If the prelude to the final NAIA Tennis Coaches Top 25 polls are any indication, the Lewis-Clark College men should be headed the NAIA National Tournament for the 12th straight year, but the Warrior women’s streak of 14 straight appearances is in serious jeopardy.
Despite finishing second in their unaffiliated group tournament, which serves as a qualifier for the national tournament, the Warrior men fell one spot in this week’s poll to No. 19. The Warrior women were third in their tournament and rose five spots into a tie for 16th.
Although most conference tournaments, which serve as national qualifiers, have been played, the final NAIA tennis polls don’t come out until next week. The polls will be used to determine the 12 men and 10 women at-large berths to nationals.
The LCSC men currently stand 10th among the at-large teams in the rankings and therefore would qualify for nationals, which will be held May 17-21 in Mobile, Ala. The Warrior women, however, are 11th and would have to move past Shorter of Georgia in the final poll to qualify.
Shorter is ranked No. 15 in the poll with 156 points, while LCSC is tied with Indiana Wesleyan for 16th with 139 points. Indiana Wesleyan won its tournament to earn an automatic berth in the 24-team national tourney.
On the men’s side, LCSC has 127 points, which is five points ahead of No. 20 McKendree and 12 points ahead of No. 21 Tennessee Wesleyan. The No. 22 team, SCAD of Georgia, had 109 points. To qualify for nationals, LCSC can’t have these three or any three at-large teams pass it in the final poll.
The final rankings come out next Monday and only the LCSC men have match between now and then as the Warriors will face Whitman on Sunday in Walla Walla, Wash.
2011 Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll - May 3
|
RANK
|
LAST WEEK
|
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)
|
2011RECORD
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
1
|
Fresno Pacific University (Calif.) (12)
|
21-2
|
312
|
|
2
|
2
|
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)
|
14-6
|
302
|
|
3
|
3
|
Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.)
|
23-3
|
291
|
|
4
|
5
|
Oklahoma Christian University
|
21-1
|
279
|
|
5
|
4
|
Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
|
15-6
|
276
|
|
6
|
6
|
Westmont College (Calif.)
|
12-5
|
262
|
|
7
|
7
|
Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.)
|
15-7
|
252
|
|
8
|
12
|
Vanguard University (Calif.)
|
7-13
|
228
|
|
9
|
11
|
Xavier University (La.)
|
13-9
|
225
|
|
10
|
10
|
Union College (Ky.)
|
17-5
|
217
|
|
11
|
8
|
Concordia University (Calif.)
|
8-14
|
207
|
|
12
|
15
|
Shorter University (Ga.)
|
12-4
|
206
|
|
13
|
13
|
Graceland University (Iowa)
|
11-5
|
193
|
|
14
|
9
|
William Carey University (Miss.)
|
12-9
|
183
|
|
15
|
17
|
Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.)
|
14-5
|
176
|
|
16
|
14
|
Aquinas College (Mich.)
|
24-3
|
174
|
|
17
|
16
|
Saint Thomas University (Fla.)
|
14-3
|
157
|
|
18
|
19
|
Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.)
|
14-3
|
132
|
|
19
|
18
|
Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho)
|
10-8
|
127
|
|
20
|
20
|
McKendree University (Ill.)
|
20-3
|
122
|
|
21
|
22
|
Tennessee Wesleyan College
|
11-6
|
115
|
|
22
|
20
|
SCAD Savannah (Ga.)
|
7-4
|
109
|
|
23
|
23
|
Martin Methodist College (Tenn.)
|
14-5
|
90
|
|
24
|
24
|
Webber International University (Fla.)
|
13-6
|
79
|
|
25
|
25
|
Bethany College (Kan.)
|
19-3
|
69
|
|
RANK
|
LAST
WEEK |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)
|
2011
RECORD |
TOTAL
POINTS |
|
1
|
1
|
Fresno Pacific University (Calif.) (10)
|
18-4
|
281
|
|
2
|
2
|
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) (1)
|
20-3
|
272
|
|
3
|
4
|
Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.)
|
23-5
|
260
|
|
4
|
6
|
Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
|
19-4
|
253
|
|
5
|
5
|
Oklahoma Christian University
|
17-2
|
244
|
|
6
|
3
|
Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.)
|
18-3
|
242
|
|
7
|
7
|
Concordia University (Calif.)
|
14-7
|
226
|
|
8
|
8
|
Brenau University (Ga.)
|
10-7
|
218
|
|
9
|
8
|
SCAD Savannah (Ga.)
|
10-2
|
207
|
|
10
|
10
|
Vanguard University (Calif.)
|
10-10
|
201
|
|
11
|
12
|
Southern Nazarene University (Okla.)
|
14-6
|
184
|
|
12
|
13
|
William Carey University (Miss.)
|
14-6
|
182
|
|
13
|
16
|
Lee University (Tenn.)
|
9-5
|
171
|
|
14
|
14
|
Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.)
|
19-1
|
160
|
|
15
|
11
|
Shorter University (Ga.)
|
11-4
|
156
|
|
16
|
17
|
Indiana Wesleyan University
|
21-1
|
139
|
|
16
|
21
|
Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho)
|
6-14
|
139
|
|
18
|
18
|
Martin Methodist College (Tenn.)
|
15-5
|
127
|
|
19
|
23
|
Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.)
|
13-5
|
121
|
|
20
|
15
|
Oklahoma Baptist University
|
9-10
|
110
|
|
21
|
17
|
Saint Thomas University (Fla.)
|
9-9
|
102
|
|
22
|
20
|
Campbellsville University (Ky.)
|
14-5
|
96
|
|
23
|
22
|
William Jewell College (Mo.)
|
17-7
|
90
|
|
24
|
21
|
Webber International University (Fla.)
|
12-9
|
68
|
|
25
|
25
|
Belhaven University (Miss.)
|
14-3
|
60
|
