NAIA INVITATIONAL | Arizona Athletic Grounds | Mesa, Ariz.
April 23
10 a.m. – No. 1 SOU vs. No. 5 Ave Maria (Fla.) (Pool Play)
2 p.m. – No. 1 SOU vs. No. 8 Wayland Baptist (Texas) (Pool Play)
April 24
10 a.m. – No. 1 SOU vs. No. 4 Ottawa (Ariz.) (Pool Play)
2:30 or 4:30 p.m. – TBD (Quarterfinals)
April 25
10 a.m. – TBD (Semifinals)
1 p.m. – TBD (Championship)

NAIA INVITATIONAL QUALIFIERS | SCHEDULE | TOP 10 POLL

ASHLAND – Southern Oregon will head to the NAIA Beach Volleyball Invitational next week as the team to beat after taking over the No. 1 ranking for the first time in Monday's final NAIA Top 10 coaches' poll.

The poll was released alongside the eight-team field for the tournament, which starts with pool play on April 23 at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz. SOU's pool includes No. 4 Ottawa (Ariz.), No. 5 Ave Maria (Fla.) and No. 8 Wayland Baptist (Texas).

Pool contests will determine seeding for the single-elimination bracket, and every team will be part of the April 24 quarterfinal round. The semifinals and championship are scheduled for April 25.

The Raiders will be making their second Invitational appearance, having advanced to the semifinals as the No. 8 seed in 2025. They're fresh off Cascade Conference regular-season and tournament championship runs that made them the unanimous No. 1 team in the poll boosted their record to 19-2.

The team they replaced atop the rankings, Ottawa, is the third and final team they'll face in pool play. Ottawa held the No. 1 spot all season after winning last year's national title but dropped following a semifinal exit in the Great Southwest Athletic Conference Tournament, where its lineup was rearranged due to injury.

A tournament preview will be published next week.