UCM, WU Receive National Recognition
Two of the most dominant team defenses in California Pacific Conference annals earned national acknowledgement at the close of the 2024 women's soccer season. Regular season co-champion UC Merced (12-4-2) made an historic run through the postseason and was rewarded with a No. 9 ranking in the final NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll. Westcliff (12-1-3), the Cal Pac regular season co-champion and postseason tournament runner-up, received votes in the season-ending poll.
After allowing only one goal on their way to secure the program's first-ever NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship, SCAD Savannah (Ga.) was voted the unanimous No. 1 in the poll.
Poll Methodology:
- The poll is for publicity purposes only and has no weight or bearing in the selection process for national championship field consideration.
- A panel of head coaches representing each conference and Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) voted on the poll.
- The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter votes for the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place, 28 points for third-place and so on through the list.
- The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) is removed.
- Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes."
|
RANK |
LAST TIME |
INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
|
1 |
13 |
SCAD Savannah (Ga.) [16] |
20-1-2 |
420 |
|
2 |
2 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
18-2-1 |
406 |
|
3 |
8 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
20-2-1 |
383 |
|
4 |
10 |
College of Idaho |
20-1-2 |
378 |
|
5 |
3 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
20-2-1 |
363 |
|
6 |
4 |
Tennessee Southern |
19-3-1 |
343 |
|
7 |
19 |
John Brown (Ark.) |
16-6-1 |
333 |
|
8 |
1 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
18-1-0 |
331 |
|
9 |
5 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
17-1-2 |
289 |
|
9 |
25 |
UC MERCED |
12-4-2 |
289 |
|
11 |
9 |
Marian (Ind.) |
17-4-2 |
273 |
|
12 |
11 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
17-4-0 |
264 |
|
13 |
6 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
18-2-1 |
255 |
|
14 |
17 |
Missouri Valley |
15-5-1 |
248 |
|
15 |
16 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
14-5-2 |
226 |
|
16 |
RV |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
15-5-2 |
224 |
|
17 |
7 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
16-1-4 |
186 |
|
18 |
15 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
15-3-3 |
170 |
|
19 |
12 |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
16-4-1 |
169 |
|
20 |
18 |
Cumberland (Tenn.) |
12-6-2 |
152 |
|
21 |
14 |
Life (Ga.) |
14-5-1 |
131 |
|
22 |
20 |
Truett-McConnell (Ga.) |
16-2-3 |
124 |
|
23 |
22 |
Georgia Gwinnett |
12-7-2 |
121 |
|
24 |
21 |
Science and Arts (Okla.) |
18-3-1 |
113 |
|
25 |
24 |
Northwestern Ohio |
14-4-4 |
89 |
Dropped From Top 25: Hope International (Calif.)
Receiving Votes: The Masters (Calif.) 70, St. Ambrose (Iowa) 45, Xavier (La.) 37, Tennessee Wesleyan 24, WESTCLIFF 20, Hope International (Calif.) 12, Hastings (Neb.) 9, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 5, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 3