U-M Volleyball Reaches New Heights with Top 25 Debut
9/7/1999 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Following three wins -- including an upset of seventh-ranked Brigham Young and an Outback Steakhouse Invitational championship -- to open the 1999 season, the Michigan volleyball program debuted at No. 25 in the USA Today/AVCA top 25 poll, its first ranking in school history.
In addition to the three-game sweep of BYU, the Wolverines also swept Toledo and host Georgia to claim the invitational title. Michigan jumped into the top 25 after not receiving a preseason vote and being tabbed No. 10 in the Big Ten Conference. Michigan is one of five Big Ten squads represented in the top 25, joining Penn State (2), Wisconsin (13), Ohio State (14) and Illinois (22).
The closest Michigan previously came to making the top 25 occurred during its 1997 run to the NCAA Tournament. During that 21-12 season, which included a program-best third-place finish in the Big Ten, the Wolverines were tops among the others receiving votes category, leaving them one spot shy of a top 25 ranking.
National recognition is nothing new for Rosen, who guided Northern Michigan to four straight NCAA Division II Final Fours from 1994-97, including a 1997 national championship.
Michigan's new ranking will immediately be put to the test as the Wolverines host No. 11 Pepperdine, No. 16 Arkansas and Syracuse in the All Sport Volleyball Challenge on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 10-11) in Cliff Keen Arena.
USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Poll (9/6/99)
Team Pts Record LW 1. Pacific (34) 1455 5-0 6 2. Penn State (8) 1364 4-1 1 3. Hawaii (9) 1359 2-0 4 4. Long Beach State (8) 1332 4-0 5 5. Nebraska 1242 4-2 3 6. Florida 1190 4-2 8 7. Stanford (1) 1162 1-1 2 8. Texas 1059 2-0 13 9. Cal-Santa Barbara 1005 2-0 11 10. UCLA 1004 2-0 10 11. Pepperdine 842 2-0 12 12. Brigham Young 778 2-1 7 13. Wisconsin 656 3-1 9 14. Ohio State 597 1-0 17 15. Arizona 595 4-1 15 16. Arkansas 467 5-0 20 17. Texas A&M 465 3-1 16 18. Clemson 462 4-0 NR 19. Colorado State 440 4-0 24 20. Southern Cal 396 1-1 21 21. San Diego 369 2-1 18 22. Illinois 229 0-2 14 23. Colorado 192 2-1 19 24. Kansas State 148 3-1 23 25. MICHIGAN 133 3-0 NR
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
