The Week in Review: Break Out the Champaign Champagne
The latest AVCA rankings, also known as the “Pac 12 (and a few other teams for the heck of it) rankings”, have shuffled the top ten teams (previous week’s ranking in parentheses):
#1 Illinois (3)
#2 UCLA (7)
#3 Washington (4)
#4 California (1)
#5 Southern California (12)
#6 Stanford (2)
#7 Nebraska (10)
#8 Texas (8)
#9 Penn State (5)
#10 Minnesota (9)
Dropping out of this elite listing, to #13, is Florida, which lost in five games to unranked then but now #23 Tennessee. And still just on the outside looking in are #11 Hawaii and #12 Purdue (undefeated and a 3-0 winner over then #18 Michigan), both of whom still have a strong case for being on the inside looking out.
[Note: These are the new rankings for 9/26/2011. All rankings cited below are rankings from the 9/19/2011 poll.]
Upsets of the Week
It was another calm week in terms of upsets, unless you count Herman Cain in Florida or my mood after the Illinois-Minnesota match. Southern Cal’s rise in the rankings was fueled by their wins over #1 California and #2 Stanford, both at home, but these were mild upsets at best. The Trojans, if you recall, were the pick of many for 2011’s team to beat.
The aforementioned Gator loss to the Volunteers, because it was in Gainesville, is our Upset of the Week. This match was also long on entertainment and suspense, going to 18-16 in that fifth game.
Tennessee @ Florida 9/25/2011
Box score
In West Coast Conference play, #16 San Diego was beaten by unranked San Francisco on the Dons’ home court 18-25, 21-25, 20-25; and in Big West Conference action, #21 Long Beach State dropped a five-game home match to rival UCSB.
Top 25 Losses
In addition to the matches mentioned above, #3 Illinois unlaunched a wicked serve attack to defeat #9 Minnesota, in Minneapolis, in five; #7 UCLA, like USC, also beat California and Stanford at home; and #10 Nebraska, playing their first Big Ten conference match, defeated #5 Penn State (in five after the Lions came back from an 0-2 deficit) in Wednesday’s Big Ten opener in Lincoln, and then dropped #24 Ohio State (in four), also at home, on Saturday.
Speaking of Illinois
The Illini’s #1 ranking this week is the first in the program’s history. The team is now 13-0 on the season, including four fifth game wins along the way. Coming up: Purdue this week at home, and then the Ohio State/Penn State road trip.
Matches This Week
Among the more interesting matches to follow this week are:
Texas @ Oklahoma 9/28
Oregon @ Washington 9/30
Minnesota @ Ohio State 9/30
Wichita State @ Northern Iowa 9/30
Duke @ Florida State 9/30
Purdue @ Illinois 10/1
Nebraska @ Michigan 10/1
Minnesota @ Penn State 10/1
Texas @ Iowa State 10/2
Duke @ Miami-FL 10/2
Shameless Plug of the Week
The shameless plug is for the website RichKern.com. This site, run by former Navy Seal and convicted (and still incarcerated) felon, Ron Kern, is a virtual treasure chest of volleyball jewels and other interesting baubles. I urge you to check it out and consider becoming a premium subscription member. You have game scores, rosters, links to websites, the Pablo rankings, and the wonderful graphic for Top 30 Head-to-Head Results.
It is always heartwarming to see someone turn his life around, like Ron is trying to do now.
[Disclaimer: Ron will deny he was ever a Navy Seal or a convicted (and incarcerated) felon. He will even claim that his name is not “Ron.” I stand by my information (until he slaps me with a lawsuit).]
#1 Illinois (3)
#2 UCLA (7)
#3 Washington (4)
#4 California (1)
#5 Southern California (12)
#6 Stanford (2)
#7 Nebraska (10)
#8 Texas (8)
#9 Penn State (5)
#10 Minnesota (9)
Dropping out of this elite listing, to #13, is Florida, which lost in five games to unranked then but now #23 Tennessee. And still just on the outside looking in are #11 Hawaii and #12 Purdue (undefeated and a 3-0 winner over then #18 Michigan), both of whom still have a strong case for being on the inside looking out.
[Note: These are the new rankings for 9/26/2011. All rankings cited below are rankings from the 9/19/2011 poll.]
Upsets of the Week
It was another calm week in terms of upsets, unless you count Herman Cain in Florida or my mood after the Illinois-Minnesota match. Southern Cal’s rise in the rankings was fueled by their wins over #1 California and #2 Stanford, both at home, but these were mild upsets at best. The Trojans, if you recall, were the pick of many for 2011’s team to beat.
The aforementioned Gator loss to the Volunteers, because it was in Gainesville, is our Upset of the Week. This match was also long on entertainment and suspense, going to 18-16 in that fifth game.
Tennessee @ Florida 9/25/2011
Box score
In West Coast Conference play, #16 San Diego was beaten by unranked San Francisco on the Dons’ home court 18-25, 21-25, 20-25; and in Big West Conference action, #21 Long Beach State dropped a five-game home match to rival UCSB.
Top 25 Losses
In addition to the matches mentioned above, #3 Illinois unlaunched a wicked serve attack to defeat #9 Minnesota, in Minneapolis, in five; #7 UCLA, like USC, also beat California and Stanford at home; and #10 Nebraska, playing their first Big Ten conference match, defeated #5 Penn State (in five after the Lions came back from an 0-2 deficit) in Wednesday’s Big Ten opener in Lincoln, and then dropped #24 Ohio State (in four), also at home, on Saturday.
Speaking of Illinois
The Illini’s #1 ranking this week is the first in the program’s history. The team is now 13-0 on the season, including four fifth game wins along the way. Coming up: Purdue this week at home, and then the Ohio State/Penn State road trip.
Matches This Week
Among the more interesting matches to follow this week are:
Texas @ Oklahoma 9/28
Oregon @ Washington 9/30
Minnesota @ Ohio State 9/30
Wichita State @ Northern Iowa 9/30
Duke @ Florida State 9/30
Purdue @ Illinois 10/1
Nebraska @ Michigan 10/1
Minnesota @ Penn State 10/1
Texas @ Iowa State 10/2
Duke @ Miami-FL 10/2
Shameless Plug of the Week
The shameless plug is for the website RichKern.com. This site, run by former Navy Seal and convicted (and still incarcerated) felon, Ron Kern, is a virtual treasure chest of volleyball jewels and other interesting baubles. I urge you to check it out and consider becoming a premium subscription member. You have game scores, rosters, links to websites, the Pablo rankings, and the wonderful graphic for Top 30 Head-to-Head Results.
It is always heartwarming to see someone turn his life around, like Ron is trying to do now.
[Disclaimer: Ron will deny he was ever a Navy Seal or a convicted (and incarcerated) felon. He will even claim that his name is not “Ron.” I stand by my information (until he slaps me with a lawsuit).]
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