NAIA Coaches' Poll

Kansas City, MO – The UC women's soccer team earned 370 points to be ranked eighth in the NAIA Coaches' Poll, released by the national office Wednesday.  It marks the sixth straight year that the Patriots will open the season ranked in the top 10.

UC is coming off an 18-1 record in 2024 as they captured both the Mid-South Conference regular season and tournament titles.  Cumberlands tallied 11 wins over teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Poll and held the top RPI in the NAIA along with posting a program-best 23 match win-streak that dated back to the 2023 season.  UC qualified for their sixth consecutive NAIA National Tournament and advanced to NAIA Final Site for the fifth straight year. 

Cumberlands is returning 12 players from last year's squad to go along with 17 newcomers.  Highlighting the Patriots returners is NAIA Second Team All-American Carola Fontan along with MSC All-Conference selections Nicole Araujo and Noah Paalman. 

The defending NAIA champion SCAD earned 477 points to be ranked first in the poll.  Keiser, College of Idaho, Columbia, and William Carey round out the top-five.  MSC rivals Campbellsville and Cumberland are ranked 14^th and 19^th respectively.

The Patriots open their season tomorrow, Aug 21^st, when they travel to St. Louis to face Missouri Baptist.

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