Raiders Back to No. 2 in NSC Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – There was plenty of movement as the Northwestern volleyball team moved back to No. 2 in the first edition of the NAIA National Selection Committee (NSC) Top 25 Poll.

Northwestern enters a weekend of top-15 matchups with an 18-1 record and an 8-0 GPAC mark. The Raiders are in the midst of a 15-match winning streak, with defending GPAC Attacker of the Week Stella Winterfeld leading the way at 4.84 kills per set, which is the best in the conference and second nationally. Nyah Potthoff is second in the conference in assists per set (10.54), while Maddy Sampson (.345) and Halie Kapelke (.323) are second and third, respectively, in hitting percentage. The Raiders have won 49 consecutive GPAC regular season matches dating back to September 30, 2023.

Eastern Oregon claimed the top spot as the lone unbeaten team in the NAIA. Northwestern came in at No. 2, with Concordia (Neb.), Morningside, and Corban (Ore.) rounding out the top five. Six GPAC teams were represented in the poll, with three being in the top five.

Northwestern has been ranked in 72 consecutive NAIA top 25 polls dating back to the 2016 season, which is second in the nation behind Eastern Oregon.

Members of NSC each completed an individual ballot based on data such as ranking percentage index (RPI), area rating committee standings (ARC), overall record, strength of schedule (SOS), and conference record. The same data being used come November when the selection committee is determining at-large teams and seeding the national championship field.

The full results of the NAIA NSC Poll are linked at the top of the story.

GPAC IN THE TOP 25
No. 2 Northwestern Red Raiders
No. 3 Concordia (Neb.) Bulldogs
No. 4 Morningside Mustangs
No. 11 Midland Warriors
No. 21 Dordt Defenders
No. 24 Dakota Wesleyan Tigers

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Players Mentioned

#24 Halie Kapelke: OPP; 6' 1"; Junior

#2 Nyah Potthoff: S; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#8 Maddy Sampson: MH; 6' 1"; Junior

#5 Stella Winterfeld: OH; 5' 10"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#24 Halie Kapelke
: 6' 1"; Junior
: OPP

#2 Nyah Potthoff
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: S

#8 Maddy Sampson
: 6' 1"; Junior
: MH

#5 Stella Winterfeld
: 5' 10"; Senior
: OH