Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Missouri Valley College will open the season nationally ranked.

Men’s soccer will kick off the season with a number 12 ranking, having won the Heart of America Athletic Conference’s regular season and postseason tournament titles last year. Last year the Vikings went 14-6, advancing to the third round of the NAIA tournament. This will mark the 43rd consecutive poll where the men are ranked, the third-longest active streak in the NAIA. Heart rivals MidAmerica Nazarine topped the men’s poll, with William Penn ranked 16th. The men will start the season August 24th at 14th ranked Columbia College.

Women’s soccer are positioned 24th on the new poll, also defending a conference tournament title after going 15-4-3 last season and qualifying for the NAIA playoffs. Since 2020, the Viking women have only been outside the top 25 once. Two other Heart programs are in the top 25, Central Methodist in fifth and Benedictine in 18th. In addition to playing 12th ranked Columbia later this month, other ranked teams on Valley’s schedule include John Brown and Oklahoma Wesleyan, and top-ranked Cumberlands of Kentucky, who will visit Marshall on October 29th.