BOSTON, Mass. – Nearly 14 years after making its last appearance in a national coaches' poll the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team has been ranked among the top 15 teams in the country. The Leopards garnered 40 points to be ranked 14th in this week's American Volleyball Coaches' Association Division III Men's Coaches Top 15.
Wentworth, which received votes in the preseason poll and has also received votes in each of the first three polls, enjoyed a 2-0 week, which included defeating Hunter, 3-0, and upsetting defending national champion and then fifth-ranked Springfield, 3-1. The last time the Leopards cracked the top 15 they were ranked 15th on February 20, 2001.
Through 14 matches Wentworth sports a 12-2 overall record and is 3-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play. Winners of six contests in a row, the Leopards' only two losses have come to nationally ranked foes, losing 3-0 to then No. 9 Nazareth on January 24 and falling to then No. 13 MIT, 3-1, on January 31.
Statistically speaking, Wentworth is ranked in the top 10 in Division III in six of seven categories – winning percentage (second, .857), blocks per set (second, 2.81), kills per set (fifth, 12.67), hitting percentage (seventh, .278), assists per set (ninth, 11.38), and service aces per set (10th, 1.96). Individually, sophomore Alex Potts (Niverville, N.Y.) is ranked second in blocks per set (1.30) and third in hitting percentage (.435) while classmate Collin Ritter (Feeding Hills, Mass.) ranks second among Division III men's volleyball student-athletes in assists per set with 10.20.
The Leopards have won 11 of 12 weekly awards from the GNAC with freshman Sean Mullen (Longwood, Fla.) being named the rookie of the week four times, Potts being named the league's defensive player of the week three times, Ritter earning two offensive player of the week awards and being recognized as the defensive player of the week once, and sophomore Jake Reed (Arvada, Colo.) earning the league's offensive player of the week award one time. Additionally, Ritter and Potts have earned ECAC Player of the Week honors twice and Mullen has won ECAC Rookie of the Week once.
Wentworth hosts No. 9 NYU on Saturday in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. It also marks the first time since February 15, 2001, the Black & Gold will face a ranked opponent while being ranked. No. 15 Wentworth fell to No. 12 Johnson & Wales, 3-0, in that match.
April 18, 2015
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April 13, 2015
Men's Volleyball Earns Top Seed in ECAC Tournament
April 9, 2015
Men's Volleyball's Tournament Run Halted by Lasell
April 7, 2015
Men's Volleyball Advances to GNAC Semifinals
April 4, 2015
Men's Volleyball Concludes Regular Season
April 2, 2015
Men's Volleyball Rolls Past Mount Ida
March 31, 2015
Men's Volleyball Falls to Rivier
March 28, 2015
Men's Volleyball Sweeps Tri-Match
March 24, 2015
Emmanuel Rallies Past Men's Volleyball
March 21, 2015
Men's Volleyball Takes Two GNAC Matches
March 14, 2015
Men's Volleyball Runs Win Streak to Three
March 9, 2015
Two Men's Volleyball Players Earn Weekly Honors
March 5, 2015
Men's Volleyball Wins Second Straight
February 28, 2015
Men's Volleyball Sweeps Newbury
February 26, 2015
Men's Volleyball Suffers Setback at Lasell
February 24, 2015
Reed Named ECAC North Region Player of the Week
February 23, 2015
Reed Named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week
February 23, 2015
Men's Volleyball Holds Off Johnson & Wales
February 21, 2015
Men's Volleyball Edged by NYU
February 17, 2015
Ritter Earns ECAC Honors
February 17, 2015
Men's Volleyball Cracks AVCA Top 15
February 16, 2015
Men's Volleyball Sweeps Weekly Awards For Second Straight Week
February 14, 2015
Men's Volleyball Beats Hunter, Upsets Springfield
February 10, 2015
Potts Named ECAC Player of the Week
February 9, 2015
Men's Volleyball Sweeps Weekly Awards
February 7, 2015
Men's Volleyball Sweeps Tri-Match
February 5, 2015
Men's Volleyball Picks Up Second Straight Win
February 3, 2015
Men's Volleyball Battles Past Lasell
February 3, 2015
ECAC Honors Ritter, Mullen With Weekly Awards
February 2, 2015
Ritter, Mullen Earn GNAC Weekly Honors
January 31, 2015
Men's Volleyball Splits at MIT Tri-Match
January 29, 2015
Men's Volleyball Opens Conference Play With Win
January 28, 2015
Potts Named ECAC Player of the Week
January 26, 2015
Potts, Mullen Earn GNAC Honors
January 24, 2015
Men's Volleyball Takes Second at Wildcat Invitational
January 23, 2015
Men's Volleyball Takes Two Matches at Wildcat Invitational
January 21, 2015
Men's Volleyball Opens Season With Sweep of Endicott
January 13, 2015
Men's Volleyball Picked to Finish Second in GNAC