The Northwestern College volleyball team earned a top 10 ranking in the NAIA Coaches' preseason poll released earlier today by the national office.
The Red Raiders hold the No.7 spot in the initial poll, highest among the six teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) recognized, with 418 points, trailing No.6 Southern Oregon (422) by just four. GPAC rival Midland is right behind at No. 8, along with Dordt (11), Hastings (14), University of Jamestown (20) and Morningside (RV).
Defending national champion Park (Mo.) garnered all 18 first place votes and opens the 2019 season where they left off the season prior, ranked first. The Pirates are followed by another American Midwest Conference team and national runner-up, Columbia (Mo.), at No.2. Grand View is third while Missouri Baptist, another AMC team, is fourth and Viterbo (Wis.) rounds out the top five.
Northwestern, under the direction of head coach
Kyle Van Den Bosch, faces eight teams recoginized in the preseason poll, including three (Grand View, Viterbo, Midland) that are in the top 10. They open the season at home at their Red Raider Classic on August 23-24.
NAIA Press Release |
PDF
2019 Women's Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Poll
| RANK |
LAST |
SCHOOL [FIRST PLACE VOTES] |
2018 RECORD |
POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Park (Mo.) [18] |
36-1 |
498 |
| 2 |
2 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
36-4 |
480 |
| 3 |
5 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
36-1 |
451 |
| 4 |
9 |
Missouri Baptist |
31-3 |
428 |
| 5 |
3 |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
33-8 |
425 |
| 6 |
8 |
Southern Oregon |
29-5 |
422 |
| 7 |
12 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
26-9 |
418 |
| 8 |
4 |
Midland (Neb.) |
26-8 |
381 |
| 9 |
6 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
33-4 |
369 |
| 10 |
11 |
Eastern Oregon |
25-9 |
366 |
| 11 |
7 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
31-3 |
329 |
| 12 |
14 |
College of Idaho |
24-10 |
320 |
| 13 |
13 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
30-6 |
300 |
| 14 |
10 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
22-7 |
298 |
| 15 |
17 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
29-8 |
292 |
| 16 |
19 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
35-8 |
224 |
| 17 |
21 |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
32-8 |
218 |
| 18 |
RV |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
26-11 |
216 |
| 19 |
16 |
Corban (Ore.) |
23-13 |
204 |
| 20 |
18 |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
24-9 |
198 |
| 21 |
20 |
Providence (Mont.) (Mont.) |
23-11 |
183 |
| 22 |
RV |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
23-12 |
165 |
| 23 |
15 |
Westmont (Calif.) |
27-7 |
130 |
| 24 |
23 |
Marian (Ind.) |
30-7 |
124 |
| 25 |
RV |
Ottawa (Kan.) |
27-13 |
91 |
Others receiving votes: Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 89, Trinity Christian (Ill.) 88, Reinhardt (Ga.) 85, Madonna (Mich.) 58, Saint Francis (Ind.) 34, Northwest (Wash.) 18, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 18, Morningside (Iowa) 12, Kansas Wesleyan 12, SAGU (Texas) 11, Oklahoma City 6, Campbellsville (Ky.) 4, Milligan (Tenn.) 4
