INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – After splitting a pair of decisions last weekend, the Anderson University volleyball team is tabbed fourth in the Southeast Region in the NCAA's second Division II Southeast Region rankings of the season, as released Wednesday afternoon.
Wingate (26-1), which has climbed back into the American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) National Poll at No. 24, holds the top spot for the second consecutive week. The Bulldogs are atop South Atlantic Conference standings with just the one blemish on their record.
USC Aiken, which dropped a four-set decision at Flagler last Friday, is at the top of the Peach Belt Conference with a 24-3 overall record and captured the second spot in the rankings. Queens collected a pair of road wins last weekend and occupies the third slot, with the Trojans at No. 4 after defeating Catawba, but falling to Queens for the second time this season last Saturday. AU is third in the SAC, behind the Bulldogs and Royals.
Carson-Newman, which is currently fourth in the SAC standings, is fifth in this week's NCAA Regional poll. Lander, which also fell to Flagler last weekend and is third in the seven-team PBC standings, is sixth for the second straight week. With a 22-8 overall record, Augusta is at No. 7, while Flagler (20-7) jumped into second place in the PBC with a pair of victories over the weekend and is eighth in the poll.
Lenoir-Rhyne (15-13) and Mars Hill (14-13) round out the 10 teams in the poll.
Eight teams from each of the eight regions will advance to the NCAA Division II tournament. In the Southeast Region, the tournament champions from the South Atlantic Conference, Peach Belt, and Conference Carolinas will receive an automatic bid, with five more at-large selections.
The three regional rankings are scheduled to be released weekly on Wednesdays through November 20, with the NCAA D-II Tournament selections scheduled to be unveiled on Monday night, Nov. 25, at 7:30 p.m. on www.ncaa.com.
The Trojans are slated to wrap up the regular season with a two-match road swing, beginning at Tusculum on Friday. First-serve at Pioneer Arena is set for 7 p.m. AU will visit league-newcomer UVa-Wise on Saturday afternoon, with first-serve scheduled for 2 p.m.
Overall Record
1. Wingate 26-1
2. USC Aiken 24-3
3. Queens 20-5
4. Anderson 20-5
5. Carson-Newman 21-6
6. Lander 18-8
7. Augusta 22-8
8. Flagler 20-7
9. Lenoir-Rhyne 15-13
10. Mars Hill 14-13
