The University of Florida volleyball team has achieved its highest national ranking since the 2005 season, moving up to No. 3 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL ACHIEVES HIGHEST NATIONAL RANKING SINCE 2005 -Gators ranked No. 3 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll
Coach Mary Wise’s Gators (6-1), who began the season ranked No. 13, rocketed to No. 6 after the first week and a pair of wins against then No. 2 Nebraska and No. 9 Iowa State. The Gators then jumped two spots to No. 4 last week after three wins in the Campus USA Credit Union Invitational, including a victory against then No. 15 Colorado State.
Last weekend, the Gators split a pair of matches in the Nike Volleyball Big Four Classic in Gainesville, losing a tough four-setter to then No. 1 Penn State before defeating then No. 5 Texas, 3-2.
The ranking is Florida’s highest since finishing third in the final 2005 AVCA poll.
Stanford, which ended Penn State’s NCAA Division I volleyball record 109-match winning streak Saturday in Gainesville, moved into the top spot in the AVCA Poll. Penn State checks in at No. 2 with the Gators No. 3, Nebraska No. 4 and Illinois at No. 5.
The Gators continue to remain one of four Southeastern Conference teams ranked in the AVCA Top 25, as Tennessee is No. 18, LSU No. 19 and Kentucky No. 22. Florida visits Kentucky Friday night at 7 p.m. and then travels to Tennessee Sunday for a 2 p.m. match.
AMERICAN VOLLEYBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION TOP 25
Week of Sept. 13, 2010
Rank School (First-Place Votes) 2010 Record
1 Stanford (58) 7-0
2 Penn State (2) 7-1
3 Florida 6-1
4 Nebraska 8-1
5 Illinois 7-1
6 Hawai’I 8-1
7 Southern California 7-0
8 Texas 5-3
9 Washington 8-0
10 California 7-0
11 Iowa State 7-1
12 Minnesota 8-1
13 UCLA 7-1
14 Colorado State 8-1
15 Florida State 8-1
16 Oregon 8-0
17 Northern Iowa 8-2
18 Tennessee 8-1
19 LSU 9-0
20 Dayton 6-3
21 Michigan 8-1
22 Kentucky 6-4
23 San Diego 4-3
24 Long Beach State 6-2
25 Ohio State 9-1
Others receiving votes: St. Mary’s (Calif.) 48; Arizona 40; Utah State 23; Duke 16; Missouri 16; Cincinnati 15; Northwestern 14; Toledo 12; Pacific 9; Oklahoma 7; Michigan State 5; Wisconsin 5; Missouri State 3.