KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Columbia (Mo.) jumps to the No. 1 spot in the latest Division I Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.

Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):

• This is the first time the Columbia has received a No. 1 ranking
• The Cougars have not lost a game since the first time that they player Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) on Dec. 15. Columbia currently holds a 15 game win streak that includes an upset of then-No.1 Freed-Hardeman two weekends ago.
• New to the poll this week: No. 25 Loyola (La.)
• Oklahoma City holds the longest active streak in the Top 25 with 251 total appearances dating back to 1997-98 school year.
• Union (Tenn.) and Vanguard (Calif.) are the only programs to have spent an entire season ranked No. 1 (Union: 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11) (Vanguard: 2005-06, 2006-07).
• Union (Tenn.) leads all NAIA school with 53 No. 1 rankings. Oklahoma City is second with 50 and Vanguard (Calif.) is third with 46.

Poll Methodology

• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, Association of Independent Institutions and Unaffiliated Groups.
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered low ratings) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the team appears on.
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes.”
• The frequency of polls occurs bi-weekly. This policy was approved by the National Administrative Council (NAC) for the 2016-17 academic season. This change will allow raters the opportunity to consider a larger body of work in between rating periods.
• For the complete rating calendar, click here.

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2018-19 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 5 (Feb. 12)

Receiving Votes: Benedictine (Kan.) 43, Central Methodist (Mo.) 39, Xavier (La.) 26, Pikeville (Ky.) 19, Science & Arts (Okla.) 16, William Jessup (Calif.) 7, Clarke (Iowa) 3, William Woods (Mo.) 3

Source: National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics