KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Oklahoma Wesleyan University and Kansas Wesleyan University both received recognition in the latest edition of the NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll, the national office announced Wednesday.
Oklahoma Wesleyan moved up five spots to No. 10, marking the first time this season the Eagles have secured a spot in the Top 10 of the poll. Kansas Wesleyan was in the "Receiving Votes" category, holding firm as they occupied that category in the previous edition of the poll.
The next edition of the NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll will be released Wednesday, October 1.
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 25 teams are selected using a points-based system:
- 30 points for a 1st-place vote, 29 for 2nd, 28 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.
TOP 10 CAPSULES

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1. Keiser (Fla.)
Record: 4-1-0
Notes: The Seahawks retain the top spot in the coaches' poll even after a 1-0 loss at home to the current No. 2 in Cumberlands (Ky.). KU has scored 16 goals this season through five games, led by freshman midfielder Blanca Bachi with four. Maria Vilhena is the top shooting threat for the Seahawks, putting over half of her shots on frame so far.
Up Next: Keiser will travel to Ave Maria (Fla.) later today for a 7 p.m. ET start, kicking off their conference schedule.
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2. Cumberlands (Ky.)
Record: 6-0-2
Notes: UC jumps up three spots from the first regular season poll after defeating No. 1 Keiser last weekend on the road. The Patriots are on a hot streak right now, winning their last four matches, outscoring opponents 7-3 over that time. Morgan White has been a staple in goal for Cumberlands as the freshman was named defensive player of the week after holding the Seahawks scoreless for the upset win last weekend.
Up Next: The Patriots will kick off Mid-South conference play on the road Saturday, traveling to Cumberland (Tenn.) for a 2 p.m. ET kickoff.
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3. William Carey (Miss.)
Record: 5-1-0
Notes: WCU has been sharing the ball well deep in the offensive third of the field. With 15 assists, they rank 18th nationally. Boo Mills and Argentina Estrada lead the Crusaders in assists with three each, while seven different players have at least one so far this season. Karen Vilau is the top goal scorer for head coach Danny Owens, as she has found the back of the net four times.
Up Next: William Carey welcomes Georgia Gwinnett to Hattiesburg today, Wednesday, Sept. 17. The Crusaders and Grizzlies will get underway at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT).
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4. Marian (Ind.)
Record: 8-0-0
Notes: The Knights have proven to give opposing defenses issues, ranking within the top 10 of five different categories, including shots (148), goals scored (25), shots on goal (84), assists (18), and corner kicks (59). The 59 corner kicks are also the best in the nation currently. Ten different players have scored, while 12 different players have earned an assist on the season, all led by junior forward Olivia Parmer, with seven goals and four assists.
Up Next: The Knights open conference play on the road against Huntington (Ind.) on Sept. 24.
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5. College of Idaho
Record: 3-1-0
Notes: As the most northern team to be ranked within the top five since the release of the preseason poll, the Yotes have seen teams from around the nation while doing a fair amount of travel. After a neutral site split between Science & Arts (Okla.) and John Brown (Ark.), the College of Idaho will have three more road trips before seeing its home field again on Sept. 26.
Up Next: The Yotes will travel west for three matches within six days against Eastern Oregon, Walla Walla (Wash.), and Warner Pacific (Ore.).
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6. John Brown (Ark.)
Record: 3-1-2
Notes: The Golden Eagles have been playing as one unit so far, ranking within the top ten in goals scored at 27 and assists at 23. Katherine Keys and Julia Lambert lead the way offensively for JBU, as both players have double-digit points on the season. Keeping opponents to an average of 1.33 goals per game, the defense has also been playing well, with Marely Fonseca and Sunnie Woodard sharing time between the posts.
Up Next: John Brown will hit the road for a non-conference duel against Columbia (Mo.) on the 20th.
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6. Missouri Valley
Record: 4-0-2
Notes: Judit Ferre leads the veteran-heavy team with four goals through her six games played and five starts. Two veterans have split time in the box for the Vikings, with Lola Martinez Benitez having a slightly better save percentage at .786 compared to the .714 save percentage of Marina Barbara Bujalance.
Up Next: MVC will travel east on I-70 for a match-up later tonight against Central Methodist (Mo.) in Fayette, Mo.
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8. Indiana Wesleyan
Record: 6-1-0
Notes: The Wildcats have been formidable forces in both the offensive and defensive thirds of the field. Scoring 18 goals through seven games, IWU has only allowed four goals for a 0.57 goals against average. They wrap up their non-conference schedule on a two-game winning streak.
Up Next: IWU beings Crossroads League play on the 24th against Spring Arbor (Mich.) at home.
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9. SCAD Savannah (Ga.)
Record: 4-2-0
Notes: The Bees have been playing well, with their four wins all coming via shutout. Saga Bryntesson for SCAD has been busy in goal this season, playing every minute of the first six games. She has a .737 save percentage, allowing her team to stay in games; Mia Gomez has been the go-to forward when a goal is needed, having five on the season.
Up Next: SCAD enters Sun Conference play on Friday when they travel to St. Thomas (Fla.). Then, the rematch of last year's national championship game on the 21st as they visit Keiser for an NAIA-UEN Featured Game.
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10. Oklahoma Wesleyan
Record: 3-1-1
Notes: The Eagles join the top 10 for the first time this season after tying 1-1 with John Brown (Ark.), who was ranked No. 3 at the time. Ana Chavez has stepped up from the defensive side and is helping her team in the offensive third with a pair of goals and assists to lead the team in points. While multiple players have contributed through five games, OKWU continues to find a way to keep games within reach.
Up Next: The Eagles enter KCAC play later today, Sept. 17, with a home match against Evangel (Mo.). OKWU has a favorable conference schedule through the next top 25 release on Oct. 1, with two matches at home and one on the road.
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TOP 25 RESULTS
RANK |
LAST TIME |
INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
1 |
1 |
Keiser (Fla.) [6] |
4-1-0 |
497 |
2 |
5 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) [11] |
6-0-2 |
496 |
3 |
2 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
5-1-0 |
478 |
4 |
6 |
Marian (Ind.) [1] |
8-0-0 |
456 |
5 |
3 |
College of Idaho (Idaho) |
3-1-0 |
409 |
6 |
3 |
John Brown (Ark.) |
3-1-2 |
403 |
6 |
9 |
Missouri Valley |
4-0-2 |
403 |
8 |
11 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
6-1-0 |
400 |
9 |
8 |
SCAD Savannah (Ga.) |
4-2-0 |
365 |
10 |
15 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
3-1-1 |
332 |
11 |
7 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
1-2-0 |
319 |
12 |
14 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
3-0-2 |
310 |
13 |
12 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
3-1-2 |
261 |
14 |
19 |
Cumberland (Tenn.) |
6-1-0 |
259 |
15 |
16 |
Truett McConnell (Ga.) |
4-0-1 |
257 |
16 |
10 |
Tennessee Southern |
3-2-1 |
250 |
17 |
20 |
Life (Ga.) |
5-0-0 |
226 |
18 |
21 |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
5-1-1 |
208 |
19 |
17 |
Georgia Gwinnett (Ga.) |
3-2-1 |
184 |
20 |
13 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
4-2-0 |
165 |
21 |
22 |
Northwestern Ohio (Ohio) |
4-2-0 |
156 |
22 |
RV |
Science and Arts (Okla.) |
4-2-2 |
134 |
23 |
RV |
Grace (Ind.) |
6-0-1 |
124 |
24 |
RV |
Taylor (Ind.) |
7-0-0 |
111 |
25 |
24 |
Tennessee Wesleyan |
4-0-0 |
103 |
Receiving Votes: Southeastern (Fla.) 79, Oakland City (Ind.) 59, Campbellsville (Ky.) 54, Hastings (Neb.) 47, Westcliff (Calif.) 39, Concordia (Neb.) 22, Xavier (La.) 19, St. Ambrose (Iowa) 16, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 9, Kansas Wesleyan 5, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 3, Columbia (Mo.) 2. |
Key:
RV - Receiving Votes
NR - Not Ranked
—KCAC—