Nebraska Wesleyan University was ranked No. 24 in the 2013 NAIA Women’s Tennis Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 poll that was announced by the NAIA National Office on Jan. 29.

The Prairie Wolves, received 70 total points to come in at No. 24 in the poll as the lone representative of the Great Plains Athletic Conference in the poll. Defending NAIA National Champion Auburn Montgomery is the No. 1 ranked team in the women’s poll.

Nebraska Wesleyan returns its top four players from the 2012 team that finished 12-10 overall and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the fifth time in the past six seasons. The Prairie Wolves women have won the GPAC regular season for the second straight year as they have finished undefeated in GPAC action the past two seasons.

Hall of fame coach Dr. Rick Harley, who is in his 10th season as head coach of the NWU women, has led the Prairie Wolves to six GPAC regular season conference championships and five trips to the NAIA National Tournament.

The Nebraska Wesleyan women’s tennis team opens the 2013 season this weekend as they travel to Omaha, Neb., to face the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Friday, Feb.1. The Prairie Wolves then take on Augustana College on Saturday (Feb. 2) in Sioux Falls, S.D.