USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll
Tennessee received 29 first-place votes to remain atop the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll, the association announced Wednesday.
UT posted a 4-1 week as it moved to 28-2 overall and stayed in the top spot for the sixth straight week. The Lady Vols find a new but familiar team following them in the No. 2 spot this week as SEC foe Alabama received a first-place nod and jumped two places despite having its first setback of the campaign.
Texas A&M remained in the No. 3 position, while fellow Big 12 competitor Oklahoma jumped two places to fourth behind a 5-1 week that included a pair of wins over Arizona, who slipped one notch to sixth. Arizona State landed just ahead of its in-state rival as the Sun Devils slipped three places.
Northwestern remained at No. 7, and LSU advanced two spots to eighth as it switched rankings with Texas. Michigan remained between the Tigers and Longhorns, staying at No. 9 as the Wolverines head into Big Ten play.
The Nos. 11-13 positions remained unchanged, with the Pac-10 trio of UCLA, Washington and Stanford holding the spots for the second straight week.
Oregon and Louisiana-Lafayette both advanced two places this week, coming in at 14th and 15th, respectively. Oregon State dropped one place to No. 16, while Baylor fell three places to No. 17 after a 2-4 week in Hawaii.
Georgia snagged a pair of SEC series victories over Auburn and Kentucky en route to re-claiming a hold on No. 18. Missouri Valley Conference foes Southern Illinois and Illinois State remained back-to-back in the rankings as both advanced a spot to 19th and 20th, respectively.
Hawaii moved up two places to No. 21, while Florida dropped three places to 22nd. A week removed from dropping out of the rankings, N.C. State moved back into the poll after a 3-3 week that included wins over Oklahoma, Florida State and Arizona State.
DePaul also moved back into the rankings, coming in at No. 24 after a 4-1 week that included a win over Texas. California remained in the rankings, staying at No. 25 for the second straight week.
