Here’s the reality in Week 5: teams need to start winning meets. Some of the nation’s ranked programs have big wins and are seeking more to secure their places in the top eight qualifiers. Others don’t, and need one soon in order to push into that echelon. No. 2 Oregon is hosting No. 9 Gannon tonight — both those teams are of the former category. The team that beat the Ducks last week, No. 1 Baylor, has a meet against a top-4 team in the latter. It’s almost the sharp end of the season, and these meets matter.

No. 1 Baylor University (4-0) at No. 4 Iona University (2-0) | March 9, New Rochelle, New York

The Bears remain undefeated after their win over Oregon in Waco, Texas last week. This time, though, they go on the road to face another top-four opponent.

Watch this one to find out whether Iona can crack the level of the top three teams in the nation; No. 3 Quinnipiac (no meet this week) hung with the Ducks in Eugene, as did Oregon in Waco, but the Gaels haven’t faced a ranked team yet this season. There’s national faith in the third-year program, as evidenced by their ranking in the preseason coaches’ poll, but they’ve got to prove it. It starts against the nation’s best.

Baylor suffered an uncharacteristic fall while attempting a difficult quadruple slide-to-split open pyramid at home against the Ducks, which, while they’ve successfully pulled it off before, head coach Felecia Mulkey explained wasn’t their most secure sequence. She also said that they had a pyramid that she thought would score a 10.0 when they tried it — and Monday could be the day they pull it out. Keep an eye on that, plus how much the Bears push against a team without a big win.

That lack of ranked meets on the Gaels’ schedule, though, is quickly disappearing; their final four meets of the regular season come against No. 1, 2, 3 and 5, and they’ll likely have to win at least half in order to secure a team postseason berth.

No. 5 Augustana University (3-0) at No. 8 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (2-1) | March 9, Belton, Texas

This pair, too, has just one ranked meet combined on their previous schedule. It was UMHB’s lone loss, at Baylor, and this Monday night meet is one of the few remaining opportunities for each to rack up a season-defining win.

Outside of No. 9 Gannon, whom it faces March 18, Augustana is the only ranked team remaining on UMHB’s schedule. The Cru have beaten a pair of Division III schools this season, but a win over the Vikings or the Golden Knights will likely be necessary to qualify for the postseason. Augustana, which has three meets left following its battle on Monday, will face No. 4 Iona, also on March 18. 

This meet, then, shapes up as one where the winner walks into that March 18 meet with a joker card in their back pocket. The loser won’t have any room to wiggle. The Cru host this meet, and the Vikings are on the road for the first time since their season opener at Missouri State on Feb. 13.

Around the NCATA

There’s one more ranked matchup in Week 5: No. 11 Saint Leo University (2-1) hosting No. 14 Lander (3-1) on March 6. No. 9 Gannon will face No. 12 Glenville State University (5-0) on March 10 after its meet against Oregon. Glenville State defeated Frostburg State University on March 5. No. 13 Hawaii Pacific University (0-1) travels to face Kutztown University (2-3) on March 10. Quinnipiac, Duquesne, Azusa Pacific University, Fairmont State University and La Salle University are idle.