COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M is No. 16 in the AVCA Top-25 Coaches Preseason Poll, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced today.
The defending Southeastern Conference-champion Aggies return five starters and the libero, as well as 14 letterwinners overall, from last year’s celebrated team that captured the program’s first-ever conference championship and was No. 18 in the final AVCA Top 25 Poll. Texas A&M also was an all-time high No. 9 in the final Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Championship.
Defending national champion Nebraska is No. 1 in the preseason poll, having received 60 of 64 first-place votes. NCAA runner-up Texas, which received three first-place votes, Minnesota and Wisconsin are Nos. 2, 3 and 4, respectively, and the Aggies will face all three teams during their rigorous preconference season.
Overall, five of Texas A&M’s 11 preseason matches are against teams ranked in the top 20, as the Aggies also will take on No. 15 Ohio State and No. 17 Florida State in nonconference play.
At No. 10, Florida is the highest ranked SEC team in the preseason poll. Kentucky is tabbed 24th, and Missouri is receiving votes and is listed 28th.
The Aggies’ No. 16 showing matches their highest preseason ranking since they were No. 16 in 2005. Texas A&M was No. 13 in the 1997 preseason poll, marking the highest preseason ranking in program history.
Texas A&M, one of only 13 teams in the nation to make at least 19 NCAA tournament appearances since head coach Laurie Corbelli was hired in 1993, begins the season August 26 against Nevada in the opening match of the North Texas Challenge in Denton, Texas. The Aggies’ home opener is Friday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. against No. 4 Wisconsin at Reed Arena.
The Aggies begin defense of their SEC title on Friday, Sept. 23 at Alabama. Texas A&M makes its home conference debut against Auburn on Sunday, Sept. 25.
AVCA Division I Coaches Preseason Poll: August 10, 2016
Total 2015 2015 Final
Rank School (1st-place votes) Points Record Ranking
| 1 | Nebraska (60) | 1594 | 32-4 | 1 |
| 2 | Texas (3) | 1517 | 30-3 | 2 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 1368 | 30-5 | 3 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 1255 | 26-7 | 10 |
| 5 | Kansas | 1237 | 30-3 | 4 |
| 6 | Hawai’i | 1183 | 29-2 | 7 |
| T-7 | Washington | 1162 | 31-3 | 6 |
| T-7 | Southern California | 1162 | 33-3 | 5 |
| 9 | Penn State | 1123 | 28-6 | 9 |
| 10 | Florida | 1090 | 25-7 | 8 |
| 11 | Stanford (1) | 979 | 23-7 | 14 |
| 12 | UCLA | 940 | 25-8 | 12 |
| 13 | BYU | 806 | 28-4 | 11 |
| 14 | Illinois | 724 | 21-13 | 15 |
| 15 | Ohio State | 700 | 25-10 | 13 |
| 16 | TEXAS A&M | 600 | 24-7 | 18 |
| 17 | Florida State | 443 | 25-8 | 20 |
| 18 | Creighton | 419 | 27-9 | 19 |
| 19 | North Carolina | 386 | 21-10 | 25 |
| 20 | Purdue | 335 | 23-10 | 17 |
| 21 | Loyola Marymount | 295 | 24-9 | 16 |
| 22 | Western Kentucky | 221 | 32-4 | 22 |
| 23 | Louisville | 201 | 25-7 | 21 |
| 24 | Kentucky | 161 | 21-10 | NR |
| 25 | Colorado State | 145 | 26-4 | 23 |
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: San Diego 113; Michigan State 107; Missouri 97; Oregon 85; Michigan 83; Arizona 68; Iowa State 59; Long Beach State 25; Arkansas State 23; Wichita State 21; Arizona State 16; Dayton 6; Marquette 6; TCU 3; Six teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 36 combined points.
12 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 55 combined points.
Next Poll: August 29
