Kansas City, Mo. – The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference is represented by #20 Bethel College in the preseason edition of the 2013 NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll. The National Office announced the poll on Tuesday, January 30.

Undefeated in conference play, The Threshers swept Friends and Tabor as the #1 seed to win the 2012 KCAC Women's Tournament.  Bethel College then fell in the opening round of the 2012 NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship.  The Threshers were defeated, 9-0, by #12 Shorter University (Ga.).

Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) sits atop the rankings. The Warhawks received all 12 first-place votes.  The Warhawks are the defending national champions and return first team All-Americans Tiffany Williams and Jade Curtis. Williams is currently rated as the No. 1 NAIA singles player by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).

The national runner-up, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) comes in at No. 2. Brenau (Ga.) comes in at No. 3. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and Concordia (Calif.) come in at Nos. 4 and 5..

No. 8 Westmont (Calif.) makes the biggest jump from last year's postseason poll, moving up 10 positions. Leading the Warriors are Nicci Yvanovich and Tara Yekrang, who are the ninth rated NAIA doubles team by the ITA.

A total of four teams are new to the poll after going unranked in the final rating: No. 14 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), No. 20 Bethel (Kan.), No. 22 Cumberland (Tenn.) and No. 23 Belhaven (Miss.).

Twelve of the 13 conferences/independents/unaffiliated groupings are represented in the poll with the Southern States Athletic Conference leading all leagues with five Top 25 members: Auburn Montgomery, Brenau, No. 6 William Carey (Miss.), No. 15 Lee (Tenn.) and No. 23 Belhaven (Miss.).

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences/independents/unaffiliated groupings.

The first regular-season poll will be announced on Feb. 19.

Notes: (All information as of the 2000 season) Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) pushed its NAIA-leading all-time No. 1 appearances to 68 ... Brenau (Ga.) is next closest with 10 No. 1 rankings, followed by former-NAIA member Fresno Pacific (Calif.) with eight, former- NAIA member Shorter (Ga.) with three and Northwood (Fla.) with two ... Auburn Montgomery topped each poll from Feb. 11, 2004, to May 1, 2010, a span of 47-straight No. 1 rankings, which is an NAIA record ... The next closest streak is just eight by Fresno Pacific, which garnered the top selection in all eight polls in 2011 ... Northwood gained its only two No. 1 rankings in school history in 2003 when it went on to win the national championship ... Auburn Montgomery has been ranked in the top five since, Feb. 11, 2004.

2013 Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25

Others receiving votes: Webber International (Fla.) 61; Georgetown (Ky.) 59; Milligan (Tenn.) 56; Northwestern Ohio 36; Graceland (Iowa) 30; SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 17; Indiana Southeast 15; Hope International (Calif.) 11; Cumberlands (Ky.) 6; Missouri Valley 4.

^ Ranking from 2012 Postseason Coaches Poll

See Also:

Spring 2012 Women's Tennis KCAC Scholar-Athletes

Prather named as Capital One-CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American

Malotte Selected as NAIA All-America Honorable Mention in Women's Tennis

Daktronics-NAIA Women's Tennis Scholar Athletes for 2012