BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The fifth NCAA Division I Volleyball RPI of the 2011 season was released Monday evening and Western Kentucky University found itself ranked No. 25 in the nation. With an overall record of 28-3 and a 15-1 mark in Sun Belt Conference play, the Lady Toppers are also ranked 26th in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
The NCAA RPI rankings take into account into account strength of schedule, as well as the team's record both on the road and at home. WKU clinched the Sun Belt Conference East Division title Friday night with a 3-2 win over Middle Tennessee and will be the No. 1 seed in this week's SBC Volleyball Tournament in Miami, Fla.
WKU is one of two Sun Belt teams currently ranked among the top-50 in the nation, with Middle Tennessee rated at No. 48. Two of the Lady Toppers' three losses have come against a top-20 squad in No. 13 Kentucky and No. 20 Cincinnati.
The Lady Toppers return to action Thursday afternoon when they take on the No. 8 seed Troy in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament. WKU has qualified for the tournament in 13 straight seasons and advanced to the championship match in three of the last four years.
The complete 2011 NCAA Division I Volleyball RPI rankings can be found at: http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/volleyball-women/d1/ncaa_womens_volleyball_rpi
