St. Thomas, Reinhardt Occupy NAIA Top 15 Spots

(Story provided by NAIA Athletic Communications)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The fourth edition of the NAIA Men's Volleyball Coaches' Top 15 Poll saw two Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) teams narrowly miss making the top 10.

The poll was released on Wednesday.

St. Thomas collected 59 voting points to tie for No. 10. Meanwhile, Reinhardt picked up 41 voting points to check in at No. 12.

	1. The Master's Matches prior to next poll: March 27, Park Gilbert (Ariz.), March 28 Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.), March 31 Hope International (Calif.), April 1 La Sierra (Calif.), April 7 Soka (Calif.) The Masters continued its strong run of play in mid-March, sweeping four consecutive matches in dominant fashion to remain unbeaten. Since the last poll, they boasted a 3–0 win at Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.), followed by another straight-set victory the next day at Park–Gilbert (Ariz.). After returning home on March 19, The Master's maintained momentum with a clean sweep of La Sierra (Calif.), controlling the match with balanced offense and steady defensive pressure. The stretch concluded March 21 with a road win at Hope International (Calif.), where the team once again set the pace early and never relinquished control.
	2. Park (Mo.) Matches prior to next poll:  March 27 UHSP (Mo.), March 28 Missouri Baptist, March 31 Grand View (Iowa), April 4 William Penn (Iowa), April 7 Kansas Wesleyan Park has put together a strong stretch of performances in its most recent matches, continuing the team's undefeated season. Since the last poll, the Pirates opened with a 3–0 sweep of Culver-Stockton (Mo.). Park followed up the next day with a hard-fought 3–1 victory over Missouri Valley. The team carried that momentum on the road March 17, earning another 3–1 win at Ottawa (Kan.) behind a balanced attack and solid blocking. The stretch concluded March 24 with a decisive 3–0 road sweep at Avila (Mo.), as Park controlled play from start to finish.
	3. Saint Xavier (Ill.) Matches prior to next poll: March 26 Governors State (Ill.), March 31 Judson (Ill.), April 4 Viterbo (Wis.), April 4 Indiana Tech, April 7 Calumet (Ind.) Over the past two weeks, Saint Xavier has posted a 6–1 record in its most recent stretch. The run began with a five-set loss at Mount Mercy (Iowa) on March 13 that ended a 14 game win streak. The Cougars quickly rebounded the following day with back-to-back 3–0 wins over Viterbo (Wis.) and Clarke (Iowa). Saint Xavier continued its momentum on the road with a sweep at Trinity Christian (Ill.) on March 19, then added two more road victories on March 21, including a solid 3–1 win at St. Ambrose (Iowa) and a sweep at Bethel (Ind.). The stretch concluded March 24 with another straight-set victory against Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), highlighted by efficient offense and strong defensive play.
	4. Mount Mercy (Iowa) Matches prior to next poll: March 27 Morningside (Iowa), March 28 Dordt (Iowa), April 3 Culver-Stockton (Mo.), April 4 Missouri Valley, April 7 Clarke (Iowa) Mount Mercy has put together an impressive recent stretch, winning all four of its latest matches with strong, consistent play. The run began March 13 with a hard-fought five-set victory over Saint Xavier. The Mustangs followed that effort with a sweep of Graceland (Iowa) on March 14, then carried the momentum into another straight-set win over Grand View (Iowa) on March 17. The stretch concluded March 21 with a decisive 3–0 road victory at Kansas Wesleyan, highlighted by efficient attacking and disciplined defense.
	5. Campbellsville (Ky.) Matches prior to next poll: March 27, St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.), March 28 Oakland City (Ind.), April 3 Midway (Ky.), April 4 Rio Grande (Ohio) Campbellsville has shown solid form across its most recent stretch, posting three wins in four matches. The Tigers opened the stretch March 13 with a 3–0 road sweep at Indiana East. Campbellsville returned home March 17 but dropped a hard-fought 3–1 decision to Cumberland (Tenn.). The Tigers responded well on March 21 with a strong 3–1 victory over Georgetown (Ky.), bouncing back with efficient offense and steady defensive play. The stretch concluded March 24 with another decisive performance, as Campbellsville swept Brescia 3–0, closing the period on a high note.

Dropped from the Poll: Grand View (Iowa), Lawrence Tech (Mich.)

Receiving Votes: Grand View (Iowa) 25, Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 22, Oakland City (Ind.) 11, Morningside (Iowa) 7, Ottawa (Kan.) 7, Indiana Tech (2, Missouri Baptist 2

Poll Methodology

• The national poll is for publicity purposes only and does not influence the selection process for national championship consideration.
• A panel of head coaches representing each conference and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) votes in the poll.
• The Top 15 teams are selected using a points-based system:
  • 20 points for a 1st-place vote, 19 for 2nd, 18 for 3rd, and so on.
• The highest and lowest rankings received by each team are discarded before final tallying.
• Teams receiving only one point are not listed as "receiving votes."
• For the Preseason Poll, there is no "previous ranking" column since it is the initial poll and differs from the prior rating system. 

Key: RV - Receiving Votes, NR - Not Ranked, ▲- Climbed, ▼- Dropped, ● - Steady