By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University volleyball team holds down the No. 1 spot in the AVCA Top 25 NCAA Division II Poll for the third straight week after posting two sweeps at home last weekend.
The Ichabods received 39 first-place votes and hold an overall record of 14-1 with a perfect 6-0 mark in MIAA matches.
Washburn is on a six-match winning streak and has recorded nine 3-0 victories this season.
Washburn University's volleyball team is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the third straight week. [File photo by Kyle Manthe/TSN]
Washburn leads the conference in several statistical categories, including hitting percentage (.317 percent, second in D-II), kills per set (14.96 kills/set, third in D-II), assists per set (13.57 assists/set, fifth in D-II) and blocks per set (2.42 blocks/set, 19th in D-II).
The top five teams in the AVCA rankings remain the same as last week as Metro State-Denver checks in at No. 2 behind Washburn. Angelo State remains No. 3, Concordia-St. Paul is No. 4 and Central Missouri rounds things out at No. 5.
The MIAA continues to be well-represented in the top 15 as the Ichabods and Jennies are joined by Northwest Missouri, which moved up three places to No. 10 and Nebraska-Kearney at No. 14. Central Oklahoma also received votes in the poll.
Washburn is back in Lee Arena this weekend, hosting Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State on Friday and Saturday. Both matches are scheduled for 6 p.m. starts
AVCA NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS
| Rank | School (First-Place Votes) | Total Points Adjusted |
2021 Record | Previous Week Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washburn (39) | 1162 | 14-1 | 1 |
| 2 | MSU Denver (5) | 1077 | 12-2 | 2 |
| 3 | Angelo State (1) | 1006 | 13-2 | 3 |
| 4 | Concordia - St. Paul (1) | 991 | 13-2 | 4 |
| 5 | Central Missouri | 929 | 12-2 | 5 |
| 6t | Colorado School of Mines (1) | 871 | 13-1 | 8 |
| 6t | Wayne State (Neb.) | 871 | 12-2 | 7 |
| 8 | Tampa | 828 | 12-1 | 9 |
| 9 | Winona State | 766 | 14-1 | 11 |
| 10 | NW Missouri State | 720 | 11-2 | 13 |
| 11 | Southwest Minnesota State | 708 | 13-2 | 6 |
| 12 | Cal State San Bernardino | 641 | 11-3 | 12 |
| 13 | Lewis | 592 | 12-3 | 14 |
| 14 | Nebraska-Kearney | 575 | 12-3 | 10 |
| 15 | West Florida | 483 | 17-1 | 15 |
| 16 | St Cloud State | 415 | 11-4 | 16 |
| 17 | Hillsdale | 371 | 13-2 | 17 |
| 18 | Texas-Tyler | 346 | 10-0 | 19 |
| 19 | Oklahoma Baptist University | 319 | 10-2 | 18 |
| 20 | Nova Southeastern | 267 | 12-0 | 23 |
| 21 | Western Washington | 250 | 7-4 | 20 |
| 22 | Cal Poly Pomona | 173 | 12-1 | 21 |
| 23 | Minnesota Duluth | 173 | 10-5 | 22 |
| 24 | Chaminade | 157 | 15-3 | 24 |
| 25 | Central Washington | 98 | 8-3 | 25 |
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: Gannon 71; Northern State 70; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (FL) 54; Michigan Tech 37; Alaska-Anchorage 31; Central Oklahoma 26; Colorado Mesa University 23; Cal State L. A. 20; Harding 17; Grand Valley State 16; West Texas A&M 13; Arkansas Tech University 12; Regis 12; Azusa Pacific 8; Simon Fraser University 8; Rockhurst 5.
