NAIA Women’s Volleyball top 25 – 11/3/16

Here are the top 25 programs from the 11/3/2016, Net Set Rankings for NAIA women’s volleyball.

With 219 teams (according to the NAIA website, http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27900&ATCLID=205323158), NAIA women’s volleyball programs are spread all across the USA, although there is a distinct “Midwestern flair” to the organization. We are entering the conference tournament phase of NAIA women’s volleyball, to be followed by the “Opening Rounds” at campus sites and finally the NAIA Women’s National Volleyball Championship, which is only 16 days away.

37th Annual NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship
Nov. 19, 2016 – Opening Rounds @ Campus Sites
Nov. 29 – Dec. 3, 2016 – Pool Play and Final Rounds @ Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa

But, what is the NAIA? From the NAIA website (http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27900&ATCLID=205323019) we obtain this description.

“The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has administered programs and championships in proper balance with the overall college educational experience. The student-athlete is the center of all NAIA experiences. Each year more than 60,000 student-athletes have the opportunity to play college sports at NAIA member institutions.”

“The seeds of the NAIA began in 1937 with the tipoff of a men’s basketball tournament in Kansas City that has become the longest running event in college basketball. Out of the tournament grew the NAIA, an association that has been an innovative leader.  The NAIA was the first collegiate athletics association to invite historically black institutions into membership and the first to sponsor both men’s and women’s national championships. In 2000, the NAIA reaffirmed its purpose to enhance the character building aspects of sport. Through Champions of Character, the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five core values. In 2010, the association opened the doors to the NAIA Eligibility Center, where prospective student-athletes are evaluated for academic and athletic eligibility. It delivers on the NAIA’s promise of integrity by leveling the playing field, guiding student-athlete success, and ensuring fair competition.”

And, after hearing that noble explanation of what the NAIA represents, I’ll explain the methodology used to derive the Net Set NAIA Rankings.

Net Set (NS) NAIA Rankings and the NS Index are an average from the two polls or rankings listed below. The NS Rank is a numerical average based upon the positions of teams in these polls or rankings. In the Net Set Ranking, the team’s position in each poll or ranking is summed and then averaged to create the NS Index. This NS Index is then arranged, or ranked, in ascending order, with the lowest NS Index determining the number 1 team, the second lowest NS index determining the number 2 team, and so forth.

1. Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll (http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27900&ATCLID=211266974).

This poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the NAIA conferences, the NAIA Association of Independent Institutions, and various NAIA Unaffiliated Groups. Thus, NAIA coaches are voting on the teams in the NAIA poll, and these are the women and men who see these teams in action up close and personal, and undoubtedly are one of the best sources on information for this poll. To see the most recent (November 1, 2016) NAIA poll intact, with all 25 teams, first-place votes, ranking points, and other neat info, go to: (http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27900&ATCLID=211266974).

2. The Pablo Rankings (http://www.richkern.com/vb/FreePage.asp).

The Pablo Rankings are an incredibly ingenious ranking system that operates on a probabilistic, algorithmic approach and analyzes and measures the difference in abilities between two teams overall and in a match. In terms of accuracy and predictive analytics, the Pablo Rankings are the most accurate mathematical model available today. You can find a detailed explanation of the Pablo Rankings at this web location: (http://www.richkern.com/vb/rankings/PabloFAQ.asp).

View the Pablo Rankings, the best pure statistical ranking available, at RichKern.com: (http://www.richkern.com/vb/rankings/FreePageRankings.asp).

Also, here’s a quick analysis of the NAIA conferences in this rating along with their full conference names and the number of teams each conference has in the ranking. The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has the most teams in the poll (four) with Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Wisconsin-La Crosse. The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), and the United Athletic Association (UAA) all have three teams in the Net Set ranking.

Let’s Grow Volleyball!