KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NAIA national office released the first 2013 NAIA Top 25 poll of the year for both men's and women's tennis on Tuesday evening. Both Blazer squads are among the top 25 teams in the country in what is expected to be a record-breaking season for Belhaven tennis.

The Belhaven women sit in the back half of the top 25, checking in at the 23rd spot to begin the year. Belhaven finished the 2012 season unranked after posting a 14-7 record, but they did make appearances in the poll last year before tapering off near the end.

Conference play will be tough again as five of the top 25 teams in the NAIA poll hail from the Southern States Athletic Conference.

Auburn-Montgomery stayed atop the poll after winning their eighth national championship in nine years, last season. Brenau bumps up three spots from where they finished last season, only two spaces behind AUM. The Lady Crusaders of William Carey are the final SSAC team in the top 10 and they start the year ranked sixth.

Lee is the final team from the conference in the top 25 poll with a No. 15 slotting.

On the men's side, the Blazers improved upon their 15th ranking to end the 2012 season and will start the year at No. 12. The ranking is thanks in part to returning a majority of last year's starting lineup and bringing in a handful of top recruits. Coach Levi Patton stated before the season that this could be one of his strongest Belhaven teams yet.

Embry-Riddle (Fla.) jumped up to the top spot in the preseason poll after last year's best two teams, Oklahoma Christian and Fresno Pacific, became NCAA Division II athletic institutions. Embry-Riddle possesses the No. 1 ranked singles player according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, Patrick Besch.

Auburn-Montgomery and William Carey are the only two SSAC teams in the preseason top 10, coming in at No.2 and No. 6 respectively.

Trailing Belhaven in the poll is Lee and conference newcomer Coastal Georgia. The Flames jump into the Top 25 by the skin of their teeth and are ranked as the 25th best team. The Mariners of Coastal Georgia are two spots ahead of Lee, coming into the year in the 23rd hole.

The Blazers kick off their 2013 season on Friday when they travel to New Orleans to take on Loyola University.

The official NAIA press release and complete top 25 poll can be viewed by clicking here for the women and here for the men.