After a banner 2016 season, Hastings (Neb.) enters 2017 as the #1 ranked team in the preseason coaches poll. The team went 33-3 last season, with a five-set national title victory over Dordt (Iowa). The two teams come from the same conference – Great Plains Athletic Conference – pitted out as rivals. Dordt picks up the #2 ranks in the top-25 to begin the year.
Hastings also garnished all 20 of the first place votes to start off the year along with 560 points.
The #1 squad will return First Team All-American Katie Placke and the NAIA Libero of the Year in senior Jill Bax. They lost First Team All-American Logan Drueppel, but have some incoming freshmen that will likely spark the Broncos to a consistent top ranking for the year.
Out of all the teams that are in the top-25, Lindsey Wilson has the longest active streak with 49 total appearances, with the last 21 coming in the top-five. On another note, only one team in the history of the NAIA has been able to maintain the #1 ranking for an entire season, when Fresno Pacific accomplished the feat in 2004, 2008 and 2009. Now Fresno Pacific is not featured in the 2017 preseason poll.
| RANK | WEEK | SCHOOL (FIRST PLACE VOTES) | 2016 Record | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Hastings (Neb.) (20) | 33-3 | 560 |
| 2 | 2 | Dordt (Iowa) | 28-8 | 539 |
| 3 | 4 | Park (Mo.) | 36-4 | 506 |
| 4 | 3 | Midland (Neb.) | 31-4 | 505 |
| 5 | 5 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 35-2 | 499 |
| 6 | 9 | Viterbo (Wis.) | 42-3 | 463 |
| 7 | 7 | Westmont (Calif.) | 34-2 | 442 |
| 8 | 8 | Columbia (Mo.) | 30-12 | 439 |
| 9 | 16 | Corban (Ore.) | 25-8 | 417 |
| 10 | 10 | Grand View (Iowa) | 31-8 | 406 |
| 11 | 6 | Eastern Oregon | 32-3 | 381 |
| 12 | 13 | Missouri Baptist | 21-11 | 355 |
| 13 | RV | Northwestern (Iowa) | 18-17 | 316 |
| 14 | 15 | Montana Tech | 25-11 | 285 |
| 15 | 12 | Doane (Neb.) | 25-10 | 270 |
| 16 | RV | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 32-9 | 265 |
| 17 | 20 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 26-14 | 261 |
| 18 | 17 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 28-9 | 247 |
| 19 | 22 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 28-11 | 241 |
| 20 | 23 | Bellevue (Neb.) | 32-12 | 233 |
| 21 | 19 | Indiana Wesleyan | 35-4 | 220 |
| 22 | 18 | Lourdes (Ohio) | 27-7 | 182 |
| 23 | 21 | Carroll (Mont.) | 24-8 | 175 |
| 24 | 25 | Madonna (Mich.) | 31-10 | 108 |
| 25 | RV | College of Idaho | 20-10 | 100 |
Dropped from the rankings: Morningside (Iowa), Biola (Calif.) and Oklahoma City
Others receiving votes: Morningside (Iowa) 95, Union (Ky.) 75, Coastal Georgia 55, Ottawa (Kan.) 46, Texas Wesleyan 43, Northwest (Wash.) 34, Oklahoma City 30, Missouri Valley 27, St. Francis (Ill.) 26, IU Kokomo 25, Campbellsville (Ky.) 24, Marian (Ind.) 18, Mobile (Ala.) 3
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