Volleyball
Kentucky Ranked No. 5 in AVCA Preseason Poll

Kentucky Ranked No. 5 in AVCA Preseason Poll

by Mike Scholze

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For a program-record seventh-consecutive year the Kentucky volleyball team will begin the season ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s preseason top 25. With the ranking of No. 5, UK ties its highest mark in program history and its highest preseason ranking ever. UK has never appeared in the preseason top 10 before.
 
Kentucky’s spot at No. 5 marks the highest ever under head coach Craig Skinner. UK reached No. 6 in the country last season and finished the 2017 final poll at that mark. The Wildcats have now appeared in the top-25 preseason poll for the ninth time in 10 seasons.
 
The preseason ranking marks the 186th time the Wildcats have been ranked in the preseason, weekly, or final poll by the AVCA. UK has been ranked in 35.2 percent of the all-time polls, which sits in the top 25 of all teams.
 
The poll also features four teams the Cats will face in 2018. In non-conference play, the Wildcats will open the regular season with No. 13 Creighton on Aug. 24 and then play No. 10 Southern California on the same day. UK will travel to No. 3 Texas on Sep. 7 as well. In conference play, UK will meet No. 7 Florida at home on Oct. 31. Additional foes, LSU, Louisville, Kansas and Missouri all are receiving votes. The Cats’ exhibition opponent, Western Kentucky, also received votes.
 
Fans will be able to see the No. 5 team in action for the first time on Sunday at 7 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. UK is opening up its scrimmage to the public and attendance is free. Kentucky – the preseason Southeastern Conference favorite – returns three Wildcats who made the preseason All-SEC team in Leah Edmond, Madison Lilley and Avery Skinner. Edmond and Lilley were both AVCA All-Americans last season, with Edmond appearing on the first team.
 

Rank School (First-Place Votes) Total Points 2017
Record
2017 Final Ranking
1 Stanford (43) 1575 30-4 4
2 Nebraska (20) 1525 32-4 1
3 Texas 1389 27-3 5
4 Minnesota 1342 28-6 10
5 Kentucky 1260 29-4 6
6 Penn State 1227 33-2 3
7 Florida (1) 1208 30-2 2
8 BYU 1183 30-3 7
9 Wisconsin 1146 22-10 12
10 Southern California 1019 25-10 7
11 UCLA 850 21-11 14
12 Illinois 782 23-11 17
13 Creighton 651 26-7 16
14 San Diego 632 25-5 13
15 Colorado 609 24-10 19
16 Baylor 597 24-7 21
17 Washington 503 25-8 15
18 Oregon 443 18-12 RV
19 Utah 424 24-10 13
20 Pittsburgh 352 26-7 RV
21 Iowa State 284 22-7 25
22 Michigan State 250 24-9 8
23 Purdue 225 23-10 18
24 Cal Poly 209 27-3 22
25 Colorado State 174 29-4 24

 
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: Marquette 163; Michigan 153; Missouri 148; Wichita State 103; Louisville 88; Kansas 66; Western Kentucky 58; Washington State 47; Hawai’i 27; Florida State 17; LSU 13; Miami (FL) 8; Oregon State 6; Missouri State 4
 
Follow along with the Cats on TwitterFacebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com

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