Football | 9/7/2010 10:35:15 AM

WACO, Texas – Despite an upset loss to Edinboro (Pa.) in the season opener, the West Liberty University football team held onto a spot in this week's NCAA Division II Top 25 grid poll compiled by the American Football Coaches Association.

The Hilltoppers slipped from No. 7 to a tie for No. 20 with Carson-Newman (Tenn.) in the latest poll, which was released late Monday afternoon. Edinboro, which had received votes in last week's poll, vaulted into the Top 25 at No. 24 on the strength of Saturday's 20-19 victory at Russek Field.

Two other West Virginia Conference teams are now listed among those receiving votes.

Shepherd, which knocked off defending PSAC champion Shippensburg in its season opener, got 10 votes this week while Concord, off to a 2-0 start, picked up 2 votes. Those are the first votes Concord has ever received in an NCAA Division II coaches' poll.

There was a change at the top of the poll as defending national champion Northwest Missouri State was knocked out of the No. 1 spot with a 16-7 loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Grand Valley State (Mich.) is the new No. 1 team with 21 of the 26 first-place votes. Grand Valley edged West Texas A&M, 34-31, in a Top 10 showdown last week.

Minnesota-Duluth (1-0) moved up to No. 2 with a pair of first-place votes while North Alabama (1-0), which plays at Glenville State this week, got the other three first-place votes and moved up to No. 3. California (Pa.) and Abilene Christian round out the top five.

Coach Roger Waialae's Hilltoppers will try to get back on track Saturday against another tough non-conference foe when West Liberty travels to perennial Northeast-10 power Southern Connecticut State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. in New Haven, Conn.

American Football Coaches Association

NCAA Division II Poll

(Sept. 6, 2010)

School                                         W-L       Pts       LW

  1.   Grand Valley State (21)      1-0      641          2

  2.   Minnesota-Duluth (2)          1-0      616          3

  3.   North Alabama (3)              1-0      605          4

  4.   California (Pa.)                    1-0      565          5

  5.   Abilene Christian                 1-0      551          6

  6.   Texas A&M-Kingsville         1-0      503        14

  7.   West Alabama                    2-0      471        10

  8.   NW Missouri State (22)      0-1      419          1

  9.   West Texas A&M                0-1      356          8

10.   Tuskegee (Ala.)                   1-0      348        15

11.   Hillsdale (Mich.)                  1-0      342        16

12.   Central Washington            1-1      337        13

13.   Midwestern State (Texas) 1-0      312        17

14.   Missouri Western                1-0      294        19

15.   Washburn (Kan.)                 1-1      269          9

16.   Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)  0-1      232        11

17.   UNC-Pembroke                    1-0      219        23

18.   Minnesota St.-Mankato      1-0      200        18

19.   Winona State (Minn.)         1-0      129        24

20.   WEST LIBERTY                     0-1      119          7

(tie)           Carson-Newman (Tenn.)       1-1      119              20

22.   Wayne State (Neb.)            1-0      115        25

23.   Nebraska-Kearney               1-1      106       NR

24.   Edinboro (Pa.)                      1-0        84       NR

25.   East Stroudsburg (Pa.)        1-0        81       NR

    Also receiving votes: Valdosta St. (Ga.) 77; Nebraska-Omaha 58; Bemidji St. (Minn.) 51; Central Missouri 30; Augustana (S.D.) 24; West Chester (Pa.) 24; Delta St. (Miss.) 23; Ashland (Ohio) 22; Morehouse (Ga.) 18; Texas A&M-Commerce 14; Colorado School of Mines 11; Albany St. (Ga.) 10; SHEPHERD 10; Tarleton St. (Texas) 10; Indiana (Pa.) 9; Tusculum (Tenn.) 6; Shaw (N.C.) 5; Wayne St. (Mich.) 5; C.W. Post (N.Y.) 4; CONCORD 2; Colorado St.-Pueblo 1; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 1; Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 1; St. Augustine's (N.C.) 1.