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Dec. 21, 2005

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee volleyball team (25-9) completed its outstanding season with its highest national ranking in school history of sixth, which came in the final CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll of the season released on Wednesday. The Lady Vols have moved up the charts of late in meteoric fashion, sliding up 11 spots to sixth after placing themselves 17th in the previous set of rankings, which followed the NCAA First and Second Rounds, and 23rd in the final regular-season poll.

The Lady Vols entered the 2004 campaign having not cracked the national rankings in 19 seasons and placed ninth, a school-record high, in the second-to-last set of rankings before finishing 10th. Tennessee entered the 2005 campaign ninth as well before falling out in the midst of a 9-6 start (with five of those losses coming against teams who would advance to the Sweet 16). UT began its season 11-7 before embarking on a nine-match winning streak and finishing strong with a 14-2 mark.

Overall, six of UT's nine losses in 2005 came versus Sweet 16 teams and all came against NCAA Tournament squads. One loss suffered came at the hands of the eventual National Champion Washington Huskies, two versus squads who would advance to their respective Regional Final matches (Missouri and Florida), three against teams who advanced to the Sweet 16 (Purdue, Ohio Louisville) and the other three against squads who qualified for the NCAA Tournament, but fell in the First Round (Alabama (twice) and LSU).

Following a loss to Missouri, who UT would later defeat in the Regional Championship contest, the Lady Vols dropped to 16th for a couple weeks before a pair of losses to Ohio and Purdue, who each would advance to the Sweet 16, dropped Tennessee out of the poll for the next eight weeks.

After moving back in at 25th after eight straight wins, including an impressive 30-22, 32-30, 19-30, 37-39, 15-12 victory over No. 4 Florida, the Lady Vols dropped out of the national rankings once again following a 1-1 showing at the SEC Tournament, which included a tough 30-26, 18-30, 18-30, 31-29, 15-13 loss to host Alabama.

An impressive comeback win at No. 7 and future NCAA Sweet 16 participant Notre Dame (26-30, 26-30, 30-28, 32-30, 15-9) in its next contest, the final one of the regular season, moved Tennessee back into the rankings at 23rd after the one-week hiatus.

A pair of NCAA Tournament wins, including a dramatic 30-19, 24-30, 20-30, 30-27, 15-11 victory against defending NCAA Finalist and 17th-ranked Minnesota in the Second Round moved UT up to the 17th slot. Two more victories, one over No. 2 Penn State on the road, 30-27, 14-30, 30-27, 33-31, and other against No. 8 Missouri, 30-28, 30-27, 25-30, 30-17, moved UT into the NCAA National Semifinals for the first time in school history and earned the Big Orange its placement among the elite in the final 2005 poll.

CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll

FINAL POLL: Dec. 21, 2005

Others receiving points and listed on two or more ballots: Brigham Young (25-4), 45, Maryland (28-5) 16, UC Santa Barbara (21-9) 13, Northwestern (20-12) 9, Long Beach State (25-7) 9, Marshall (26-6) 3.

Seven teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 10 combined points.

Dropped Out: Brigham Young (25)

Next Poll: Dec. 21, 2005

Poll conducted and distributed by the AVCA