Kansas Continues Historical Run in Top-25, NCAA RPI

The Jayhawks can

Head coach Ray Bechard and Big 12 assists leader Erin McNorton.

Oct. 22, 2012

LAWRENCE, Kan. - A season of program bests added more to its resume Monday afternoon when Kansas volleyball earned a No. 17 ranking in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I Coaches poll and a No. 8 spot in the NCAA RPI projections - the highest in school history in either category.

AVCA Poll
KU improved to No. 17 on the AVCA poll, surpassing the previous highest ranking of No. 21 set on Sept. 20, 2004, which the Jayhawks tied twice this season. Four Big 12 members hold spots in the nation's top-25: No. 8 Texas, No. 16 Kansas State, No. 17 Kansas and No. 22 Iowa State.

Kansas knocked off Tulsa and Creighton, both receiving votes in the poll to start receiving votes of its own in the fifth week of the season. The following week, Kansas knocked off then-No. 19 Iowa State to enter the national poll at No. 24, earning a top-25 spot for the first time since the 2005 season.

Most recently, KU topped then-No. 14 Kansas State on Wednesday, to move to No. 17 this week. With the improvement, Kansas has now been in the top-25 for four-straight weeks.

KU is 5-1 this season against teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll at the time of the match (Wins: RV Tulsa, RV Creighton, No. 19 Iowa State, RV Oklahoma, No. 14 Kansas State; Loss: No. 9 Texas).

NCAA RPI
On the RPI side, used more weightily by the NCAA Selection Committee, Kansas improved to No. 8 for the highest RPI mark in school history. It topped the program's previous best of No. 9, set on Oct. 1. A year ago, the Jayhawks started at No. 39 in the RPI and remained in the top-50 for the remainder of the season, ending at No. 47.

In 2012, Kansas is 5-3 against top-50 RPI teams and 12-3 against the top-100 with the Jayhawks' only losses coming at Arkansas (No. 25), at Notre Dame (No. 40) and at Texas (No. 4). Four Big 12 teams appear in the top-25 of Monday's RPI projections.

UP NEXT
No. 17 Kansas hits the road again to start the second half of the conference season, traveling to Ames, Iowa to face No. 22 Iowa State. First serve on Wednesday, Oct. 24 is set for 6:30 p.m.

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