LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Utah volleyball team has been ranked No. 11 in the final 2017 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, the organization announced on Monday.
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The No. 11 ranking marks the program's best finish in the AVCA poll, surpassing the previous No. 15 ranking it recorded back in both 2001 and 2006. The No. 11 ranking is Utah's highest ranking in the poll overall, since coming in at No. 11 back on Nov. 27, 2006.
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Utah earned an AVCA Top-25 ranking every week this season, which began with a No. 23 preseason ranking. Following a No. 22 ranking in the first weekly poll of the season, Utah would rank no lower than No. 18 in the poll. The Utes ranked as high as No. 12 in the poll back on Oct. 16 and Oct. 23.
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Utah (24-10) finished the season with 20-plus wins for a second straight season and for the fourth time in the past five years. The Utes went 13-7 in Pac-12 play and finished in sole possession of fourth place in the conference standings. The 13 conference wins marked the most victories and the fourth place finish was the program's highest finish since joining the league.
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The Utes earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, earning the No. 11 overall seed – the program's all-time highest seeing in the tournament. Utah won the Salt Lake City Sub-Regional, defeating Cleveland State and Purdue, and then advanced to its third-ever Sweet 16 appearance. Utah fell in the first round of the Stanford Regional, falling in five sets to No. 2-ranked and No. 6-seeded Texas.
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Utah was one of five Pac-12 Conference teams ranked in the final AVCA poll (Stanford, 4; USC, 7; UCLA, 14; Washington, 15; and Colorado, 19).
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Rank |
School (First-Place Votes) |
Total Points Adjusted |
2017 Record |
Previous Week |
1 |
Nebraska (64) |
1600 |
32-4 |
5 |
2 |
Florida |
1524 |
30-2 |
3 |
3 |
Penn State |
1479 |
33-2 |
1 |
4 |
Stanford |
1413 |
30-4 |
4 |
5 |
Texas |
1315 |
27-3 |
2 |
6 |
Kentucky |
1275 |
29-4 |
6 |
7 |
Southern California |
1176 |
25-10 |
14 |
8 |
Michigan State |
1136 |
24-9 |
12 |
9 |
BYU |
1091 |
30-3 |
7 |
10 |
Minnesota |
979 |
28-6 |
8 |
11 |
Utah |
948 |
24-10 |
13 |
12 |
Wisconsin |
903 |
22-10 |
11 |
13 |
San Diego |
766 |
25-5 |
9 |
14 |
UCLA |
739 |
21-11 |
17 |
15 |
Washington |
639 |
25-8 |
10 |
16 |
Creighton |
561 |
26-7 |
15 |
17 |
Illinois |
527 |
23-11 |
NR |
18 |
Purdue |
492 |
23-10 |
16 |
19 |
Colorado |
443 |
24-10 |
NR |
20 |
Missouri |
377 |
22-12 |
NR |
21 |
Baylor |
321 |
24-7 |
18 |
22 |
Cal Poly |
264 |
27-3 |
21 |
23 |
Wichita State |
214 |
29-4 |
20 |
24 |
Colorado State |
170 |
29-4 |
23 |
25 |
Iowa State |
147 |
22-7 |
22 |
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots:Â Western Kentucky 107; Kansas 73; Oregon 58; Pittsburgh 20; Northern Iowa 19; Missouri State 12; Miami (FL) 5
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