KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Montana Tech’s volleyball team is on the move again.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the fourth Women’s Volleyball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll of the 2021 season today, and the Orediggers moved up two spots to No. 17.
The Orediggers (15-5, 3-2) went 3-1 since the last poll was released two weeks ago. Tech had three convincing sweeps of Carroll College, Montana Western, and MSU-Northern. The loss came at the hands of Rocky Mountain in a 3-2 battle in Billings.
No. 9 Providence remained in the same spot they held in the previous national poll. The Argos (16-2, 5-0) have not lost a match since falling to No. 8 Bellevue at the beginning of September.
The Orediggers face tough competition this weekend at the Grand View Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. The upcoming opponents are all ranked or receiving votes. The weekend schedule includes No. 2 Viterbo (Wis.), No. 19 Columbia (Mo.), No. 24 Grand View (Iowa), and (RV) Ottawa (Kan.).
After the Grand View Tournament, the Orediggers wrap up the season with the second half of the Frontier Conference schedule. Three of the last five matches are at home before the Frontier Conference Tournament in Helena on Nov. 12-13.
| RANK | LAST TIME | SCHOOL [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Jamestown (N.D.) [17] | 21-0 | 588 |
| 2 | 2 | Viterbo (Wis.) [4] | 25-1 | 574 |
| 3 | 4 | Missouri Baptist | 16-2 | 548 |
| 4 | 5 | Park (Mo.) | 17-2 | 518 |
| 5 | 6 | Corban (Ore.) | 19-0 | 515 |
| 6 | 3 | Midland (Neb.) | 18-3 | 501 |
| 7 | 7 | Marian (Ind.) | 24-0 | 487 |
| 8 | 8 | Bellevue (Neb.) | 16-3 | 464 |
| 9 | 9 | Providence (Mont.) | 16-2 | 436 |
| 10 | 11 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 19-3 | 410 |
| 11 | 10 | College of Saint Mary (Neb.) | 18-3 | 400 |
| 12 | 12 | Life (Ga.) | 21-1 | 393 |
| 13 | 13 | Eastern Oregon | 16-5 | 366 |
| 14 | 15 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 12-6 | 345 |
| 15 | 13 | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | 16-5 | 320 |
| 16 | 18 | Dordt (Iowa) | 12-5 | 294 |
| 17 | 19 | Montana Tech | 15-5 | 256 |
| 18 | 17 | Taylor (Ind.) | 22-4 | 240 |
| 19 | 22 | Columbia (Mo.) | 20-4 | 234 |
| 20 | 20 | Ottawa (Ariz.) | 15-2 | 232 |
| 21 | 16 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 16-4 | 216 |
| 22 | 21 | Indiana Wesleyan | 14-3 | 196 |
| 23 | NR | Doane (Neb.) | 18-5 | 186 |
| 24 | 24 | Grand View (Iowa) | 13-10 | 145 |
| 25 | 25 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 17-5 | 140 |
Dropped from the Poll: Concordia (Neb.)
Receiving Votes: Bushnell (Ore.) 104, Concordia (Neb.) 80, Wayland Baptist (Texas) 52, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 33, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 27, Hastings (Neb.) 26, Dakota State (S.D.) 18, Westmont (Calif.) 13, Indiana Tech 9, Bethel (Ind.) 8, Texas Wesleyan 7, IU South Bend (Ind.) 6, Loyola (La.) 5, Ottawa (Kan.) 5, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 5, Columbia International (S.C.) 3, Campbellsville (Ky.) 3
