tThe University of Minnesota volleyball team is ranked 11th in the 2000 USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll. The poll, voted on by 60 collegiate volleyball coaches across the country, is the most-recognized weekly poll for the sport of women's volleyball.
The ranking is the highest-ever for Minnesota in the coaches' preseason poll. Earlier this month, Minnesota was ranked 10th by Volleyball Magazine in its preseason poll. This ranking marks the 10th consecutive time the Golden Gophers have been ranked in the AVCA poll, dating back to last year. This sets a new Minnesota school record, breaking the previous mark of nine consecutive weeks in the poll to begin the 1998 season.
Minnesota has 12 of its 31 matches scheduled against the preseason Top 25. Defending Big Ten and NCAA champion Penn State is ranked second behind UCLA. The Big Ten is the only conference with six teams in the preseason Top 25. In non-conference action, Minnesota will play No. 12 Pacific on Sept. 9 in Atlanta, and No. 22 Northern Iowa on Sept. 13 in Rochester, Minn.
The Golden Gophers began practice last Friday, Aug. 11, in preparation for its season-opening match against Kent State in Reno, Nev., on Friday, Sept. 1.
USA Today/AVCA Preseason Poll School Points '99 Record Final'99 Rank 1. UCLA 1399 28-4 7 2. Penn State 1317 36-1 1 3. Stanford 1309 31-3 2 4. Long Beach St 1304 31-4 4 5. Hawai'i 1224 29-2 8 6. Nebraska 1055 27-6 11 7. USC 1019 21-9 17 8. Pepperdine 1013 26-4 10 9. Florida 946 33-3 5 10.Arizona 906 21-11 14 11.Minnesota 892 27-9 16 12.Pacific 878 32-3 3 13.Colorado State 857 30-3 12 14.UCSB 749 29-6 6 15.BYU 722 28-5 13 16.Wisconsin 516 22-10 23 17.Kansas State 462 21-9 19 18.Texas 433 22-8 18 19.Texas A&M 432 28-6 9 20.Michigan State 334 21-13 NR 21.Baylor 254 26-9 20 22.Northern Iowa 208 30-1 15 23.Loyola Mary. 165 20-11 NR 24.Michigan 164 16-15 NR 25.Ohio State 150 17-12 NR Others receiving 30 or more points: North Carolina (132), Clemson (97), Notre Dame (79), Illinois (61), Utah (59), San Diego (58), Arkansas (58), Colorado (35), Louisville (31).
