The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team has made its first appearance in the NJCAA Division I Volleyball poll on Wednesday after flirting with the poll since the preseason poll.
Off to a 9-3 start, the Lady Dragons are No. 19 this week, the highest-ranked Jayhawk Conference team and only team receiving any mention in the poll.
This is Hutchinson’s first national ranking since the end of the 2009 season, when the Lady Dragons finished ninth in the NJCAA National Tournament and were ranked No. 13 in the final NJCAA poll.
This past weekend in Sterling Colo., the Lady Dragons defeated their second nationally ranked opponent of 2012 when they topped No. 19 Northeastern Junior College in four sets on its home floor. HCC has a victory over then No. 11 Seminole State on opening weekend.
The Lady Dragons are 2-1 against ranked teams this season. The only loss came in a sweep to now No. 3 Western Nebraska.
North Idaho College is the new No. 1 team in the NJCAA poll, replacing Iowa Western. San Jacinto College is No. 2, followed by Western Nebraska, College of Southern Idaho and Iowa Western.
Hutchinson has a busy week with five matches in the next four days. HCC travels to Garden City on Wednesday night for a Jayhawk Conference match and then four matches over two days against Seminole State, Missouri State-West Plains, Jefferson College and Frank Phillips College in the Lady Dragon Invitational this Friday and Saturday at the Sports Arena.
(HCC Sports Information)
NJCAA DIVISION I VOLLEYBALL POLL
Record Last Week
1. North Idaho College (3) 12-0 2
2. San Jacinto College-Central 19-1 3
3. Western Nebraska CC 16-2 4
4. College of Southern Idaho 15-1 5
5. Iowa Western CC 19-1 1
6. College of Central Florida 11-3 8
7. Salt Lake CC 15-3 3
8. Tyler Junior College 15-2 7
9. Arizona Western College 9-2 9
10. Miami-Dade College 4-3 11
11. State College of Florida-Manatee 11-3 12
12. Western Texas College 14-2 13
13. Western Wyoming CC 8-7 10
14. Blinn College 11-4 14
15. Florida State College-Jacksonville 8-5 15
16. Snow College 10-3 16
17. Paris Junior College 13-5 17
18. Pensacola State College 9-1 RV
19. Hutchinson CC 9-3 RV
20. Central Wyoming College 11-3 NR
Others receiving votes: Trinity Valley CC (13-5); Hillsborough CC (7-5); Missouri State-West Plains; Wallace State CC; Laredo CC (12-1); Odessa College (8-5); Midland College (9-5); Seminole State College (10-4); Redlands CC (11-6); Casper College (9-8); Kaskaskia College (13-2); Lake Land College (10-3); Indian Hills (11-3).
