Kansas Wesleyan’s Women’s Volleyball team was picked to finish second in the KCAC and was ranked No. 24 in the NAIA Women’s Volleyball Preseason Rating, as announced by both organizations.

In the KCAC Preseason Poll, conducted by conference coaches, KWU was picked to finish second in the KCAC in 2024 after tying for the KCAC Regular Season Championship a year ago with a 12-1 record.

KWU received 147 points in the poll, seven ahead of Bethel and Ottawa who tied for third with 140 points. Ottawa received one first-place vote.

Oklahoma Wesleyan was the unanimous preseason favorite by the conference coaches earning the maximum number 169 points and 13 first-place votes. Coaches cannot rate their own team in the conference preseason poll.

McPherson was fifth with 126 points, Saint Mary was sixth with 109, Evangel was seventh with 98, Tabor was eighth with 69, Sterling was ninth with 67, Bethany was 10th with 56, Friends was 11th with 55, Avila was 12th with 49, Southwestern was 13th with 32 and York was 14th with 15.

In the NAIA Preseason Rating, the Coyotes were rated No. 24, after receiving votes in last season’s final rating.

Defending national champion Indiana Wesleyan, who went 38-0 last season, is the No. 1 team in the rating, while Northwestern, Eastern Oregon, Concordia (Neb.) and Viterbo round out the top five teams.

Two other KCAC teams are rated in the preseason list with Oklahoma Wesleyan ranked No. 13 and Ottawa ranked No. 25. Bethel and McPherson were receiving votes.

KWU opens its 2024 season on August 23 and 24 at the Hastings Classic in Hastings, Nebraska. KWU then plays August 30-31 in San Antonio, Texas before hosting the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Classic on September 6 and 7.

The Coyote Classic will be the only time to catch the Coyotes in action at home for the entire month of September as KWU does not play at home again until October 2 against Tabor.

KCAC Preseason Women’s Volleyball Poll
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan – 169 (13)
2. Kansas Wesleyan – 147
T3. Bethel – 140
T3. Ottawa – 140 (1)
5. McPherson – 126
6. Saint Mary – 109
7. Evangel – 98
8. Tabor – 69
9. Sterling – 67
10. Bethany – 56
11. Friends – 55
12. Avila – 49
13. Southwestern – 32
14. York – 15

NAIA Top 25 Rating Methodology:

• The rating is rated by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conference/Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each rater rates the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place, 28 for third-place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ratings for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) are removed. The team’s rating 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 on the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”.

Receiving Votes: Columbia International (S.C.) 109, Morningside (Iowa) 95, Nelson (Texas) 94, Bethel (Ind.) 62, Texas Wesleyan 59, Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) 51, Benedictine (Kan.) 43, College of Idaho 29, St Ambrose (Iowa) 29, Marian (Ind.) 21, Loyola (La.) 20, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 17, Bethel (Kan.) 14, Xavier (La.) 14, Indiana Tech 12, IU East (Ind.) 12, Aquinas (Mich.) 11, Dakota state (S.D.) 9, Talladega (Ala.) 8, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 7, McPherson (Kan.) 5, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 4