Wheeling ranked No. 20 in final AVCA Top-25 Poll
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 3) - The Wheeling University volleyball team was ranked No. 20 in the final American Volleyball Coaches of America (AVCA) Division II Top-25 poll unveiled late last week.
Head Coach Christy Benner wrapped up her 19th season as head coach by collecting an impressive 13th-straight conference tournament crown. The team defeated Fairmont State 3-0 in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament Final on March 13 in Institute, West Virginia to finish the spring 2021 season 11-2 overall.
Wheeling appeared in 13 of the 14 AVCA Division II polls this spring and reached as high as No. 15 in late February. After being picked No. 24 in the preseason poll, the Cardinals and 15 other teams dropped out of the rankings on February 10 due to teams not competing in any matches. Wheeling immediately jumped back in the following week at No. 21 and remained for the final 10 polls released by the organization.
The Cardinals have been featured in the final AVCA Top-25 Poll in nine of the past 10 seasons, including a No. 1 ranking after the team won the 2015 Division II National Championship.
Angelo State (22-2) finished the spring with the top ranking. A national champion was not crowned during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however teams were playing matches into late April.
Gannon at No. 17 was the only other team from the Atlantic Region to appear in the final rankings.