Ball State University Athletics
Women?s Volleyball Receives Votes In AVCA Top 25 Poll
October 24, 2011 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Behind the strength of a 20-3 overall record, the Ball State women's volleyball team has received three votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I Coaches Poll.
It is the first appearance for the Cardinals in the receiving votes section of the AVCA Coaches Poll this season. The Ball State women's volleyball program has never been ranked in the AVCA's Top 25, but was the first team not ranked (26th) after defeating then-No. 8 Pacific Sept. 9. 1995.
"To receive national recognition for Ball State University and the Mid-American Conference is a very good feeling," said Ball State head coach Steve Shondell. "Our conference is as strong as it has ever been, as evident by three teams in our division being ranked in the top 40 in the NCAA Women's Volleyball RPI Rankings."
No. 11 Purdue, and Ball State are the only teams from the state of Indiana to receive votes in this week's poll. Among league schools, Northern Illinois and Bowling Green have both received votes in the poll this season, with NIU receiving votes three times (Sept. 5, Sept. 19 and Sept. 19) and BSGU earning votes in the Sept. 19 poll.
BSU's 20-3 overall record is the best 23-match record in program history, topping the previous mark of 19-4 set by the 1993, 2000 and 2010 squads.
The Cardinals also enter the week with a 9-1 league record and hold a one match lead over both Western Michigan and Northern Illinois in the race for both the MAC West Division and MAC Regular Season titles.
With its sweep of Bowling Green last Saturday, Ball State became the first team in the league to secure a spot in the reformatted MAC Tournament. This season, the top eight teams advance to the tournament which runs Nov. 18-20 at SPIRE, part of the GaREAT family, located in Geneva, Ohio.
The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to action Thursday, when it travels to Toledo for a 7 p.m. showdown versus the Rockets. BSU returns home Saturday for a 7 p.m. "Hawaiian Night" versus Buffalo.
