Oct. 18, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - With an 18-6 record and a second-place conference standing in tow, the Western Kentucky University volleyball team has placed 10th in the second NCAA South Region rankings which were released Wednesday afternoon. The Lady Toppers have now appeared in both regional polls this season, and currently sport more wins than any other team in this week's survey.
Wednesday's honor marks the second time in three years Western has earned a spot in the regional poll twice in the same season -- the Lady Toppers also cracked the first two South Region (then known as District IV) rankings in 1998, topping out at No. 5 on Sept. 23.
Western is one of three Sun Belt Conference teams to appear in the latest regional balloting. Arkansas-Little Rock, the Eastern Division leader, is ranked fifth, while Western Division pacesetter Denver is eighth. Southeastern Conference kingpin Florida leads a group of four SEC schools at the top of the South Region rankings. South Carolina is second, followed by Tennessee and Alabama.
The South Region is comprised of teams from the Sun Belt, Southeastern, Southern and Trans America Athletic Conferences, as well as independents Centenary and Texas-Pan American. The rankings are conducted on a biweekly basis by the members of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee.
Western Kentucky returns to action Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) when it takes on Sun Belt foe New Orleans at Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena.
