West Region Rankings (10/2/17)

Just back from vacation and before I feed the cat or unpack, here are my rankings for the week. I’m just really happy I’m on my normal keyboard. I can’t tell you how happy I am!

Win/Loss is “in division” record. Since this post is later than usually, my SOS numbers used are current. Probably means this later time will be the new time moving forward. This ranking is still a mix of what I think and the primary criteria used for selection.

My rank, (my Week 4 rank, AVCA Week 4 rank), record, key results last week1 (1, 2). Colorado College 18-0 W: Trinity; Southwestern. 2 (2, 4). Trinity 16-3 W: [None]; L: Colorado College. 3 (3, 5). Southwestern 16-2 W: [None]; L: Colorado College; Our Lady of the Lake (NAIA) 4 (5, 9). Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 11-4 W: Whittier. 5 (6, 15). La Verne 12-2 W: Chapman. 6 (7, NR). Mary Hardin Baylor 14-1 W: [None]. 7 (4, NR). Chapman 11-5 W: [None]; L: La Verne; Pomona-Pitzer. 8 (8, NR). Whittier 10-5 W: [None]; L: Claremont M-S.Dropped Out: [None]

Second week in a row with the same teams in the top 8. Chapman is moved down with their losses to La Verne (that’s allowed) and Pomona-Pitzer (uh, what?). My rankings now seem to mirror the AVCA poll a little better, although I think of this as skill on my end and dumb luck on theirs.

I can’t say anything negative about Colorado College. They have a strong SOS, are undefeated and this weekend went to two of the corners in the SCAC office and marked their territory. (Too graphic? I’m worried that was too graphic.) Trinity didn’t look that great against CC but with their head to head wins in the region they are a lock for the second spot right now. Southwestern looked better against CC and frankly looked on their way to handing them their first loss before dropping the 5th set 15-13. I had mentioned in my preseason write-ups that Southwestern might take the full season to work in their new players due to their senior graduation loss and I think that was the case here. Hard lessons but ones that will help down the road. CMS takes the 4th spot and I almost had them ahead of SU but the Pirates play against CC did impress me enough to keep them ahead. La Verne took care of Chapman this week so I’m moving them up one spot while UMHB did absolutely nothing (didn’t play) and I’m still moving them up, too. Chapman falls three spots due to their Pomona-Pitzer loss but with their wins over CMS and Whittier earlier in the year I really couldn’t take them lower. I’m keeping Whittier in the 8th spot and, again, it really comes down to their victory over Pacific Lutheran back in September. Pac Lu and UTD are on the outside looking in. I love Pac Lu’s out-of-conference wins and, as I said in the past, I might have them in the 8th spot if I was on the West RAC. UTD has losses to La Verne, CMS and UMHB so they would have to be placed behind those teams. Throw in a loss to ETBU and they just haven’t done enough to make the rankings.