Middle Tennessee has cracked back into the AVCA Top-25 Poll at 16th after a win over Hawai'i to advance to the Penn State Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Raiders jumped 11 spots in the poll with 507 votes after placing 27th in the poll a week ago after receiving 48 votes. Middle Tennessee's overall record of 35-2 is one of the top records in the country.
"We are honored to be getting some of the recognition we deserve this season. I think people still don't really know a lot about us. We had some big wins early over Iowa State, Creighton and Oklahoma and then once we got into conference play I think some people forgot about us a little bit," head coach Matt Peck said. "Now at the end of the season we have had two huge matches and big wins for our program so it is nice to see. It's not really what its about for me but I think it is great for our kids to be recognized."
This is the second time this season Middle Tennessee has made the Top-25 poll. In the week three poll released on Sept. 3, the Blue Raiders were 25th with a 7-0 record.
MT will play in the Penn State Regional in State College, Penn. against Brigham Young University on Friday, Dec. 7. BYU is ranked 17th in the AVCA poll. Regional host Penn State is 1st with a 30-2 record. Michigan rounds out the Penn State Regional and is ranked 19th.
"If you notice the three of us are in the poll excluding Penn State after not being ranked last week which I think shows we are playing well right now and have had some big wins. Everyone knows this is the time of year you need to be playing well. We were challenged by Louisville to the last match point and with Hawai'i we weren't really challenged until the last two games but that is good for us," Peck said. "I don't think Penn State has been has been challenged but the rest of us have faced some good competition in our early round and I think that will help us going into the weekend."
Middle Tennessee's match with BYU will be broadcast on
GoBlueRaiders.com but will also be available on select stations on the Blue Raider Network in the Middle Tennessee area. Stations carrying Friday's match will be WGNS 100.5FM, 101.9FM, 1450AM and WMTS 88.3.
If the Blue Raiders win on Friday it will play the winner of the match between Penn State and Michigan. If MT advances, the regional final will be broadcast on WMTS 88.3 and on
GoBlueRaiders.com.
"Since we have gotten back I have had numerous people tell me they have been listening to the internet broadcast and this weekend we are having a number of stations carry it in Murfreesboro. I think that is awesome. It is fun to listen. A number of people told me they were on the edge of their seat in our match with Louisville and Hawai'i," Peck said. "We appreciate the support from the media in town as we continue our journey in the volleyball championship. I think people will be surprised by how much fun it is to listen."
Blue Raiders Surge into Top 25
Blue Raiders Surge into Top 25
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