The University of Alabama women’s soccer team had another milestone moment on Monday as the Crimson Tide ascended to the top of the NCAA ratings power index (RPI) for the first time in program history.
The Crimson Tide, fresh off a 2-1 victory over top 10 ranked Arkansas, overtook UCLA to claim the top spot.
“Pretty incredible,” said Alabama head coach Wes Hart, whose team is 14-1-1 overall and 4-0-0 in SEC play. “My first year here, in 2015, we ended that season ranked 213th in the RPI. Now, here we are today ranked No. 1. It shows that for any new coach starting out or any program, I don’t care what sport you are, there is light at the end of tunnel, right. It was pretty bleak, to be honest. But, we knew if we stayed true to who we are and what we believed in, then we could get there. By no means do I think we’ve arrived or anything like that. We got to keep growing as a program, but it is satisfying, to an extent, knowing the hard work we’ve put in over the years has paid off.”
Alabama, winners of 10 consecutive games, has three games remaining in the regular season, including Thursday night’s game at Mississippi State (10-2-3 overall, 4-1-0 SEC).
“The great thing about this group, is they are hungry for more,” Hart said. “Each week, the rankings have come out or we’ve won big games [and] you do not see any sense of complacency setting in. It’s almost adding fuel to the fire. Every win, it’s more confidence and every ranking that comes out [there] is more validation to prove that we are pretty dang good. I’ve been extremely pleased with the response after each week.”
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email steve.irvine@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
