TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler volleyball program remained in the receiving votes category of the first regular season AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II National Coaches Poll.
The Patriots navigated opening weekend at the 2023 Patriot Classic with a 4-0 record that featured wins over Montevallo, Southern Nazarene, Fort Lewis and Union. UT Tyler received 26 votes in the first regular season edition of the national poll after earning nine total votes in the preseason edition of the rankings.
West Texas A&M remained as the no. 1 ranked team in this week's poll, receiving 41 of the 44 available first-place votes after beginning their 2023 campaign with a 4-0 record. Angelo State (31) and DBU (11) joined UT Tyler in the receiving votes category to round out the Lone Star Conference representation in the first regular season rankings.
UT Tyler ranked sixth in the LSC in hitting percentage (.243) and fourth in kills per set (13.75) following the opening weekend of volleyball across the Division II landscape, illustrating what is yet again a high-powered offensive attack for head coach
Lyndsay Mashe. Freshman
Shaye Koski provided an eye-opening debut throughout the weekend for the Patriots, leading the team in kills in all four matches while ranking fourth in the LSC with an average of 4.13 kills per set.
UT Tyler has made back-to-back NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances in each of the first two seasons of NCAA Division II postseason eligibility for the program. The Patriots went 20-10 overall in 2022 and put together a mark of 12-4 in Lone Star Conference play to finish fourth in the league standings.
The Patriots were tabbed second in the 2023 Lone Star Conference Preseason Volleyball Poll behind heavy-favorite West Texas A&M, receiving 644 total points.
UT Tyler is slated to face a pair of nationally-ranked opponents in this weekend's Colorado Premier Challenge in #3 Wayne State and #19 Regis. Those matches are slated for 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. CST starts in Denver Colo.
Saturday's two opponents for the Patriots will be based off the results of Friday's matches.
|
Rank
|
School (First-Place Votes Adjusted)
|
Total Points Adjusted
|
Record
|
Previous Week
|
|
1
|
West Texas A&M [41]
|
1,152
|
4-0
|
1
|
|
2
|
Concordia- St. Paul [3]
|
1,125
|
4-0
|
2
|
|
3
|
Wayne State (NE)
|
1,011
|
4-0
|
4
|
|
4
|
Tampa
|
986
|
3-0
|
5
|
|
5
|
St. Cloud State
|
922
|
4-0
|
7
|
|
6
|
MSU Denver
|
907
|
3-1
|
3
|
|
7
|
Minnesota Duluth
|
867
|
4-0
|
8
|
|
8
|
Missouri-St. Louis
|
804
|
4-0
|
10
|
|
9
|
Cal State San Bernardino [2]
|
727
|
4-0
|
19
|
|
10
|
Nebraska-Kearney
|
673
|
4-0
|
16
|
|
11
|
Southwest Minnesota State
|
652
|
3-1
|
11
|
|
12
|
Barry
|
590
|
1-1
|
6
|
|
13
|
West Florida
|
519
|
2-1
|
12
|
|
14
|
Colorado Mesa
|
447
|
4-0
|
21
|
|
15
|
Northwest Missouri State
|
431
|
3-1
|
13
|
|
16
|
Cal State L.A.
|
405
|
1-3
|
9
|
|
17
|
Washburn
|
380
|
2-1
|
17
|
|
18
|
Wingate
|
357
|
4-0
|
20
|
|
19
|
Regis
|
322
|
2-2
|
18
|
|
20
|
Chaminade
|
309
|
8-0
|
NR
|
|
21
|
Alaska-Anchorage
|
230
|
4-4
|
14
|
|
22
|
Western Washington
|
175
|
0-4
|
15
|
|
23
|
Central Washington
|
145
|
2-2
|
NR
|
|
24
|
Cal Poly Pomona
|
132
|
3-1
|
23
|
|
25
|
Harding
|
122
|
4-0
|
NR
|
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots:?Central Oklahoma 92; Ferris State 72; Lewis 72; Rockhurst 61; Colorado School of Mines 56; Clarion 51; Quincy 35; Wayne State (Mich.) 34; Wheeling 34; Angelo State 31; Gannon 27; Central Missouri 26; Texas-Tyler 26; Winona State 22; Daemen 21; Lynn 18; American International 15; Florida Southern 14; Nova Southeastern 14; Charleston 12; Findlay 12; Dallas Baptist 11; Spring Hill 11; Eckerd 10; Seattle Pacific 10; Hillsdale 6
13 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 78 combined points
Dropped Out: Colorado School of Mines 22; Gannon 24; Lynn 25
