AVCA Week 7 (2016): #1 Musical Chairs
Oct 11, 2016 21:08:53 GMT -5
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Post by lionsfan on Oct 11, 2016 21:08:53 GMT -5
Let’s take a look at some highlights of last week, matches to look forward to, and my own version of the poll! Based on the AVCA Week 7 poll from 10/10:
Back in Business? Thanks to a thrilling five-set upset of #1 Minnesota—and some losses by teams ranked ahead of it—Penn State returned to the Top 10 for the first time since the preseason poll, rising five spots to #10. It was the Lions first home win against a #1 team since…hmm…I think October 29, 2011, when #8 Penn State topped #1 Nebraska 3-1 (hey, Penn State Sports Information department! Shouldn’t you be on top of this?!).
The Lions need to be careful when they head to West Lafayette, as a limping Purdue is hungry for a victory. The Boilers have dropped four in a row and five of their last six. It fell five spots to #23 after a stunning five-set loss at Iowa—off to its best start (14-4) since 1988. It will be Penn State’s first trip to Purdue since 2014, when they went the distance in a 3-2 win (the same result from 2013).
The Gophers, meanwhile, enjoyed just one week at the top spot, dropping to #3 and paving the way for…
(Another) New #1: After surviving a sometimes tight four-set match over Illinois, Wisconsin moved into the top spot for the first time in program history, becoming just the 19th program ever to be #1—and the third conference team in three weeks to be on top. The Badgers have been ranked #2 eight times in their history, including three weeks this season, three weeks in 2014 and in the final poll of 2013 and 2000. If they can stay there for more than one week, they will pass one-hit wonder Cal Poly (which enjoyed the top spot for one week in October of 1985). But that might be a tall order considering…
The Big Match: All eyes will be on Madison when new #1 Wisconsin hosts #3 Minnesota. History provides some interesting tidbits: The Badgers have won 18 straight Big Ten matches since falling at #11 Minnesota on Oct. 17, 2015; while Wisconsin has won 14 straight home matches (including 10-straight conference tilts) since falling to—guess who?—#11 Minnesota on Oct. 14, 2015 (in one of those weird travel partner doubleheader weeks). Minnesota leads the series 46-30, but the Badgers lead 20-16 in Madison. Neither team will get much of a breather: The Badgers visit Michigan on Saturday, the same day the Gophers travel to Michigan State.
Sorry, Rampage: What happened, Buckeyes?! Following an emphatic upset at top-ranked Nebraska, Ohio State went 0-2 on a road trip to the Michigans, taking just one set for the weekend. They dropped five spots to #19, while the Spartans jumped seven spots to #13 and the Wolverines rose five spots to #18. Ohio State will have to channel its focus quickly: They host an eager-to-avenge Nebraska on Friday.
Pac Pandemonium: Who knows what the heck is going to shake out in the Pac 12? Last week proved unpredictable, just when it seemed like the frontrunners were solidifying themselves. Utah made perhaps the biggest impression this week, winning for the first time ever in Maples Pavilion to stun then #7 Stanford—ending an 11-game losing streak to the Card, who fell five spots. Utah beat Stanford for only the second time in school history (the first time since 2000) and moved into the poll at #21. The spent one week ranked so far this year (#25 on Sept. 26). The #21 ranking is the highest since being #18 in the final poll of 2014. Up next: a tough road trip to the Washington schools.
Oregon rebounded from a sweep loss to Washington to dish out the same punishment to surging Washington State, rising four spots to #16 as the Cougars dropped three to #13.
Arizona swept the So Cal schools, and sits first out of the poll. Notes the Arizona SID: “Since the beginning of Pac-10 volleyball in 1986, this is the first time Arizona has defeated both the Trojans and the Bruins in Los Angeles.” The sweep of the Trojans was the Wildcats’ first victory in the Galen Center since its opening in 2006, while Arizona came back from an 0-2 deficit to top UCLA in five. Arizona next travels to Stanford.
The Bruins fell to #20, while USC dropped out of the poll—the first time since Week 1, another rare non-ranked week for the powerhouse. Both schools travel to the Oregons this week. Coming into the season, Penn State (444 weeks) trailed USC (472 weeks) for fifth place in the Total Times Ranked list.
Colorado dropped out of the poll after losing 1-3 to Stanford and (more surprisingly) 10th place Cal.
Sunflower Showdown: Lionsfan has Kansas State ranked…but the Wildcats can convince the pollsters that count if they can notch an upset at #6 Kansas in the 112th series installment. K-State owns a 63-48-1 series edge but has lost seven of the last eight meetings. The Wildcats last win in Lawrence was a 3-2 win in 2014. The match will air on ESPNU on Wednesday.
Lionsfan’s Top 25
1. Wisconsin
2. Minnesota
3. Nebraska
4. San Diego
5. Texas
6. Washington
7. North Carolina
8. Washington State
9. Florida
10. Penn State
11. Stanford
12. Kansas
13. BYU
14. Oregon
15. Michigan State
16. Michigan
17. Ohio State
18. Florida State
19. UCLA
20. Hawaii
21. Purdue
22. Illinois
23. Kansas State
24. Kentucky
25. Utah (sorry, Arizona! You’re my “first out,” too!)
Back in Business? Thanks to a thrilling five-set upset of #1 Minnesota—and some losses by teams ranked ahead of it—Penn State returned to the Top 10 for the first time since the preseason poll, rising five spots to #10. It was the Lions first home win against a #1 team since…hmm…I think October 29, 2011, when #8 Penn State topped #1 Nebraska 3-1 (hey, Penn State Sports Information department! Shouldn’t you be on top of this?!).
The Lions need to be careful when they head to West Lafayette, as a limping Purdue is hungry for a victory. The Boilers have dropped four in a row and five of their last six. It fell five spots to #23 after a stunning five-set loss at Iowa—off to its best start (14-4) since 1988. It will be Penn State’s first trip to Purdue since 2014, when they went the distance in a 3-2 win (the same result from 2013).
The Gophers, meanwhile, enjoyed just one week at the top spot, dropping to #3 and paving the way for…
(Another) New #1: After surviving a sometimes tight four-set match over Illinois, Wisconsin moved into the top spot for the first time in program history, becoming just the 19th program ever to be #1—and the third conference team in three weeks to be on top. The Badgers have been ranked #2 eight times in their history, including three weeks this season, three weeks in 2014 and in the final poll of 2013 and 2000. If they can stay there for more than one week, they will pass one-hit wonder Cal Poly (which enjoyed the top spot for one week in October of 1985). But that might be a tall order considering…
The Big Match: All eyes will be on Madison when new #1 Wisconsin hosts #3 Minnesota. History provides some interesting tidbits: The Badgers have won 18 straight Big Ten matches since falling at #11 Minnesota on Oct. 17, 2015; while Wisconsin has won 14 straight home matches (including 10-straight conference tilts) since falling to—guess who?—#11 Minnesota on Oct. 14, 2015 (in one of those weird travel partner doubleheader weeks). Minnesota leads the series 46-30, but the Badgers lead 20-16 in Madison. Neither team will get much of a breather: The Badgers visit Michigan on Saturday, the same day the Gophers travel to Michigan State.
Sorry, Rampage: What happened, Buckeyes?! Following an emphatic upset at top-ranked Nebraska, Ohio State went 0-2 on a road trip to the Michigans, taking just one set for the weekend. They dropped five spots to #19, while the Spartans jumped seven spots to #13 and the Wolverines rose five spots to #18. Ohio State will have to channel its focus quickly: They host an eager-to-avenge Nebraska on Friday.
Pac Pandemonium: Who knows what the heck is going to shake out in the Pac 12? Last week proved unpredictable, just when it seemed like the frontrunners were solidifying themselves. Utah made perhaps the biggest impression this week, winning for the first time ever in Maples Pavilion to stun then #7 Stanford—ending an 11-game losing streak to the Card, who fell five spots. Utah beat Stanford for only the second time in school history (the first time since 2000) and moved into the poll at #21. The spent one week ranked so far this year (#25 on Sept. 26). The #21 ranking is the highest since being #18 in the final poll of 2014. Up next: a tough road trip to the Washington schools.
Oregon rebounded from a sweep loss to Washington to dish out the same punishment to surging Washington State, rising four spots to #16 as the Cougars dropped three to #13.
Arizona swept the So Cal schools, and sits first out of the poll. Notes the Arizona SID: “Since the beginning of Pac-10 volleyball in 1986, this is the first time Arizona has defeated both the Trojans and the Bruins in Los Angeles.” The sweep of the Trojans was the Wildcats’ first victory in the Galen Center since its opening in 2006, while Arizona came back from an 0-2 deficit to top UCLA in five. Arizona next travels to Stanford.
The Bruins fell to #20, while USC dropped out of the poll—the first time since Week 1, another rare non-ranked week for the powerhouse. Both schools travel to the Oregons this week. Coming into the season, Penn State (444 weeks) trailed USC (472 weeks) for fifth place in the Total Times Ranked list.
Colorado dropped out of the poll after losing 1-3 to Stanford and (more surprisingly) 10th place Cal.
Sunflower Showdown: Lionsfan has Kansas State ranked…but the Wildcats can convince the pollsters that count if they can notch an upset at #6 Kansas in the 112th series installment. K-State owns a 63-48-1 series edge but has lost seven of the last eight meetings. The Wildcats last win in Lawrence was a 3-2 win in 2014. The match will air on ESPNU on Wednesday.
Lionsfan’s Top 25
1. Wisconsin
2. Minnesota
3. Nebraska
4. San Diego
5. Texas
6. Washington
7. North Carolina
8. Washington State
9. Florida
10. Penn State
11. Stanford
12. Kansas
13. BYU
14. Oregon
15. Michigan State
16. Michigan
17. Ohio State
18. Florida State
19. UCLA
20. Hawaii
21. Purdue
22. Illinois
23. Kansas State
24. Kentucky
25. Utah (sorry, Arizona! You’re my “first out,” too!)
