By Marty Carlino
For the first time in the brief history of the program, the men’s volleyball team entered the American Volleyball Coaches Association top 15 poll. The Stars gained entry into the week 6 rankings, coming in as the 14th ranked team.
The Stars have continued improving since their initial ranking and moved up to the 12th ranked team in the latest edition of the poll. The team traveled to Massachusetts over spring break and won four out of their five games, including another win against a ranked opponent when they defeated the 13th ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Stars defeated MIT in five sets, rallying back from a 2-1 deficit. The team now owns an overall record of 11-7 that includes an impressive 6-2 record within conference play and they now sit in second place in the MCVL standings behind conference frontrunner Carthage College. The Stars lead the conference in hitting percentage and also rank near the top of the conference in team assists and kills.
The team has answered tough challenges all season, already squaring off against 9 opponents ranked in the top 15 AVCA poll. The Stars have already defeated four ranked opponents this season and they will look to add on to that total as they are slated to match up against another ranked opponent in their next match.