Fall 2020 #NCAAVB rankings: Week 3

For a full explanation on how these rankings work, click here. One additional note to add is that teams who had the previous week off will not have an additional blurb until they play again.

Record are current through Tue, 9/22.

1) Texas State (5-1)

Trending: flat

The Bobcats picked up two more wins against teams they're supposed to beat, dropping a total of one set in a two-match sweep of HBU. TXST opens Sun Belt play this week with a likely bottom-feeder in ULM, but the next two weeks after that should be a good test, as UT-Arlington (picked 2nd in SBC West) visits San Marcos followed by a tough test as the Bobcats head to Lafayette to face the red-hot Cajuns.

This week: vs ULM (3x)

2) SFA (5-1)

Last week: idle

This week: non-conference at South Alabama (2x). Three entirely separate events caused this to happen. These matches were actually supposed to happen last week as part of a 3-team tourney also including ULM, but that got wiped out by Hurricane Sally. SFA is available because they were going to be playing Missouri State and host UCA in Conway, Arkansas this week, but UCA has had to postpone/cancel every match since their opener on 9/4 due to positive COVID tests. And South Alabama is available because their season-opening series vs Coastal Carolina also got postponed due to positive COVID tests.

3) Louisiana (6-0)

Trending: flat

Thumping Lamar twice doesn't really do much for a team that already has wins over better foes in South Alabama and HBU. Relatively easy start to Sun Belt play awaits, as road trips to the projected bottom two teams in the SBC West (Little Rock & ULM) precede a massive home series vs Texas State.

This week: at Little Rock (3x)

4) UTEP (1-1)

Trending: idle

This week: idle

5) Virginia (1-0)

Trending: down slightly

Virginia got a sweep in their season opener vs Citadel, but it was a bit worrying how close the sets were, especially compared to how easy it looked for Virginia Tech one night earlier. Cavs have a bye in opening week of ACC play before hosting Duke next week.

This week: idle

6) Virginia Tech (1-0)

Trending: up slightly

The Marci Byers era got off to a good start in Blacksburg as the Hokies pounded Citadel last week. Winning was certainly expected, but for what was arguably the worst team in the ACC last year to win that easily was a mild plus. Alabama grad transfer Ashley Homan set a new career-high with 12 kills in her VT debut, having started her career at SMU in 2016, then played in 2017 & 2019 with the Crimson Tide (redshirted 2018).

This week: vs North Carolina (2x)

7) South Alabama (0-2)

Trending: idle

This week: non-conference vs SFA (2x). See SFA for complicated reasons why this is possible.

8) Missouri State (1-0)

Trending: up slightly

The Bears earned a solid win in their first game under new Head Coach Steven McRoberts, sweeping at Little Rock twice, although the first one was just an exhibition match. The big positive to carry out of their first two matches? Junior Amelia Flynn was unstoppable in the exhibition, piling up 21 kills on .436 hitting in just three sets. When the Trojans focused all their defense energy on stopping Flynn in the rematch (which worked, as she was sub-zero almost the entire match before climbing up to .034 at the end), sophomore Brooklyn Cink dominated instead as she racked up a career-high 20 kills.

This week: idle. Tourney at UCA (also featuring SFA) cancelled due to positive tests at UCA.

9) Central Arkansas (0-2)

Trending: idle

This week: idle. Home tourney vs SFA and Missouri State cancelled to positive COVID tests.

10) HBU (1-5)

Trending: flat

Huskies dropped a pair of matches at Texas State, but picked up a set and were mildly competitive. Fall season likely over; the overall record is not a good indicator of HBU's performance, as the 5 losses were to the 3 best teams to have played so far (TXST x2, SFA, Louisiana x2) - only result against a team fairly close to their level in talent was a sweep of ULM as mild favorites.

This week: idle.

11) Mercer (1-1)

Trending: down somewhat

Bears followed up a so-so performance in their opening win over Citadel by suffering a minor upset at Georgia State; after a late rally to win S3 and take a 2-1 lead, nothing went right after that, getting outscored 40-22 in the final two sets.

This week: idle

12) Georgia State (1-1)

Trending: up somewhat

Panthers now have a 5-set minor upset win (Mercer) to go with their 5-set minor upset loss (Chattanooga). After outhitting Chattanooga by a significant margin (.262 to .206) but coming up short due a combination of bad timing and great serving by the Mocs, GSU still outhit a better team in Mercer (.286 to .254) and did a better job in the service game.

This week: at Troy (3x)

13) UL-Monroe (1-2)

Trending: idle

This week: at Texas State (3x)

14) Chattanooga (1-0)

Fall season over.

15) Little Rock (0-1)

Trending: down slightly

I mentioned it above in Missouri State's blurb, but it really was interesting noticing how much defensive energy was focused on stopping MSU's Amelia Flynn in their game that counted for record on Sunday (disclaimer: I did not see the match on Saturday). It wasn't just that she had an off day; it was clear both from watching and from the color commentator that Little Rock was changing up how their blocking scheme worked to bother her, and it worked. The problem? Flynn isn't the only good player Missouri State has.

This week: vs Louisiana (3x)

16) Lamar (0-5)

Trending: flat

The most newsworthy thing about the doubleheader loss in Lafayette had very little to do with the result — it was just good to see Lamar actually have what can reasonably be called a roster suited up to play. After just seven players were active in the tournament at SFA, 12 different Cardinals played in the two games against the Cajuns. You cannot field a competitive volleyball team with seven players; 12 is perfectly fine.

This week: idle. Fall season appears over.

17) Citadel (0-3)

Trending: flat

Getting swept twice by the Virginia schools was a pretty expected outcome. The Bulldogs put up little resistance in the loss to the Hokies, but then gave an unexpectedly tough fight against UVA, reaching 20+ points in all three sets and having a late lead in the third.

This week: idle


Teams scheduled to open this week

Wednesday

  • Duke (vs NC State 2x)
  • NC State (at Duke 2x)
Thursday
  • Georgia Tech (at Miami 2x)
  • Miami (vs Georgia Tech 2x)
  • North Carolina (at Virginia Tech 2x)
  • Texas (at Oklahoma 2x)
  • Oklahoma (vs Texas 2x)
  • West Virginia (at Texas Tech 2x)
  • Texas Tech (vs West Virginia 2x)
Friday
  • App State (at Georgia Southern 3x)
  • Georgia Southern (vs App State 3x)
  • Troy (vs Georgia State 3x)
  • Louisville (vs Notre Dame 2x)
  • Notre Dame (at Louisville 2x)
  • Pittsburgh (at Syracuse 2x)
  • Syracuse (vs Pittsburgh 2x)
  • Baylor (at Kansas 2x)
  • Kansas (vs Baylor 2x)
  • Iowa State (at Kansas State 2x)
  • Kansas State (vs Iowa State 2x)

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