VolleyMob Top 25 Power Rankings (Week 14): Tennessee Soars Into the Postseason

We decided to move up the rankings release to Sunday prior to the selection show. There was a few spots that changed, led by a big jump from Tennessee. These aren’t a projection of what the committee will do, but our power rankings. Things kick off at the top with our top team for now two straight weeks though.

1. STANFORD CARDINAL

• 28-1 (20-0, Pac-12)
• Last Week: #1; Won at Arizona State (3-0), vs. California (3-0)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Cardinal rounded out Pac-12 play with even more domination and going unbeaten. They’ll likely be the top seed for the NCAA Tournament, where the question will be if anyone can challenge them.

2. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

• 25-3 (19-1, Big Ten)
• Last Week: #3; Lost at #7 Penn State (2-3); Won at Rutgers (3-0)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• It’s odd that Minnesota, off their first and only loss of Big Ten play, actually moved up. That’s because their loss did less to affect their spot (coming in five at a top 10 foe and still winning the Big Ten by multiple games) than BYU, who was ahead of them.

3. ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

• 28-3 (17-3, Big Ten)
• Last Week: #4; Won at Michigan State (3-1), vs. #15 Purdue (3-1)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Fighting Illinois rounded out the regular season with two more victories and a finish for second in the Big Ten all by themselves. They also went 10-3 against VM Top 25 teams at the time of play. In our estimation, they deserve a top four seed, but they’ll be on the bubble for that from the committee.

4. BYU COUGARS

• 27-1 (17-1, WCC)
• Last Week: #2; Lost at Loyola Marymount (0-3)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• We dropped BYU from 1 to 2 last week because of the injury to McKenna Miller, and now there may be even more worries about her absence. They were so closed to an unbeaten season, but were swept to end the year. They’ve still got plenty of firepower, but there are more questions now headed into the NCAA Tournament.

5. WISCONSIN BADGERS

• 22-6 (15-5, Big Ten)
• Last Week: #5; Won at Rutgers (3-0), at #7 Penn State (3-2)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• Wisconsin had quite the regular season finale in downing Penn State 21-19 in the fifth. They’ll look for that momentum to push them into success in the postseason, while it may have bumped them up a spot or two in terms of seeding.

6. NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS

• 24-6 (15-5, Big Ten)
• Last Week: #6; Won vs. Ohio State (3-0), vs. Maryland (3-0)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Huskers got a couple of sweeps to end the season and feel good about themselves headed into an NCAA Tournament which they should be hosting in the first two rounds. They finished tied for third in the Big Ten.

7. PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

• 23-6 (14-5, Big Ten)
• Last Week: #7; Won vs. #3 Minnesota (3-2); Lost vs. #5 Wisconsin (2-3)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Nittany Lions had quite the action packed week in winning once in five and losing an incredible finale with Wisconsin. Had they not lost 19-21 in that fifth, they likely would have jumped into the top five, but as for now they enter the tournament at seventh.

8. TEXAS LONGHORNS

• 20-4 (15-1, Big 12)
• Last Week: #8; Won at Texas Tech (3-0), vs. West Virginia (3-0)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Big 12 champs played just 24 matches this season, so they should be plenty rested into the postseason. They’ve got a chance to get a top four seed now too based on their RPI, which we would view a bit of a stretch, but give them credit for playing a tough non-conference slate.

9. CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS

• 28-4 (18-0, Big East)
• Last Week: #9; Won vs. Villanova (3-0), vs. #19 Marquette (3-1)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• After winning the Big East regular season title, Creighton backed it up with a conference tournament title. That should lock up a spot hosting in the first two rounds for the Bluejays, though besting their seed of #9 from last year will be tough despite our ranking.

10. KENTUCKY WILDCATS

• 24-4 (18-0, SEC)
• Last Week: #10; Won at South Carolina (3-1), vs. Auburn (3-0)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Wildcats clinched the SEC title all to themselves and finished league play perfect to boot. That’ll get them a seed and a hosting spot in the first couple of rounds for the NCAA Tournament and a team on fire at the right time of the year.

11. PITTSBURGH PANTHERS

• 29-1 (17-1, ACC)
• Last Week: #10; Won vs. Georgia Tech (3-0)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• What a season its been for the Panthers, who are one win away from a 30-win campaign. The ACC champs will be in their third straight NCAA Tournament, with first round wins in the first two. However, they’ve been stopped in the second round both times, which they will look to overcome as a host this time around.

12. OREGON DUCKS

• 20-10 (13-7, Pac-12)
• Last Week: #14; Won at #17 Washington (3-2), at Oregon State (3-1)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• Oregon wound up tied for second in the Pac-12 with a couple of strong road wins to end the year. RPI wise it’ll be close whether they can host or not, but they should be a real threat to make it out of the first weekend regardless.

13. USC TROJANS

• 21-10 (13-7, Pac-12)
• Last Week: #12; Lost vs. (RV) Utah (0-3); Won at (RV) UCLA (3-2)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• It wasn’t a great week to finish for USC, who was swept on senior day to Utah. They bounced back with one final triumph over their inter-city rival though as they will likely host in the NCAA Tournament behind their 11 ranked wins.

14. WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS

• 21-9 (12-8, Pac-12)
• Last Week: #18; Won vs. Oregon State (3-0), vs. #17 Washington (3-2)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Cougars finished the year strong with a couple more wins to end in the top quadrant of the league. That included a rivalry victory over Washington as they should be in a spot to host in the first couple of rounds.

15. PURDUE BOILERMAKERS

• 23-8 (12-8, Big Ten)
• Last Week: #15; Won at Indiana (3-2); Lost at #4 Illinois (1-3)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Boilermakers escaped in winning at Indiana before losing to Illinois. The first part of the week likely kept them in the discussion of hosting, which will be close as to whether they do or not in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

16. TENNESSEE LADY VOLS

• 25-5 (16-2, SEC)
• Last Week: #21; Won vs. #13 Florida (3-0), vs. Ole Miss (3-1)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Lady Vols might not be able to host based on their RPI, but they’ve really proven to be a strong side by winning 11 in a row. In fact, their only SEC losses came to Kentucky too, while they took a set off of the Wildcats in each.

17. FLORIDA GATORS

• 24-6 (15-3, SEC)
• Last Week: #13; Lost at #21 Tennessee (0-3); Won vs. (RV) South Carolina (3-0)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• Florida didn’t quite live up to the expectations that may have been unfairly put on them with a young team after opening the season with a win in Lincoln. The loss to Tennessee should eliminate their hosting chances, but they’ve still got plenty of talent to make some noise in the tournament.

18. CAL POLY MUSTANGS

• 25-2 (15-1, Big West)
• Last Week: #16; Idle
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• Cal Poly was off this week after wrapping up the Big West title. Their top wins this season came over UCLA, who has fell off lately, so they’ll be looking to prove themselves in the NCAA Tournament.

19. WASHINGTON HUSKIES

• 18-12 (10-10, Pac-12)
• Last Week: #17; Lost vs. #14 Oregon (2-3), at #18 Washington State (2-3)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Huskies couldn’t end the year on a high note, but two losses in five sets to ranked teams isn’t the end of the world. They likely won’t host, but will be a challenge for anyone they meet based on their serving and defense.

20. UCF GOLDEN KNIGHTS

• 27-3 (18-0, AAC)
• Last Week: #20; Won vs. South Florida (3-0)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Golden Knights finished off an unbeaten record in the AAC, and are in great positioning with their RPI to host in the first two rounds. That would be quite a big deal for the program, who could even do some damage after showing their mettle in beating USC, Cincinnati twice and almost getting Florida earlier.

21. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

• 22-9 (11-9, Big Ten)
• Last Week: #22; Won vs. Northwestern (3-0), vs. Michigan State (3-1)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Wolverines won twice to end their regular season – one that had a few big time wins but was mostly about winning the games they were supposed to. Michigan even has a shot at hosting thanks to an RPI that was 18 last week.

22. MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES

• 26-5 (15-2, Big East)
• Last Week: #19; Won vs/n St. John’s (3-1); Lost at #9 Creighton (1-3)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• After falling short of Creighton in the regular season for the Big East title, Marquette came up just shy of a postseason win and lost in four to their conference nemesis. They’ll still be in the NCAA Tournament with an outside chance of hosting based on RPI.

23. ARIZONA WILDCATS

• 22-10 (11-9, Pac-12)
• Last Week: #23; Won vs. Cal (3-0), at Arizona State (3-0)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• Arizona’s RPI of 41 coming into the week made it necessary to win both for their NCAA Tournament chances. Sure enough they did it and in style too, with a pair of sweeps. It’ll be close if they get in or not, but based on our evaluation, they deserve to be in the field.

24. BAYLOR BEARS

• 19-8 (11-5, Big 12)
• Last Week: #25; Won vs. West Virginia (3-1)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• Their may have been higher expectations coming into the year compared to where they finished, but Baylor worked through some injuries and ups and downs to still find a way to a solid ending. Their RPI even gives them a shot at hosting.

25. UTAH UTES

• 18-13 (10-10, Pac-12)
• Last Week: RV; Won at #12 USC (3-0), vs. #24 Colorado (3-1)
• Next Week: NCAA Tournament
• The Utes came in with an RPI of just 40, so needed a strong week and got exactly that. It was an emphatic finish to the season, and likely will fuel them into the NCAA Tournament – or at least it should.

On the Cusp/’Receiving Votes’:

Missouri (23-7)

Colorado (18-13)* (#24)

Cincinnati (25-7)

Northern Iowa (24-9)

Maryland (18-14)

Stephen F. Austin (32-2)

Texas State (26-6)

Colorado State (23-7)

Syracuse (18-8)

Florida State (19-9)

Others who Dropped Out:

None

Note: * signifies dropped out (previous ranking)

LIST VIEW:

Previous 2018 Polls:

VolleyMob Week 13

VolleyMob Week 12

VolleyMob Week 11

VolleyMob Week 10

VolleyMob Week 9

VolleyMob Week 8

VolleyMob Week 7

VolleyMob Week 6

VolleyMob Week 5

VolleyMob Week 4

VolleyMob Week 3

VolleyMob Week 2

VolleyMob Week 1

VolleyMob Week 0/Preseason