Carson-Newman Volleyball Listed Seventh In The First NCAA Division II Southeast Region Rankings Of The Season

INDIANAPOLIS – The Carson-Newman College Volleyball Team is listed seventh in the first NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings of the season, NCAA officials announced Thursday. These rankings, calculated by a mathematical formula, are the official determinant for postseason play at the Division II level.

Fellow South Atlantic Conference member Wingate University is the top team in the rankings as the Bulldogs have won 39 straight league matches and 85 of their last 90 contests dating back to the 2007 season.

The Peach Belt Conference has the next three teams on the list. Flagler College, Armstrong Atlantic State University and USC Aiken are second through fourth, respectively this week.

Also listed from the SAC are Catawba College (fifth) and Lincoln Memorial University (sixth), while the Conference Carolinas’ lone representative, Lees-McRae, comes in at the eighth position.

The conference tournament champion from the SAC, Peach Belt and Conference Carolinas will each be awarded automatic bids to the 2009 NCAA Division II Tournament while the five remaining highest-ranked teams will receive at-large bids to the postseason.

NCAA Division II Southeast Region Rankings

School                                  Overall     In-Region
1. Wingate*                            20-1             20-0
2. Flagler*                               15-8             15-7
3. Armstrong Atlantic State     13-6             13-6
4. USC Aiken                           11-9             11-9
5. Catawba*                           11-7             11-6
6. Lincoln Memorial*               13-4              10-4
7. Carson-Newman              11-7             9-6
8. Lees-McRae*                      15-4              15-4
9. Montevallo*                        13-10            13-9
10. Lander                              11-7              11-7

* denotes 2009 Carson-Newman opponent