ATLANTA – It has shed a couple of first place votes from the preseason, but defending national champion South Carolina is still comfortably atop the charts in the Week 1 MCLA Division I New Balance Coaches Poll, which was released on Feb. 18.

The Gamecocks (5-0) grabbed 17 of the 22 total first-place votes to push it 14 points clear of No. 2 California (4-0). The Golden Bears shed three first place votes from the preseason and hold just two after the start of the season.

Chapman (3-0) and Georgia Tech (4-0) hold steady in the third and fourth positions, respectively, while each picked up a first-place vote with some early success.

Cal Poly (4-0) jumped up five spots from the preseason and now sit in the fifth chair with one first-place vote.

The SELC is the most well-represented conference in this first poll, gobbling up six of the Top 25 spots. Both the WCLL and CLC have four teams each.

MCLA Division I New Balance Coaches Poll – Week 1

Others receiving votes: Texas A&M (25), Southern Methodist (23), Colorado State (22), Texas (21), Pittsburgh (19), San Diego State (10), Florida (9), Washington (9), Georgia (8), UC Santa Barbara (8), Northeastern (7), Tennessee (6), Auburn (4), Arkansas (3), LSU (1), Oregon State (1).