Creighton Volleyball Returns To Top 25 of AVCA Poll
Release from Creighton Athletics
OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton returned to the Top 25 of the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll on Monday, earning enough votes to rank tied for 25th.
The Bluejays had been among those "also receiving votes" each of the previous eight weeks since last landing in the top-25 on August 29th with a No. 22 ranking. That came after Creighton was ranked a program-best No. 18 in the preseason AVCA poll.
Creighton has been ranked No. 25 twice previously, going 2-0 the week of Nov. 5, 2012 as well as the opening weekend in 2013 after appearing 25th in the preseason AVCA poll released on August 12, 2013. The Bluejays are 21-9 all-time when ranked, including a 20-4 mark against unranked competition, with this being the 15th different time it has been in the top-25.
The 2016 season is the fifth straight season that Creighton has been ranked, after never earning a top-25 nod between 1994-2011. The volleyball team is one of three Creighton teams currently ranked in the top-25, joining the men's basketball team (No. 22) and the men's soccer team (No. 18).
This week's AVCA poll is headed by defending national champion Nebraska, which garnered all 64 first-place votes. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas and Texas round out the top-five. Dayton moved into the poll at No. 24 with 134 points, while Creighton tied USC for 25th place with 120 points in the poll. Creighton and USC battled to five sets on September 3rd in Los Angeles in CU's last match as a ranked program.
Though the most prominent, the AVCA poll is not the only rankings that have Creighton among its top teams. The PrepVolleyball.com poll has Creighton up to a season-high 17th, while the official NCAA RPI has Creighton 20th.
Winners of 12 straight matches, Creighton (18-6, 12-0 BIG EAST) opens a six-match homestand to close the regular-season on Friday when it hosts Butler at 6 p.m. at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.
| Rank |
School
(1st-Place Votes) |
Points |
2016
W-L |
Previous Week |
| 1 |
Nebraska (64) |
1600 |
20-1 |
1 |
| 2 |
Minnesota |
1522 |
17-4 |
3 |
| 3 |
Wisconsin |
1461 |
18-3 |
4 |
| 4 |
Kansas |
1400 |
20-2 |
6 |
| 5 |
Texas |
1331 |
17-3 |
2 |
| 6 |
Florida |
1264 |
21-2 |
9 |
| 7 |
San Diego |
1158 |
19-3 |
5 |
| 8 |
Washington |
1060 |
19-3 |
7 |
| 9 |
UCLA |
1030 |
18-4 |
12 |
| 10 |
Florida State |
989 |
18-3 |
11 |
| 11 |
Penn State |
900 |
17-6 |
10 |
| 12 |
North Carolina |
871 |
19-3 |
8 |
| 13 |
Stanford |
841 |
14-6 |
17 |
| 14 |
BYU |
829 |
20-3 |
16 |
| 15 |
Hawai'i |
778 |
16-5 |
14 |
| 16 |
Michigan State |
736 |
19-5 |
15 |
| 17 |
Michigan |
456 |
18-6 |
13 |
| 18 |
Kentucky |
418 |
18-5 |
22 |
| 19 |
Utah |
390 |
16-7 |
21 |
| 20 |
Oregon |
353 |
15-6 |
20 |
| 21 |
Western Kentucky |
295 |
24-2 |
23 |
| 22 |
Ohio State |
284 |
15-9 |
19 |
| 23 |
Washington State |
254 |
17-7 |
18 |
| 24 |
Dayton |
134 |
24-1 |
NR |
| T-25 |
Creighton |
120 |
18-6 |
NR |
| T-25 |
Southern California |
120 |
15-8 |
24 |
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: Missouri 68; Purdue 50; Illinois 37; Arizona 14; Colorado 13; Iowa 9; Texas A&M 4
Seven teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 14 combined points.