Gators Ranked No. 8 in AVCA Preseason Poll
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 | Volleyball
The Florida volleyball team, coming off a 29-3 record and an NCAA Regional Semifinal appearance in 2007, was ranked No. 8 in the Preseason CBS College Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll, the AVCA office in Lexington, Ky., announced Tuesday.
The AVCA's top five teams include defending national champion Penn State (No. 1), national runner-up Stanford (No. 2), Texas (No. 3), Southern Cal (No. 4) and California (No. 5). Penn State received 59 of the poll's first-place votes, while Nebraska earned a lone first-place vote.
The Gators are one of two Southeastern Conference teams in the top-25 poll as 2007 Western Division Champion LSU (25-8 in 2007) is ranked No. 21. Fellow SEC foe Kentucky, which finished the 2007 season with its most wins (22) since the 1993 campaign, is listed as receiving votes. Florida opponents Colorado State (No. 17) and Long Beach State (No. 24) also are ranked among the nation's top 25.
Florida's ranking marks the 12th year in a row that it has garnered a spot in the AVCA's preseason top 10, a feat that only two other schools in the nation – Nebraska and Stanford – can claim. The ranking also is the 15th top-10 preseason rating in head coach Mary Wise's tenure in Gainesville, as well as the 17th time her squad has been regarded as one of the nation's top-12 teams heading into the season.
The Gators begin their 2008 season by hosting the Aquafina Invitational in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Florida's first match is set for 7 p.m. on Aug. 29 when the Gators play host to UAB.
| 2008 AVCA TOP 25 POLL | ||
| Rank | Team | 2007 Record |
| 1 | Penn State (59) | 34-2 |
| 2 | Stanford | 32-3 |
| 3 | Texas | 27-4 |
| 4 | Southern Cal | 29-5 |
| 5 | California | 26-8 |
| 6 | UCLA | 23-11 |
| 7 | Nebraska (1) | 30-2 |
| 8 | Florida | 29-3 |
| 9 | Washington | 27-4 |
| 10 | Cal Poly | 23-8 |
| 11 | Oregon | 22-11 |
| 12 | Hawai'i | 27-6 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 26-5 |
| 14 | Kansas State | 23-9 |
| 15 | Middle Tennessee State | 35-3 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 18-13 |
| 17 | Colorado State | 23-8 |
| 18 | Iowa State | 19-14 |
| 19 | Clemson | 29-4 |
| 20 | BYU | 24-8 |
| 21 | LSU | 25-8 |
| 22 | San Diego | 21-8 |
| 23 | New Mexico State | 26-6 |
| 24 | Long Beach State | 26-7 |
| 25 | Purdue | 19-14 |
| Others Receiving Votes and appearing on two or more ballots: St. Johns, Michigan, Pepperdine, Dayton, Michigan State, Louisville, Santa Clara, Ohio, Texas A&M, Utah, Illinois, Missouri, Tulane, Arizona, Duke, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Wichita State, Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky | ||
FLORIDA'S PRESEASON AVCA RANKINGS IN THE MARY WISE ERA
| Season | Preseason Ranking |
| 1991 | NR |
| 1992 | 12 |
| 1993 | 10 |
| 1994 | 7 |
| 1995 | 6 |
| 1996 | 11 |
| 1997 | 4 |
| 1998 | 6 |
| 1999 | 8 |
| 2000 | 9 |
| 2001 | 9 |
| 2002 | 7 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 7 |
| 2008 | 8 |
END OF REPORT
