LILBURN, Ga. – Following its first road loss of the season, the Harding Lady Bisons dropped three spots to No. 15 in the latest WBCA NCAA Division II Top 25 coaches' poll released Tuesday.

The Lady Bisons (14-3), who held the No. 12 spot a week ago, collected 206 total points in the voting. The slide comes after a week that saw Harding secure a home victory over East Central before falling on the road to rival Arkansas Tech in a battle for the top of the Great American Conference.

Harding is one of two GAC programs currently represented in the Top 25. Northwestern Oklahoma State (14-3) continued its steady climb, moving up one spot to No. 24 with 88 points.

Meanwhile, Arkansas Tech (13-2), which handed Harding its most recent defeat, remains just outside the Top 25. The Golden Suns are the second-highest team in the "Others Receiving Votes" category, garnering 20 points from the national committee.

At the top of the poll, Grand Valley State (18-0) remains the unanimous choice for the nation's best team, receiving 575 points and all 23 first-place votes. Minnesota State Mankato (20-0), Texas Woman's (16-1), Nova Southeastern (19-0), and Fort Hays State (18-1) round out an unchanged top five.

The GAC's presence in the national landscape remains strong, with three teams either ranked or receiving significant votes as the conference race enters its final month. Harding has now been ranked in the Top 25 for ten consecutive weeks dating back to the preseason poll.

The WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll Committee is composed of 23 head coaches from across the country, representing each of the Division II conferences.