2014 NAIA Men?s Tennis Coaches? Top 25 Poll ? No. 2
Mar 04, 2014
By: Sam Knehans, Communications & Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the seventh-straight edition, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) sits atop the NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The defending national champion Eagles received all 13 first-place votes and 343 total points to earn their fourth-straight consensus No. 1 ranking. This is the 10th all-time No. 1 ranking for Embry-Riddle, dating back to 2000.
Embry-Riddle is 5-2 on the year, including victories against St. Thomas (Fla.) (8-1), NCAA Division II Flagler (Fla.) (8-1), NCAA Division II then-No. 9 Rollins (Fla.) (5-4), Northwood (Fla.) (8-1) and NCAA Division I Toledo (Ohio) (6-1). The Eagles two losses have come against NCAA Division II then-No. 1 Barry (Fla.) (9-0) and NCAA Division II then-No. 4 Lynn (Fla.) (6-3).
Defending national runner-up Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) accumulated 331 points to retain the No. 2 ranking for the seventh-consecutive poll. The Warhawks have now been ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in 12-straight editions. Auburn Montgomery, which is 7-1 on the year, has rattled off seven-straight wins over NAIA opponents after falling to NCAA Division II then-No. 3 West Florida (8-1) in its season opener on Feb. 7.
Vanguard (Calif.) accrued 319 points to hold the No. 3 position for the 12th-straight poll. The Lions are 4-0 against NAIA competition this season, including a signature win over then-No. 12 Concordia (Calif.) (8-1) on Feb. 22, but have suffered losses to NCAA Division II then-No. 12 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (5-4) and NCAA Division III then-No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) (6-3).
No. 4 Georgia Gwinnett and No. 5 Westmont (Calif.) round out the top five with 312 and 299 points, respectively. Georgia Gwinnett is 7-0 on the year, including wins over five ranked teams: NCAA Division II then-No. 21 South Carolina-Aiken (9-0) on Feb. 9; then-No. 12 Belhaven (Miss.) (6-0) on Feb. 14; then-No. 13 William Carey (Miss.) (8-1) on Feb. 15; then-No. 6 Xavier (La.) (6-1) on Feb. 16; and NCAA Division II then-No. 7 Lander (S.C.) (5-4) on Feb. 20. Westmont, which has been ranked among the top five in 11-straight polls, boasts a 6-1 record on the season. The Warriors’ only loss was to NCAA Division III then-No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (6-3) on Feb. 20.
No. 25 Coastal Georgia was the lone newcomer to the poll.
McPherson (Kan.) (No. 25) fell out of the Top 25.
Within the poll, No. 12 William Carey (Miss.) and No. 21 Davenport (Mich.) each moved up a poll-high three spots, while Bethany (Kan.) and Oklahoma Baptist each fell four positions, landing at No. 15 and No. 22, respectively.
Ten of the 13 conferences and unaffiliated groupings are represented in the second regular-season poll, led by four teams from the Southern States Athletic Conference.
The third regular-season Top 25 poll will be released on March 18.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and unaffiliated groupings. For the entire 2014 Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll schedule, click here.
Notes: (All information as of the 2000 season) Embry-Riddle (Fla.) has claimed the No. 1 ranking 10 times, including seven-straight… Auburn Montgomery’s (Ala.) 29 top mentions are the most all-time… The Warhawks are followed by former-members Azusa Pacific (Calif.) and Fresno Pacific (Calif.) with 23 each, Oklahoma City with 13 and Embry-Riddle with 10… Embry-Riddle is trying to become the seventh preseason No. 1 to go on to win the national title… The feat was last accomplished by Fresno Pacific in 2011… Two teams held the No. 1 ranking in 2013: Auburn Montgomery and Embry-Riddle.
2014 NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 2 (March 4)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the seventh-straight edition, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) sits atop the NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The defending national champion Eagles received all 13 first-place votes and 343 total points to earn their fourth-straight consensus No. 1 ranking. This is the 10th all-time No. 1 ranking for Embry-Riddle, dating back to 2000.
Embry-Riddle is 5-2 on the year, including victories against St. Thomas (Fla.) (8-1), NCAA Division II Flagler (Fla.) (8-1), NCAA Division II then-No. 9 Rollins (Fla.) (5-4), Northwood (Fla.) (8-1) and NCAA Division I Toledo (Ohio) (6-1). The Eagles two losses have come against NCAA Division II then-No. 1 Barry (Fla.) (9-0) and NCAA Division II then-No. 4 Lynn (Fla.) (6-3).
Defending national runner-up Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) accumulated 331 points to retain the No. 2 ranking for the seventh-consecutive poll. The Warhawks have now been ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in 12-straight editions. Auburn Montgomery, which is 7-1 on the year, has rattled off seven-straight wins over NAIA opponents after falling to NCAA Division II then-No. 3 West Florida (8-1) in its season opener on Feb. 7.
Vanguard (Calif.) accrued 319 points to hold the No. 3 position for the 12th-straight poll. The Lions are 4-0 against NAIA competition this season, including a signature win over then-No. 12 Concordia (Calif.) (8-1) on Feb. 22, but have suffered losses to NCAA Division II then-No. 12 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (5-4) and NCAA Division III then-No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) (6-3).
No. 4 Georgia Gwinnett and No. 5 Westmont (Calif.) round out the top five with 312 and 299 points, respectively. Georgia Gwinnett is 7-0 on the year, including wins over five ranked teams: NCAA Division II then-No. 21 South Carolina-Aiken (9-0) on Feb. 9; then-No. 12 Belhaven (Miss.) (6-0) on Feb. 14; then-No. 13 William Carey (Miss.) (8-1) on Feb. 15; then-No. 6 Xavier (La.) (6-1) on Feb. 16; and NCAA Division II then-No. 7 Lander (S.C.) (5-4) on Feb. 20. Westmont, which has been ranked among the top five in 11-straight polls, boasts a 6-1 record on the season. The Warriors’ only loss was to NCAA Division III then-No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (6-3) on Feb. 20.
No. 25 Coastal Georgia was the lone newcomer to the poll.
McPherson (Kan.) (No. 25) fell out of the Top 25.
Within the poll, No. 12 William Carey (Miss.) and No. 21 Davenport (Mich.) each moved up a poll-high three spots, while Bethany (Kan.) and Oklahoma Baptist each fell four positions, landing at No. 15 and No. 22, respectively.
Ten of the 13 conferences and unaffiliated groupings are represented in the second regular-season poll, led by four teams from the Southern States Athletic Conference.
The third regular-season Top 25 poll will be released on March 18.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and unaffiliated groupings. For the entire 2014 Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll schedule, click here.
Notes: (All information as of the 2000 season) Embry-Riddle (Fla.) has claimed the No. 1 ranking 10 times, including seven-straight… Auburn Montgomery’s (Ala.) 29 top mentions are the most all-time… The Warhawks are followed by former-members Azusa Pacific (Calif.) and Fresno Pacific (Calif.) with 23 each, Oklahoma City with 13 and Embry-Riddle with 10… Embry-Riddle is trying to become the seventh preseason No. 1 to go on to win the national title… The feat was last accomplished by Fresno Pacific in 2011… Two teams held the No. 1 ranking in 2013: Auburn Montgomery and Embry-Riddle.
2014 NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 2 (March 4)
| RANK | LAST TIME | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (13) | 343 |
| 2 | 2 | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | 331 |
| 3 | 3 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 319 |
| 4 | 4 | Georgia Gwinnett | 312 |
| 5 | 5 | Westmont (Calif.) | 299 |
| 6 | 6 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 288 |
| 7 | 7 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 268 |
| 8 | 9 | Belhaven (Miss.) | 265 |
| 9 | 8 | Xavier (La.) | 259 |
| 10 | 10 | Aquinas (Mich.) | 250 |
| 11 | 12 | Concordia (Calif.) | 222 |
| 12 | 15 | William Carey (Miss.) | 211 |
| 13 | 14 | Graceland (Iowa) | 195 |
| 14 | 13 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 193 |
| 15 | 11 | Bethany (Kan.) | 187 |
| 16 | 16 | Northwestern Ohio | 182 |
| 17 | 17 | Warner (Fla.) | 176 |
| 18 | 20 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 143 |
| 19 | 19 | Northwood (Fla.) | 132 |
| 20 | 21 | Pikeville (Ky.) | 130 |
| 21 | 24 | Davenport (Mich.) | 125 |
| 22 | 18 | Oklahoma Baptist | 122 |
| 23 | 22 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 114 |
| 24 | 23 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 107 |
| 25 | RV | Coastal Georgia | 59 |
Others Receiving Votes: McPherson (Kan.) 55; Indiana Wesleyan 55; Webber International (Fla.) 49; St. Francis (Ill.) 46; Missouri Valley 18; Mobile (Ala.) 12; Indiana Tech 8; Huntington (Ind.) 8; Biola (Calif.) 6; St. Thomas (Fla.) 3; Cumberlands (Ky.) 3.
