It’s Homecoming Week at the University of Florida, and the Gators volleyball team has a present for all returning alumni — the No. 1 ranking in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll.
With UCLA knocking off previously top-ranked Stanford, 3-2, over the weekend, coach Mary Wise’s Gators, who improved to 14-1 overall and 7-0 in the SEC East with a pair of victories over Alabama and Mississippi State last weekend, ascended to the No. 1 spot for the first time since Dec. 3, 1996. Eight of Florida’s 14 victories have come against teams that, at the time Florida played them, were ranked in the AVCA Top 25.
Florida has played perhaps the nation’s toughest schedule during the 2010 season, facing nine Top 25 opponents in its first 12 matches this season. The Gators’ only loss came against then top-ranked Penn State in the Nike Volleyball Big Four Classic in Gainesville. The Nittany Lions won 3-1 Sept. 10 but the No. 4 Gators rebounded by beating No. 5 Texas 3-2 the next day before then No. 2 Stanford ended Penn State’s 109-match winning streak with a 3-0 victory. The Cardinal moved up to No. 1 and remained there until they lost Saturday night at UCLA.
The Gators have the nation’s fifth longest streak of consecutive weeks ranked in the AVCA poll. Florida has been ranked in the AVCA Top 25 for 298 consecutive weeks dating back to Sept. 17, 1991. UF has been ranked among the nation’s top 10 in 244 of those weeks.
Stanford checks in at No. 2 in this week’s AVCA Top 25 Poll. Nebraska is ranked third with Hawaii fourth and Southern California fifth. SEC opponents LSU and Tennessee are ranked 12th and 24th, respectively, this week. The next AVCA poll will be released on Oct. 18.
Florida is home this weekend for a pair of SEC matches in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Auburn comes calling Friday afternoon at 4 and Georgia is the Sunday opponent at 1:30 p.m.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EASTERN DIVISION SEC/Overall
(1) Florida 7-0/14-1
(24) Tennessee 5-3/13-4
Kentucky 3-5/9-9
Georgia 2-6/10-9
South Carolina 1-6/4-13
WESTERN DIVISION SEC/Overall
(12) Louisiana State 7-1/16-1
Mississippi 6-2/12-5
Auburn 5-3/14-6
Arkansas 3-5/9-10
Mississippi State 2-4/10-8
Alabama 1-6/9-8
Number in parentheses is AVCA Division I poll ranking
SCHEDULE
Wednesday / Oct. 13
Arkansas at Louisiana State, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Friday / Oct. 15
Auburn at Florida, 4 p.m.
Alabama at Kentucky, 7 p.m.
Georgia at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Mississippi State at Tennessee, 7 p.m.
Louisiana State at Mississippi, 7:30 p.m. (FSN)
Sunday / Oct. 17
Georgia at Florida, 1:30 p.m.
Mississippi State at Kentucky, 1:30 p.m.
Alabama at Tennessee, 1:30 p.m.
Auburn at South Carolina, 1:30 p.m.
Arkansas at Mississippi, 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday / Oct. 20
Tennessee at Florida, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
Alabama at Mississippi State, 8 p.m.
For the latest Bison/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I coaches poll, click below:
http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-volley/division_i1.html
FLORIDA WEEK-BY-WEEK IN THE AVCA POLL
Preseason (Aug. 17) 13th
Week 1 (Aug. 30) 6th
Week 2 (Sept. 6) 4th
Week 3 (Sept. 13) 3rd
Week 4 (Sept. 20) 3rd
Week 5 (Sept. 27) 2nd
Week 6 (Oct. 4) 2nd
Week 7 (Oct. 11) 1st
CONSECUTIVE WEEKS RANKED IN POLL
Team Wks Entered Poll
Stanford 403 9/15/82
Nebraska 403 9/15/82
Penn State 324 11/20/88
Southern Cal 300 8/31/91
Florida 298 9/17/91