Spartans Sit No. 6 in Latest AVCA Poll
The Tampa volleyball team jumps two spots after a 2-0 week. UT swept then-No. 17 Florida Southern after clinching the conference crown with a 3-1 victory over Florida Tech.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Tampa volleyball team ascends two spots to the No. 6 ranked program in Division II as per the latest release of the American Volleyball Coaches Association coaches' poll, announced Monday.
The Spartans earned its 11th consecutive Sunshine State Conference championship outright after defeating Florida Tech by a 3-1 score. UT finished the week with a sweep of then-No. 17 Florida Southern College at home to improve its record to 24-5 on the year.
Maintaining its hold on the top spot is Concordia, St. Paul, as the Golden Bears garnered a whopping 41 first-place votes in the poll. Continuing as the No. 2 team is Southwest Minnesota State after falling in four-sets to No. 1 Concordia to close out the regular season on Saturday.
Ferris State slides into No. 3 after No. 4 Northern State dropped its final contest of the regular season to Minnesota-Duluth in five frames. The UMD Bulldogs earned a No. 7 rank after the important regional win. Rounding out the top-five and picking up two first-place votes is Rockhurst.
Palm Beach Atlantic moves up a spot after a 2-0 week, reaching the No. 9 rank for the first time in program history. Regional foe West Florida moves up to No. in the nation while SSC rival Florida Southern College plummets to No. 22 after suffering a tough loss to UT in straight-sets.
The Spartans have been ranked for 267 consecutive AVCA polling periods, a mark that ranks second only to No. 13 Central Missouri, as both are active program records. UT holds the Division II record for most times ranked in the top 10 with 258 releases of the AVCA coaches' poll and have garnered a top-10 rank for 146 consecutive polls.
Tampa will meet Lynn University for a Thursday night showdown. The 7 p.m. contest will feature live stats as well as a live video webcast that will be available through www.tampaspartans.com.
Click here for the complete AVCA Week 11 release
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