2016 NAIA Women?s Tennis Coaches? Top 25 Poll ? No. 6 (April 26)
By Colbi Howser, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time in history, two schools rank No. 1 as Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) and Georgia Gwinnett tie for the top spot in the sixth regular-season edition of the NAIA Women’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The final regular-season poll will be released May 8.
Top 25 Highlights
• The Warhawks totaled 7-of-14 first-place votes and 368 total points, and have held the No. 1 position the entire season.
• Auburn Montgomery clinched an automatic berth to the national championship in Mobile, Ala., May 17-21 after beating No. 6 Brenau (Ga.), 5-1 in the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament championship.
• No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett received the last seven first-place votes to tie with the Warhawks after holding the second-place position in every previous poll this season.
• The Grizzlies are now 13-2 overall with impressive wins against No. 6 Brenau, 8-1, on April 14 and NCAA Division II Tusculum (Tenn.), 8-1, on April 17.
• No. 24 Reinhardt (Ga.) and No. 25 Georgetown (Ky.) are newcomers to the poll in this installment.
• Reinhardt earns the No. 24 position after clinching the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament championship on April 17 by beating Milligan (Tenn.), 5-2. The Eagles also earn an automatic berth to the national championship.
• Georgetown moves into the Top 25 after advancing to semifinals of the Mid-South Conference tournament after beating Pikeville, 5-1.
• No. 3 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), No. 4 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) and No. 5 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) have not moved in national rankings since the preseason poll.
• Marian (Ind.) and SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) fall out of the Top 25 Poll.
• Eight teams have not moved since the previous poll.
• Twelve conferences/Association of Independent Institutions/unaffiliated groups are represented throughout the Top 25, led by five programs from the Southern States Athletic Conference. The Sun Conference and Golden State Athletic Conference are second with three teams mentioned each.
• 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 (80), Georgia Gwinnett is second with 13, while Brenau (Ga.) is third with 12.
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 Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll schedule, click here.
2016 NAIA Women’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 6 (April 25)
| RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL (1st place votes) | WON | LOST | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 2 | Georgia Gwinnett (7) | 12 | 2 | 368 |
| 1 | 1 | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (7) | 19 | 3 | 368 |
| 3 | 3 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 17 | 4 | 350 |
| 4 | 4 | SCAD Savannah (Ga.) | 16 | 1 | 337 |
| 5 | 5 | Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) | 15 | 1 | 327 |
| 6 | 6 | Brenau (Ga.) | 16 | 6 | 313 |
| 7 | 7 | Westmont (Calif.) | 10 | 7 | 296 |
| 8 | 9 | Indiana Wesleyan | 29 | 6 | 285 |
| 9 | 8 | Middle Georgia State | 14 | 7 | 274 |
| 10 | 11 | William Woods (Mo.) | 14 | 2 | 266 |
| 11 | 10 | Arizona Christian | 17 | 4 | 249 |
| 12 | 11 | Davenport (Mich.) | 22 | 5 | 246 |
| 13 | 14 | William Carey (Miss.) | 11 | 11 | 220 |
| 14 | 13 | Keiser (Fla.) | 11 | 8 | 218 |
| 15 | 17 | Northwestern Ohio | 11 | 8 | 207 |
| 16 | 15 | Xavier (La.) | 8 | 13 | 196 |
| 17 | 16 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 12 | 7 | 188 |
| 18 | 18 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 9 | 9 | 173 |
| 19 | 21 | LSU Alexandria | 11 | 6 | 161 |
| 20 | 19 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 8 | 13 | 150 |
| 21 | 20 | St. Thomas (Fla.) | 87 | 8 | 136 |
| 22 | 22 | McPherson (Kan.) | 11 | 4 | 114 |
| 23 | 24 | Mobile (Ala.) | 11 | 6 | 106 |
| 24 | NR | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 12 | 4 | 104 |
| 25 | NR | Georgetown (Ky.) | 18 | 8 | 76 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Marian (Ind.), SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)
Receiving Votes: Marian (Ind.) 62, Milligan (Tenn.) 49, Southeastern (Fla.) 34, Southwestern (Kan.) 29, SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 24, Texas Wesleyan 14, San Diego Christian (Calif.) 13, Ottawa (Kan.) 7, St. Francis (Ill.) 5, Morningside (Iowa) 4
^ Ranking based off the NAIA Women’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 5 (April 12)
