Undefeated Spartans Remain at No. 2 In National Rankings
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The University of Tampa volleyball team remains the No. 2 ranked squad in the nation, holding the same spot for five consecutive weeks in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division II poll.
The 17-0 Spartans, who began the year as the No. 4 team in the AVCA preseason installment, are off to its best start since the 2006 national championship season that began with 17 straight wins. The best start in program history was 25-0 in 1984 as the 1987 and 1988 teams were both 22-0 before suffering a loss.
Head coach Chris Catanach's squad is coming off a pair of 3-0 sweeps of Sunshine State Conference opponents on the road, including Florida Tech and Nova Southeastern. Tampa is now a perfect 8-0 in SSC play, as the lone undefeated team in league play and two matches ahead of Eckerd and Rollins.
Four-time defending national champions Concordia-St. Paul remains at the top-spot, netting all 32 first-place votes with a perfect 18-0 record. Cal State-San Bernardino is third as Minnesota-Duluth and Washburn round out the top-five.
Tampa is the lone SSC and South Region school in the top-25, with 2011 opponents Eckerd, North Alabama, Flagler and Florida Southern each receiving votes.
Tampa travels to the Regional Crossover in Pensacola, Fla., where it will face a trio of regional opponents. The Spartans open against Valdosta State and Christian Brothers on Friday before meeting host West Florida on Saturday.
Tampa has now been ranked for 210 straight weeks, which is the second-longest active streak to No. 7 Central Missouri. The Spartans have also been represented in the top-five for 21 consecutive releases.