3 | 201 |
| 20 | 21 | Midland (Neb.) | 10-1-1 | 197 |
| 21 | NR | Grace (Ind.) | 14-1 | 148 |
| 22 | 25 | University of Northwestern Ohio | 8-3-3 | 145 |
| 23 | 21 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 11-1-1 | 139 |
| 24 | NR | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 13-1-1 | 128 |
| 25 | 23 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 10-4-1 | 113 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Columbia (Mo.), Central Methodist (Mo.)
Others Receiving Votes: Eastern Oregon 70, Columbia (Mo.) 61, Central Methodist (Mo.) 59, Ottawa (Kan.) 53, Taylor (Ind.) 39, Truett McConnell (Ga.) 30, Oklahoma City 19, St. Thomas (Texas) 14, Concordia (Neb.) 10, Aquinas (Mich.) 9, Indiana Wesleyan 5, Missouri Valley 4
