INDIANAPOLIS – The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team is in the first NCAA Division II Central Region rankings released Wednesday afternoon by the NCAA national committee.
The rankings include records through Sunday and are placed in alphabetical order for the first release. The Mustangs are 21-4 overall and are currently ranked third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings with a 12-3 record. SMSU has a 21-3 record versus Division II opponents and a 19-2 record versus in-region opponents. Only matches versus Division II opponents are counted for the NCAA region rankings.
SMSU is one of seven NSIC schools to appear in the region rankings along with Concordia-St. Paul, Minnesota Duluth, Northern State, St. Cloud State, and Wayne State, and Winona State. The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) has three teams listed in Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, and Nebraska-Kearney. The third conference in the region, the Great American Conference (GAC) does not have a team ranked.
The top eight teams in the region will advance to the NCAA Central Region Tournament on Nov. 30-Dec. 3. Automatic bids are granted to the winners of the MIAA, GAC and NSIC postseason tournaments, with the remaining five spots awarded on an at-large basis. The NCAA Volleyball selection show will be streamed online on Monday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. (CT) on NCAA.com.
Region rankings will also be released on Nov. 8 and Nov. 15. The NCAA National Championships will take place on Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 7-10, at the UPMC Events Center in Moon Township, Penn.
Southwest Minnesota State, ranked No. 6 nationally, continues NSIC play this Thursday on the road against Minnesota Duluth at 6 p.m.
NCAA Central Region Rankings (Nov. 1)
Rankings listed alphabetically
| Team (Conf) |
In-Reg |
DII Rec |
| Central Missouri (MIAA) |
14-4 |
17-7 |
| Central Oklahoma (MIAA) |
20-4 |
22-4 |
| Concordia-St. Paul (NSIC) |
19-2 |
21-2 |
| Minnesota Duluth (NSIC) |
12-6 |
15-7 |
| Nebraska-Kearney (MIAA) |
21-3 |
21-3 |
| Northern State (NSIC) |
16-6 |
17-6 |
| SMSU (NSIC) |
19-2 |
21-3 |
| St. Cloud State (NSIC) |
13-5 |
17-6 |
| Wayne State (NSIC) |
21-1 |
22-1 |
| Winona State (NSIC) |
15-6 |
16-7 |
