By: SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – For the first time since September, the Southern Oregon University volleyball team returned to the NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll in Wednesday's final edition.
The Raiders checked in at No. 24, making the jump thanks to three Top 25 upsets over the final three weeks of the regular season – including at No. 1 Eastern Oregon.
They stand at 14-14 overall after being eliminated from the Cascade Conference Tournament by Walla Walla (Wash.) in Tuesday's play-in round. They'll find out if their season will continue when the 48-team NAIA National Tournament field is announced at 2 p.m. Monday.
The coaches' poll is not considered by the selection committee in determining at-large bids, but one metric that is used remains in the Raiders' favor: they're No. 23 in the Massey computer ratings, even after Tuesday night's loss.
A .500 team getting through would be far-fetched in previous years, but the depth of the Cascade Conference gives SOU a legitimate case. The CCC is represented by six Top 25 teams – more than any other conference – and two others are receiving votes. Of the Raiders' 14 losses, 10 were accrued against teams currently in the Top 25.
| TREND |
RANK |
LAST |
SCHOOL [1st-place votes] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
| ▲ |
1 |
2 |
Eastern Oregon [13] |
26-2 |
504 |
| ▼ |
2 |
1 |
Providence (Mont.) [3] |
28-2 |
488 |
| ● |
3 |
3 |
Northwestern (Iowa) [3] |
26-3 |
482 |
| ● |
4 |
4 |
Concordia (Neb.) |
23-2 |
448 |
| ● |
5 |
5 |
Corban (Ore.) |
23-4 |
439 |
| ▲ |
6 |
7 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
24-3 |
425 |
| ▼ |
7 |
6 |
McPherson (Kan.) |
30-1 |
415 |
| ● |
8 |
8 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
25-4 |
396 |
| ● |
9 |
9 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
22-3 |
357 |
| ● |
10 |
10 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
32-0 |
347 |
| ● |
11 |
11 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
21-3 |
327 |
| ● |
12 |
12 |
Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) |
24-7 |
315 |
| ▲ |
13 |
14 |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
23-4 |
275 |
| ▲ |
14 |
15 |
IU Kokomo (Ind.) |
27-5 |
274 |
| ▲ |
15 |
17 |
Missouri Baptist |
27-5 |
265 |
| ▲ |
16 |
18 |
College of Idaho |
18-9 |
246 |
| ▼ |
17 |
16 |
Viterbo (Wis.) |
24-6 |
229 |
| ▼ |
18 |
12 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
15-8 |
225 |
| ▲ |
19 |
20 |
Bushnell (Ore.) |
19-11 |
201 |
| ▼ |
20 |
19 |
Midland (Neb.) |
18-9 |
199 |
| ▲ |
21 |
23 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
29-5 |
176 |
| ● |
22 |
22 |
Mobile (Ala.) |
25-2 |
168 |
| ▲ |
23 |
24 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
28-3 |
134 |
| ▲ |
24 |
RV |
Southern Oregon |
14-13 |
106 |
| ▲ |
25 |
RV |
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) |
18-10 |
65 |
Dropped from Top 25: Northwest (Wash.), MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
Receiving Votes: Northwest (Wash.) 60, Huntington (Ind.) 40, Taylor (Ind.) 38, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 28, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 28, Evangel (Mo.) 23, Cumberland (Tenn.) 21, Marian (Ind.) 21, OUAZ (Ariz.) 17, Cornerstone (Mich.) 16, Walla Walla (Wash.) 16, Montana State University-Northern 13, Dakota State (S.D.) 8, Dordt (Iowa) 5, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 3, Park (Mo.) 3
