DENVER The University of Hawaii volleyball team earned the No. 1 ranking in the most recent AVCA/USA Today poll. With two wins last week, the Rainbow Wahine, 21-0, took the top spot from Southern California who lost to No. 4 Stanford.
Hawaii earned 49 first place votes, while former No. 1 USC took 12 of the first place votes and this week's No. 2 spot. Florida is ranked third, while Stanford, who the Rainbow Wahine will play later this week is ranked fourth. The Cardinal also picked up three first place votes this week. Nebraska checks in fifth and UC Santa Barbara, the only other unbeaten team in the country, is ranked sixth with one first place vote.
This is the first time that the Rainbow Wahine has topped the AVCA/USA Today coaches poll since Oct. 28, 1996. Hawaii was ranked at No. 1 in the Volleyball Magazine poll on Nov. 13, 2000.
UH will be put to the test this week, facing Western Division rivals Nevada and Boise State at home. Hawaii will then take on defending champions and fourth-ranked Stanford on Nov. 10 for its final home match of the season.
AVCA/USA Today Poll
(November 4)
1 Hawai'i (49) 1599 21-0 2
2 USC (12) 1517 19-1 1
3 Florida 1460 22-1 3
4 Stanford (3) 1434 21-3 6
5 Nebraska 1417 21-1 4
6 UCSB (1) 1344 23-0 5
7 Minnesota 1227 24-3 7
8 Northern Iowa 1135 24-2 8
9 Long Beach St. 1090 20-3 9
10 Pepperdine 1043 16-6 10
11 Santa Clara 903 20-3 12
12 North Carolina 870 23-2 13
13 Wisconsin 778 17-6 15
14 Penn State 679 18-5 11
15 E. Washington 655 24-1 16
16 Arizona 610 12-8 14
17 Washington St. 510 16-7 17
18 South Carolina 446 19-4 20
19 UCLA 439 13-10 18
20 Missouri 395 20-4 21
21 Washington 342 15-7 NR
22 Utah 238 19-6 22
23 Arizona State 222 10-7 19
24 Georgia Tech 200 23-5 23
25 Kansas State 134 15-6 NR