By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After opening the 2021 season with a perfect 5-0 record, including two victories over ranked opponents, Washburn volleyball moved up four places in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll to No. 4 in the nation.
Last week the Ichabods swept Cameron, Minot State and then No. 19-ranked Harding and also picked up a pair of four-set wins over Colorado-Colorado Springs and No. 15-ranked Northern State.
Chris Herron's Washburn University volleyball team has climbed to the No. 4 spot in the national rankings. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Concordia-St. Paul moved up one place to claim the No. 1 spot in the AVCA rankings while Angelo State moved down to second.
There are now four undefeated MIAA teams represented in the top 10 of the AVCA rankings as Nebraska-Kearney checks in at No. 3, Northwest Missouri No. 8 and Central Missouri No. 10.
Washburn will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. this week to play four matches in the Mountain Lion Invitational, starting Friday at 9 a.m. against Lubbock Christian.
AVCA NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS
| Rank | School (First-Place Votes) | Total Points Adjusted |
2021 Record | Previous Week Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concordia - St. Paul (20) | 1114 | 4-0 | 2 |
| 2 | Angelo State (21) | 1086 | 4-0 | 1 |
| 3 | Nebraska-Kearney (2) | 979 | 4-0 | 4 |
| 4 | Washburn | 911 | 5-0 | 8 |
| 5 | Lewis | 895 | 4-0 | 6 |
| 6 | Cal State San Bernardino (1) | 860 | 3-1 | 3 |
| 7 | Tampa | 718 | 3-1 | 5 |
| 8 | NW Missouri State | 698 | 4-0 | 16 |
| 9 | Western Washington | 648 | 3-0 | 14 |
| 10 | Central Missouri | 619 | 4-0 | 17 |
| 11 | Minnesota Duluth | 610 | 3-1 | 7 |
| 12 | Oklahoma Baptist | 594 | 3-1 | 9 |
| 13 | St. Cloud State | 555 | 4-0 | 19 |
| 14 | Winona State | 496 | 4-0 | NR |
| 15 | Colorado School of Mines | 464 | 3-1 | 12 |
| 16 | Southwest Minnesota State | 441 | 4-0 | NR |
| 17 | Wayne State (Neb.) | 347 | 3-0 | 24 |
| 18 | Hillsdale | 324 | 2-2 | 13 |
| 19 | Northern State | 287 | 2-2 | 15 |
| 20 | MSU Denver | 277 | 2-2 | 11 |
| 21 | West Florida | 231 | 4-0 | NR |
| 22 | Colorado Mesa | 208 | 2-2 | 10 |
| 23 | Texas-Tyler | 192 | 4-0 | 20 |
| 24 | Simon Fraser (3) | 162 | 4-0 | NR |
| 25 | Rockhurst | 146 | 3-1 | 25 |
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: Harding 128; Ferris State 107; Texas A&M-Kingsville 98; Regis 97; Alaska-Anchorage 93; Gannon 84; Chaminade 79; Michigan Tech 62; Missouri-St Louis 50; West Texas A&M 49; Cal Poly Pomona 44; Southern Indiana 43; Wheeling 43; Lynn 39; Nova Southeastern 32; Cal State L.A. 31; Wingate 28; Hawai'i-Hilo 27; Palm Beach Atlantic 25; Northern Michigan 20; Barry 17; Grand Valley State 17; Central Oklahoma 7; Colo State-Pueblo 6; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (FL) 5.
