2018 AVCA Poll Notes: Sept. 10, 2018

Here’s a look at some notes from the past week and the upcoming week, based on the new AVCA Coaches Poll released on Monday, September 10:

New #1: With two more impressive wins over ranked opponents (an emphatic sweep of Southern Cal and a hard-fought four-set win over host Marquette), BYU ascended to the top spot in the rankings. It is the first time since the last four regular-season polls of 1986 (!) that the Cougars have been #1, the only other time the program has been there. With 5 total weeks in the top spot, BYU breaks out of a four-way tie for 13th place all-time (with fellow four-weekers Cal, Illinois and San Diego State) and is now four weeks behind 12th-place Minnesota (nine total weeks at #1), the team it supplanted. BYU could pick up 11 more weeks at #1 before the tournament, which would tie it with Florida for ninth place (16 weeks at #1). BYU hosts #24 Utah before conference play begins the following week.

Carnage! Have we ever seen such chaos with highly ranked teams in one week?! #1 Minnesota dropped two four-set battles to Oregon and Stanford to drop six spots to #7; while Southern Cal followed up its sweep loss to BYU with a five-set loss to Marquette. But that wasn’t the surprising part of the weekend. Baylor followed up its exciting home upset of then-#2 Wisconsin with a loss to…UTRGV? (That’s the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, who was so shocked by the win that they couldn’t quite be sure of themselves: “what is believed to be a victory over the highest ranked opponent in NCAA Division I program history”). The Badgers dropped four to #6, while Baylor fell three to #18. Meanwhile, the altitude in Flagstaff may have played a role in the Gators stunning five-set loss to Northern Arizona, the school’s first win ever over a ranked opponent in 14 tries. Florida fell three spots to #11.

Not the Pitts: Speaking of emphatic, Pitts impressive -18, -13, -17 dismantling of Washington has them at 9-0, the program’s best start since going 12-0 in 1983. That win had them climb four spots to #9, the program’s best ranking ever. Prior to this season, the Panthers best ranking was #17 in 1990.

Bam(a)! Off to a 9-0 start, Alabama entered the poll not only for the first time this year, but for the first time in program history! The Crimson Tide enter at #25 (the same place lionsfan placed them). Bama had received votes the last two weeks, and also received votes in 2014 and 2015. The 9-0 start is the best in program history, and the program’s first such win streak since 2014. The Tide hung on for a five-set home win over Samford on Tuesday to up their record to 10-0…with the biggest test of their pre-conference slate coming up Friday: A home showdown against #15 Purdue. Congrats to the Tide!

Doubly Sweet: Cal Poly enacted revenge on UCLA, the team that bounced the Mustangs in the second round of the NCAA tournament last year. With a 3-1 win Thursday night, Poly got its first win over the Bruins since 1985 (which, before this year, was one of only two wins ever against UCLA). It was also the Mustangs first win over a Top 10 opponent since defeating #9 BYU 3-1 in 2007, and the Bruins first loss of the year. And then on Friday night, Poly repeated the 3-1 win to give them a 2-0 homestead. The Mustangs climbed eight spots to #14, while UCLA dropped seven to tie for 16th. From the Poly SID: “This is now the highest Cal Poly has been ranked since week one of the 2008 season when they were also ranked No. 14.”

B1G Returns: With three more wins, Illinois entered the Top 10 for the first time since being #7 in week 5 of 2015 (when it started the season with six weeks in the Top 10), but it faces three tough tests at home this weekend. Michigan moved up a spot to #19 and hasn’t dropped a set all year in compiling a 9-0 record, its most recent win a sweep of Colorado State. Undefeated Purdue moved up four spots to #15 after a nice five-set win over Louisville, and next travels to #25 Alabama. The Big Ten occupies half of the Top 10 (spots 4-8), and has seven teams in the Top 25, with 9-1 Michigan State itching to get back in.

Rose Watch: Coach Rose moved his Lions up three spots to #9 this week (right behind #8 Pitt), and lionsfan also had them jumping seven spots to #7 in his poll (thanks to a good win that finally tells us a little more about the team, and also thanks to a lot of other upsets).

#16 Southern Cal @ #23 San Diego