Statesmen Up Five Rungs to #9
Oskaloosa–Having righted its ship, the William Penn men’s volleyball team is back inside the top 10 as the NAIA’s second top-15 poll was released Wednesday.
Winners of five matches in a row, the Statesmen (7-5, 6-3 Heart) has leapt five spots to #9 with 147 points.
WPU is one of six Heart of America Athletic Conference programs in the poll. Park leads the Heart sextet at #5, while Mount Mercy is also ahead of the Statesmen in a tie for #7. Grand View, at #12, and Missouri Baptist, at #14, are also ranked. Missouri Valley, at an unofficial position of #22, is in the receiving votes section as well.
Vanguard (Calif.) grabs the NAIA’s top spot with 253 points and 12 first-place votes. Menlo (Calif.) is second, while Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.) and The Master’s (Calif.) are also in front of Park in the top five.
The Statesmen travel to St. Louis, Mo. Friday to face Health Sciences and Pharmacy in Heart play at 7 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Volleyball Rating #2 — February 22, 2023
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Vanguard (Calif.) (12)
2. Menlo (Calif.)
3. Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.) (2)
4. The Master’s (Calif.)
5. Park (Mo.)
6. Ottawa (Ariz.)
7. Georgetown (Ky.)
7. Mount Mercy
9. William Penn
10. Lourdes (Ohio)
11. Jamestown (N.D.)
12. Grand View (1)
13. Saint Xavier (Ill.)
14. Missouri Baptist
15. Indiana Tech
Receiving Votes: Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 63, Warner (Fla.) 59, Aquinas (Mich.) 35, Arizona Christian 19, Dordt 18, Reinhardt (Ga.) 15, Missouri Valley 12, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 9, UC Merced (Calif.) 9, Cornerstone (Mich.) 5.
