2016 NAIA Women?s Tennis Coaches? Top 25 Poll ? Feb. 16
By Colbi Howser, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) starts its 2016 season with a No. 1 ranking in the first regular season edition of the NAIA Women’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The second regular season poll will be released March 1.
Top 25 Highlights
• Defending champion Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) opens regular season play with a No. 1 ranking, collecting 13-of-14 first-place votes and 374 total points.
• The Warhawks are 2-0 to start the season picking up wins against Dalton State (Ga.), Feb. 5 and NCAA Division I Jackson State (Miss.), Feb. 12.
• No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett received the final first place vote with 362 total points. The Grizzles opened its season with an 8-1 win against NCAA Division III USC-Aiken (S.C.), Feb. 5.
• Georgia Gwinnett hosts NCAA Division III No.2 Emory (Ga.), Feb. 17.
• No. 22 LSU Alexandria (La.) makes its way back into the Top 25 after missing the cut for the preseason poll. The Generals are 3-3 this season and look to continue its win streak when they host LSU Shreveport (La.), Feb. 28.
• Ottawa (Kan.) falls out of the Top 25 Poll.
• Twelve conferences/Association of Independent Institutions/unaffiliated groups are represented throughout the Top 25, led by four programs from The Southern States Athletic Conference. Three conferences/unaffiliated groups are tied for second with three teams ranked apiece.
• Auburn Montgomery and former member Fresco Pacific (Calif.) are the only teams to go the entire season ranked No. 1.
• Auburn Montgomery has the most No. 1 rakings in the Top 25 (73), Georgia Gwinnett and Brenau (Ga.) are second with 12 each.
Poll Methodology:
• 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 Women’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll schedule, click here.
2016 NAIA Women’s Tennis Coaches’ Preseason – (Feb. 16)
| RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL | WON | LOST | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | 2 | 0 | 374 |
| 2 | 2 | Georgia Gwinnett | 1 | 0 | 362 |
| 3 | 3 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 1 | 0 | 348 |
| 4 | 4 | SCAD Savannah (Ga.) | 3 | 1 | 340 |
| 5 | 5 | Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) | 0 | 0 | 324 |
| 6 | 6 | William Carey (Miss.) | 2 | 3 | 315 |
| 7 | 7 | Brenau (Ga.) | 3 | 1 | 303 |
| 8 | 8 | Keiser (Fla.) | 0 | 1 | 283 |
| 9 | 10 | Arizona Christian | 4 | 0 | 280 |
| 10 | 9 | Westmont (Calif.) | 1 | 2 | 266 |
| 11 | 12 | Northwestern Ohio | 3 | 2 | 248 |
| 12 | 14 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 1 | 1 | 223 |
| T13 | 13 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 2 | 6 | 222 |
| T13 | 11 | Xavier (La.) | 1 | 2 | 222 |
| 15 | 15 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 0 | 2 | 206 |
| 16 | 16 | Indiana Wesleyan | 15 | 0 | 205 |
| 17 | 17 | Davenport (Mich.) | 2 | 3 | 179 |
| 18 | 18 | McPherson (Kan.) | 0 | 0 | 151 |
| 19 | 19 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 1 | 1 | 149 |
| 20 | 20 | Coastal Georgia | 0 | 1 | 137 |
| 21 | 21 | SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) | 2 | 1 | 129 |
| 22 | NR | LSU Alexandria | 0 | 0 | 116 |
| 23 | 22 | Evangel (Mo.) | 1 | 4 | 109 |
| 24 | 23 | Marian (Ind.) | 9 | 2 | 99 |
| 25 | 24 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 0 | 0 | 85 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Ottawa (Kan.)
Receiving Votes: Ottawa (Kan.) 68, Reinhardt (Ga.) 50, Middle Georgia State 49, St. Thomas (Fla.) 43, Southwestern (Kan.) 14, Missouri Valley 13, Georgetown (Ky.) 11, San Diego Christian (Calif.) 7, Huntington (Ind.) 5, William Woods (Mo.) 4, Aquinas (Mich.) 3, Milligan (Tenn.) 3, Morningside (Iowa) 3, Warner (Fla.) 3
