Florida's season was remarkable even without the program's first national title.
Gators Finish No. 2 in AVCA Coaches Poll
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 | Volleyball
Florida finished in the top five for the first time since 2005
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Florida finished the 2017 campaign ranked No. 2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I Coaches Poll, the AVCA revealed Monday evening.
The Gators, who made their second NCAA Championship appearance last weekend, tied the best finish in program history. Florida also finished ranked No. 2 in 2003, when it fell to Southern California in the program's only other NCAA Championship appearance.
It is also the ninth time in program history (with all nine coming since 1991) the Gators finished inside the top five. Florida's nine top-five finishes since 1991, Mary Wise's first season as head coach, are tied with Hawaii and Southern California for the fifth-most in Division I during that span. Stanford (19) heads the other four, followed by Nebraska (16), Penn State (15), and Texas (12).
Florida's No. 2 ranking also extends the second-longest streak of top-15 finishes in the poll's history to 22 years. Nebraska's current streak of 34 straight top-15 finishes is the all-time record, while Stanford's run of 18 in a row from 1982-99 ranks third all time.
This is the 26th time since 1991 Florida finished inside the top 15, a feat only Nebraska (27) and Stanford (26) can also claim. Penn State (24), Southern California (21), and UCLA (21) are next in line.
Florida finished the 2017 campaign with a 30-2 overall record, marking its first 30-win season since 2006. It was the 15th 30-win season in program history and 13th under Wise. The Gators also set a school record with four individuals named first-, second-, or third-team AVCA All-Americans.
Gators' 2017 Notables
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The Gators, who made their second NCAA Championship appearance last weekend, tied the best finish in program history. Florida also finished ranked No. 2 in 2003, when it fell to Southern California in the program's only other NCAA Championship appearance.
It is also the ninth time in program history (with all nine coming since 1991) the Gators finished inside the top five. Florida's nine top-five finishes since 1991, Mary Wise's first season as head coach, are tied with Hawaii and Southern California for the fifth-most in Division I during that span. Stanford (19) heads the other four, followed by Nebraska (16), Penn State (15), and Texas (12).
Florida's No. 2 ranking also extends the second-longest streak of top-15 finishes in the poll's history to 22 years. Nebraska's current streak of 34 straight top-15 finishes is the all-time record, while Stanford's run of 18 in a row from 1982-99 ranks third all time.
This is the 26th time since 1991 Florida finished inside the top 15, a feat only Nebraska (27) and Stanford (26) can also claim. Penn State (24), Southern California (21), and UCLA (21) are next in line.
Florida finished the 2017 campaign with a 30-2 overall record, marking its first 30-win season since 2006. It was the 15th 30-win season in program history and 13th under Wise. The Gators also set a school record with four individuals named first-, second-, or third-team AVCA All-Americans.
Gators' 2017 Notables
- The Gators' nine top-five finishes are the ninth-most in the AVCA poll's history
- The Gators posted an 7-2 record against teams who finished in the top 20 of the final AVCA poll
- Florida reached the program's eighth NCAA Semifinals, and advanced that far for the first time since 2003
- Mary Wise was named the 2017 AVCA Division I National Coach of the Year for the third time in her career, making her the second three-time winner in history
- Wise collected her 800th win as the Gators' head coach, a position she has held for 27 seasons
- Wise also picked up her 900th career victory and became the third female head coach in NCAA history to reach the 900-win plateau when Florida won its 23rd Southeastern Conference title at Missouri (Nov. 25)
- Wise remains the only female head coach in Division I history to reach the NCAA Championship match, as well as the only one to reach multiple NCAA Semifinals
FOLLOW FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL
FloridaGators.com
Coach Mary Wise on Twitter | Coach Mary Wise on Instagram
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