Cougars Slipping But Still Standing at #25

The Cougars dropped from #22 to #25 this week, and that downward arrow is impossible to ignore. A 22-9 record is genuinely strong — you don't stumble into two dozen wins by accident — but the voters clearly saw something that gave them pause, enough to nudge this team toward the edge of the Top 25. The margin for error is basically gone. Every match now carries real weight, and the Cougars have turned their remaining schedule into a referendum on whether they belong. Here's the thing, though: they're still here. Ranked teams don't apologize for being ranked. The Cougars have the résumé of a tournament-caliber squad, and if they handle their business down the stretch, that little dip will look like a blip, not a trend. Stock: holding — barely.