BENNINGTON, Vt.- The Southern Vermont College Women’s Volleyball team was ranked 15th in the New England Women’s Volleyball Association (NEWVA) poll Wednesday afternoon. The poll ranks the top 15 teams each week from the New England Region, based on record and strength of schedule. The ranking is only the second time any program at Southern Vermont College has received regional recognition.
“We are really excited about cracking the NEWVA polls,” said Head Coach Josh Stokes. “We are looking to stay there and hopefully get higher as we go through our season.”
The NEWVA ranking is another step in the remarkable progress the Women’s Volleyball team has made in just a two year span. When Stokes took over the program two seasons ago the Mountaineers were coming off a 1-20 season. In Stokes’ first year at the helm the program won 14 matches and only lost 9, which tied the best season for a Women’s program at SVC. In just his second year the Mountaineers have surpassed even last year’s success.
SVC currently is 21-2 and 9-0 in the New England Region, along with a 3-0 record in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC). The Mountaineers have won their last 21 sets and their last 12 matches. The team has won against regional ranked Williams College 3-1 on September 21st, which is also the last set the Mountaineers have lost. Of the regional ranked teams, seven of them played in the NCAA tournament a year ago.
“It’s great to be finally recognized that we are a great team. We definitely deserve it and we have worked hard to get here. We are making a lot of noise this season and even though we are a small school it is great what we have done,” said AVCA National Player of the Week, Jessica Alvarez.
The Mountaineers will visit Castleton State and Green Mountain Thursday afternoon, before hosting NECC opponent Regis on Saturday afternoon. SVC has eight matches remaining in the 2011 regular season.