EUGENE – One of two unbeaten teams nationally this week, the No. 2 University of Oregon volleyball team (13-0, 4-0) repeated its best-ever ranking in school history in Monday’s sixth AVCA national poll of the season.
After it swept both Colorado and Utah at home last week, the Ducks stood four spots better than their previous all-time best (sixth, 10/13/08) for the second straight week.
UO was one of five Pac-12 schools spotted in the top seven overall Monday with No. 2 Washington, No. 5 USC, No. 6 UCLA and No. 7 Stanford.
Among current league rankings, Washington improved three positions; USC and UCLA each dropped two spots; Stanford remained the same; and Oregon State received votes.
One other Ducks foe stood top 25 – No. 19 Ohio State – and California, Kentucky and St. Mary’s have picked up votes in current or previous editions.
For comparison’s sake, last week’s Pac-12 rankings follow: No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 USC, No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 Washington and No. 7 Stanford.
Overall during head coach Jim Moore’s eight-year tenure, Oregon has now been ranked top 25 for 81 editions (2012-7; 2011-14; ’10-13; ’09-16; ’08-16; ’07-13; ’06-2), including 45 in the top 15, and all 18 of the team’s ever top-10 honors.
Among other news among top five teams, No. 1 Penn State remained in the top spot for the second straight week after it swept then-No. 10 Minnesota and Wisconsin on the road. No. 4 Nebraska jumped two spots after it beat Michigan State (3-0) and Michigan (3-1) at home.
The complete poll follows at the bottom of this article, and is also available at the AVCA website at the http://www.avca.org/divisions/division-one-women/polls/ URL address.
Earlier this season, Oregon’s No. 20 preseason pick in the AVCA Coaches Poll was its fourth top-20 preseason pick the last five years – an accomplishment the program had notched only twice before current head coach Jim Moore’s arrival (1985 - 15th / 1990 - 20th).
The eighth-year mentor and his squad also picked up a No. 11 preseason nod in 2008, and No. 14 and No. 20 selections in 2009 and ’10, respectively.
This week, UO heads to the Bay Area for a pair of Pac-12 televised tilts at California (8-6, 2-2), Wed. (7 p.m.) and at No. 7 Stanford (12-2, 4-0, Fri. (5:30 p.m.). The Ducks will try to tie longest win streak (14 matches) in NCAA play vs. the Bears, while the Cardinal is in a three-way tie for the Pac-12 lead with Oregon with No. 2 Washington (13-0, 4-0).
The following week, UO returns home to host Washington State (10-6, 0-4) and No. 2 Washington (13-0, 4-0) on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 12-13 for 6 and 7 p.m. matches.
The Cougar tilt will be televised regionally by Pac-12 Networks, while the Husky match features the nation’s other unbeaten team this week.
A complete listing of the Ducks' string of top-25 rankings under Moore follows: *2012: Preseason – 20th; 8/27 – 17th; 9/4 -13th; 9/10 – 9th; 9/17 – 8th; 9/23 – 2nd; 10/2 – 2nd; 2011 (13 weeks): 8/29 – 16th; 9/5 – 16th; 9/12 – 16th; 9/19 – 15th; 9/26 – 15th; 10/3 – 15th; 10/10 – 16th; 10/17 – 18th; 10/24 – 16th; 10/31 – 20th; 11/7 – 20th; 11/14 - 15th; 11/21 – 13th; 12/20 – 24th. *2010 (13): Preseason – 20th, 8/30 – 18th; 9/6 – 19th; 9/13 – 16th; 9/20 – 15th; 9/27 – 11th; 10/4 – 13th; 10/11 – 17th; 10/18 – 16th; 10/25 – 18th; 11/1 – 20th; 11/15 – 23rd; 11/22 – 24th. *2009 (16): Preseason - 14th, 8/31 - 14th, 9/7 - 12th, 9/14 - 14th; 9/21 - 7th; 9/28 – 7th; 10/5 – 11th; 10/12 - 15th; 10/19 – 12th; 10/26 – 15th; 11/2 – 14th; 11/9 – 16th; 11/16 – 18th; 11/23 – 18th; 11/30 – 17th; 12/22 – 18th. *2008 (16): Preseason - 11th; 9/2 - 13th; 9/9 - 12th; 9/17 - 12th; 9/24 - 11th; 9/30 - 11th; 10/6 - 7th; 10/13 - 6th; 10/20 - 7th; 10/27 - 7th; 11/3 - 8th; 11/10 - 8th; 11/17 - 8th; 11/24 - 8th; 12/1 - 7th; 12/23 - 9th. *2007 (13): 9/18 24th; 9/25 21st; 10/1 – 19th; 10/8 – 19th; 10/15 – 19th; 10/22 – 19th; 10/29 - 19th; 11/5 – 20th; 11/12 - 14th; 11/19 - 13th; 11/26 - 13th; 12/3 - ninth; 12/10 - ninth. *2006 (2): 10/30 24th; 11/6 24th.
AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll
Week #6: October 1, 2012
Rank School (First-Place Votes) Total Points 2012 Previous Week
1 Penn State (42) 1466 14-1 1
>T-2 Oregon (13) 1412 13-0 2
*T-2 Washington (5) 1412 13-0 5
4 Nebraska 1275 11-2 6
*5 USC 1243 14-2 3
*6 UCLA 1230 10-3 4
*7 Stanford 1169 12-2 7
8 Hawai’i 1056 12-2 8
9 Texas 1036 11-3 9
10 Minnesota 954 12-3 10
11 Florida 847 11-2 12
12 Purdue 788 13-2 13
13 Florida State 743 12-2 14
14 Kansas State 710 15-1 15
15 San Diego 688 12-2 16
16 BYU 607 15-1 11
17 Louisville 589 14-2 17
18 Dayton 402 12-4 20
*19 Ohio State 286 11-5 22
20 Western Kentucky 273 17-3 23
21 Illinois 250 8-6 21
22 Iowa State 218 8-5 19
23 Pepperdine 174 10-6 18
24 Kansas 156 14-2 NR
25 Michigan State 127 14-2 24
Others Receiving Votes (and appearing on two or more ballots): Oklahoma 100; *Oregon State 63; Texas A&M 48; Arkansas 35; North Carolina 34; *St. Mary’s (Ca.) 22; Michigan 21; Miami (FL) 20; Tennessee 14; N.C. State 13; Marquette 12; Pacific 3
Dropped Out: Tennessee 25
Next poll: October 8, 2012
