The Minnesota volleyball team (13-5, 7-1) moved up six spots to No. 17 in the CSTV/AVCA poll on Oct. 16. Minnesota collected 538 points in this week’s poll.

Minnesota has now been ranked in 66 of the last 74 top 25 polls dating back to the 2002 season. The Golden Gophers also have been ranked the last three weeks, moving up from No. 23 to 17 this week. Minnesota was ranked No. 22 in this year’s preseason poll.

The No. 17 ranking was the Golden Gophers highest of the season, and their highest since they entered last year’s NCAA Tournament with the same ranking on Nov. 28, 2005.

This past week, Minnesota went 2-0 against Indiana and No. 9 Purdue. The Golden Gophers won in three games over the Hoosiers on Oct. 13, and won in four games front of 8,377 fans at Williams Arena on Oct. 14 against the ninth-ranked Boilermakers.

Entering the week, Minnesota have won 11 of its last 12 matches, after starting out 2-4. The Golden Gophers also sit in sole possession of second place in the Big Ten at 7-1. The 7-1 start in conference play ties the best eight-match start by a Minnesota squad in school history. The Golden Gophers also started 7-1 in 1989, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2004.

There were five Big Ten teams ranked in the top 25 this week. Penn State was the highest ranked team at No. 2, followed by No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 14 Purdue, No. 17 Minnesota and No. 24 Ohio State.

Minnesota will host No. 11 Wisconsin on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. That match will be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on Fox Sports Net North on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. The Golden Gophers will also travel to Iowa City to face Iowa to close out the first half of Big Ten play on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.