Same ranking as last week, heading into three big matches.
Marquette volleyball is 1-0 on the year after starting the 2024 season with a win over Eastern Illinois on Friday. That win wasn’t expected to really tilt the AVCA voters any particular way, and so it didn’t, as the Golden Eagles are still the #24 team in the country, just like they were in the preseason poll.
With that said, Marquette did lose votes in the polling. They had 233 points last week, and they have only 182 this time around. That drops them pretty evenly between #23 Baylor with 241 points and #25 UCLA with 134 points. Marquette is also a long way away from Georgia, the top unranked team earning votes this week, as they had 88 points. They’re clearly a ranked team by all accounts, just slightly less supported than in the preseason poll.
Pittsburgh is now the top ranked team on Marquette’s schedule this season. The Panthers moved up one spot to #3 in the new poll, while Wisconsin dropped three spots to #6 after losing to Texas at Fiserv Forum on Sunday. The Badgers are going to keep dropping next week, as they lost to #5 Stanford on Monday as part of that same event at Fiserv. The Cardinal are also on MU’s schedule, and they’ll be staying in Milwaukee to face the Golden Eagles at the McGuire Center on Wednesday.
There are three ranked teams on MU’s slate that aren’t in the top 10 this week. Creighton is the best of the group, moving up one spot to #11. Kansas stayed steady at #13 before coming to the McGuire Center this weekend. Dayton rounds out the trio, holding tight at #22.
There is one Receiving Votes team on the schedule for the Golden Eagles, too. Western Kentucky is the unofficial #27 team in the country this week, picking up 68 points to sit not that far off the ranked pace.
Marquette returns to action for the first of three home matches this week when they host #5 Stanford on Wednesday. First serve is set for 7pm Central time at the McGuire Center, and that match is a Gold Out contest as a tribute to Marquette president Dr. Michael Lovell who passed away over the summer. Kansas brings their #13 ranking to the Al on Friday for a 6pm Central time clash, and a very good Western Michigan squad will be in the building on Sunday at 1pm.
You can check out the entire top 25 right here.