2015 NAIA Men?s Tennis Coaches? Top 25 Poll ? March 3
By Mike DeVader, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Grizzlies of Georgia Gwinnett remain the top-ranked squad in the 2015 NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The Grizzlies earned 343 points and all 13 first-place votes for the second-straight rating en route to the top spot.
The defending national champions began the year No. 1 for the first time in history after winning the title in their first year of NAIA postseason eligibility in 2014. A perfect season was capped off with a 21-0 record and a 5-1 win over top-seeded Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in the national championship final on May 17, 2014.
The top-ranked team remains 5-0 this season. Most recently, the team dominated 7-2 over NCAA Division II Lander at GGC Tennis Facility on Feb. 6. With the win, Georgia Gwinnett has now won 27-consecutive matches.
The Grizzlies face Martin Methodist (Tenn.) today.
Rounding out the top five is No. 2 Embry-Riddle (4-1) – 2014 national runner-up – with 328 total points. Continuing at No. 3 is Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (7-3) with 321 points. The rest of the top five includes 2014 national championship semifinalist Vanguard (Calif.) (10-0 and 313 points) in fourth, and quarterfinalist Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (5-1 and 299 points) is fifth.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and the Association of Independent Institutions. For the entire 2015 NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll schedule, click here.
The third regular-season edition of the Top 25 Poll will be March 17.
Notes: (All information as of the 2000 season) Georgia Gwinnett is ranked No. 1 for the fourth time in program history, and second time in a regular-season edition… Embry-Riddle (Fla.) had topped the poll for 12-straight editions prior to the 2014 Coaches’ Postseason Poll on May 21, 2014… 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, Embry-Riddle with 15 and Oklahoma City with 13… Two teams held the No. 1 ranking in 2014: Embry-Riddle and Georgia Gwinnett.
2015 NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll (March 3)
| RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2014-15 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Georgia Gwinnett (13) | 5-0 | 343 |
| 2 | 2 | Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | 3-0 | 328 |
| 3 | 3 | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | 7-3 | 321 |
| 4 | 4 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 10-0 | 313 |
| 5 | 5 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 5-1 | 299 |
| 6 | 8 | Xavier (La.) | 6-1 | 277 |
| 6 | 7 | Bethany (Kan.) | 0-0 | 277 |
| 8 | 9 | Westmont (Calif.) | 6-3 | 262 |
| 9 | 11 | Concordia (Calif.) | 5-3 | 249 |
| 10 | 6 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 1-1 | 234 |
| 11 | RV | William Carey (Miss.) | 4-2 | 230 |
| 12 | 13 | Graceland (Iowa) | 4-2 | 217 |
| 13 | 12 | Northwestern Ohio | 6-3 | 215 |
| 14 | 10 | Belhaven (Miss.) | 8-2 | 208 |
| 15 | 15 | Northwood (Fla.) | 5-0 | 188 |
| 16 | 14 | Coastal Georgia | 2-3 | 186 |
| 17 | NR | San Diego Christian (Calif.) | 5-2 | 155 |
| 18 | 17 | Pikeville (Ky.) | 1-0 | 152 |
| 19 | 16 | SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) | 0-3 | 143 |
| 20 | 19 | Oklahoma Baptist | 0-3 | 124 |
| 21 | 20 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 2-4 | 122 |
| 22 | RV | Aquinas (Mich.) | 5-1 | 111 |
| 23 | 22 | SCAD Savannah (Ga.) | 4-3 | 96 |
| 24 | 18 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 0-3 | 91 |
| 25 | 24 | Indiana Wesleyan | 12-2 | 79 |
Others Receiving Votes: Mobile (Ala.) 75; McPherson (Kan.) 74; Tennessee Wesleyan 40; Marian (Ind.) 28; Southeastern (Fla.) 19; Campbellsville (Ky.) 15; Friends (Kan.) 6; Cornerstone (Mich.) 6; Biola (Calif.) 6; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 5; Missouri Valley 4; Davenport (Mich.) 3.
^ 2015 NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll (Feb. 17)
