By Mike DeVader, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Grizzlies of Georgia Gwinnett continue to be a mainstay at the top of the 2015 NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. Georgia Gwinnett reeled in all 12 first-place votes and 312 total points en route to the school’s six top billing in history.
The Grizzlies have been No. 1 since the 2014 Coaches’ Postseason Poll on May 21, 2014 – a string of six releases.
The top team is currently sitting at 10-1 in 2014-15. Georgia Gwinnett has been victorious six-straight times after dropping to NCAA Division II Barry (Fla.), 6-3, on March 8.
The Grizzlies take on NCAA Division II Hawaii-Pacific on April 3 at the GGC Tennis Facility.
The top five mirrored last week’s rankings, as No. 2 Embry-Riddle (8-3) – 2014 national runner-up – remains in second position with 294 total points. Continuing at No. 3 is Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (14-5) with 292 points. The rest of the top five includes 2014 national championship semifinalist Vanguard (Calif.) (18-0 and 290 points) in fourth, and quarterfinalist Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (10-1 and 272 points) is in fifth position.
Eleventh-ranked William Carey (Miss.) flew up from No. 21 in the poll, while No. 15 Belhaven (Miss.) dropped from No. 11.
No. 21 Tennessee Wesleyan and No. 24 Reinhardt (Ga.) are the only newcomers this week.
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 fifth regular-season edition of the Top 25 Poll will be April 14.
Notes: (All information as of the 2000 season) Georgia Gwinnett is ranked No. 1 for the sixth time in program history, and fourth-straight 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 31)
| RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2014-15 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Georgia Gwinnett (12) | 10-1 | 312 |
| 2 | 2 | Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | 8-3 | 294 |
| 3 | 3 | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | 14-5 | 292 |
| 4 | 4 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 18-0 | 290 |
| 5 | 5 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 10-1 | 272 |
| 6 | 6 | Xavier (La.) | 11-5 | 262 |
| 7 | 10 | Northwestern Ohio | 10-5 | 244 |
| 8 | 7 | Bethany (Kan.) | 4-0 | 243 |
| 9 | 9 | Concordia (Calif.) | 10-6 | 234 |
| 10 | 8 | Westmont (Calif.) | 8-7 | 226 |
| 11 | 21 | William Carey (Miss.) | 9-5 | 215 |
| 12 | 13 | Coastal Georgia | 10-5 | 196 |
| 13 | 12 | Northwood (Fla.) | 10-1 | 194 |
| 14 | 13 | Graceland (Iowa) | 6-2 | 178 |
| 15 | 11 | Belhaven (Miss.) | 13-4 | 176 |
| 16 | 15 | San Diego Christian (Calif.) | 9-6 | 161 |
| 17 | 16 | Dalton State (Ga.) | 9-5 | 148 |
| 18 | 18 | Oklahoma Baptist | 5-5 | 136 |
| 19 | 20 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 7-3 | 121 |
| 20 | 21 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 2-5 | 120 |
| 21 | RV | Tennessee Wesleyan | 9-1 | 110 |
| 22 | 22 | SCAD Savannah (Ga.) | 6-5 | 103 |
| 23 | 24 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 5-4 | 80 |
| 24 | RV | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 4-3 | 71 |
| 25 | 25 | Aquinas (Mich.) | 11-5 | 62 |
Others Receiving Votes: McPherson (Kan.) 58; Indiana Wesleyan 51; SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 27; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 24; Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 22; Southeastern (Fla.) 22; Marian (Ind.) 19; St. Francis (Ill.) 10; Pikeville (Ky.) 7; Biola (Calif.) 5; Friends (Kan.) 3; Middle Georgia State 3.
