KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The first NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 has been released, and Cal State San Marcos enters the poll in 2013 as the No. 20 ranked team in the country. The Cougars received a total of 220 points, dropping down two positions from No. 18, where the team ended last season after a 30-15 campaign.

Concordia (Calif.) re-claimed the top spot with 622 points and received 21 of 22 first place votes after going a perfect 38-0 and winning the NAIA National Championship last season. CSUSM advanced past the first round of the NAIA National Tournament, and was a one-set tiebreak away from advancing past pool play and into the tournament's final 12 teams.

CSUSM enters 2013 as the two-time defending Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Champions, and was once again the top ranked team in the conference. The No. 20 national ranking is an all time preseason best for the Cougars, who are now in their third season of play. The team was unranked in its debut season, and opened up in the polls at No. 23 last season.

With the Cougars appearance in the Top 25, CSUSM has now been ranked in each of the last 14 national polls dating back to the start of the 2012 season. The Cougars streak of being national ranked is currently tied for the ninth best among active NAIA teams.

Cal State San Marcos will put their ranking to the test early, playing a total of 17 matches before the next poll comes out on September 10, including showdowns with No. 1 Concordia and No. 9 The Master's College. The Cougars open play Tuesday afternoon against San Diego Christian and Trinity Christian in El Cajon.

For the list of rankings and the official NAIA release, please click here.