Ahead of a three-match home week, the Wayne State College volleyball team moved up one spot in the most recent AVCA/TARAFLEX Top 25 Coaches Poll while for a second straight week the Defensive POW honor remains in Wayne.
According to a release from Wayne State Athletics, the Wildcats collected 852 points in voting from various Division II coaches across the country.
#7 Wayne State College improved to 16-3 overall and 10-1 in league play (tied for second in NSIC). WSC recorded a home sweep last Thursday over Augustana and also won a four-set match at Minnesota State-Mankato on Saturday.
MSU Denver (16-1) takes over the top spot moving up one spot in the Coaches Poll claiming 31 first place votes. #2 Ferris State (20-0) moved up two spots with nine first place votes; #4 Tampa (11-1) fell from the #1 ranking with three first place votes; #5 Cal Poly Pomona (16-1) moved up one spot with three first place votes and #6 Nebraska-Kearney (20-1) fell three spots with the final first place vote.
Other NSIC teams joining #7 Wayne State College ranked include #3 St. Cloud State (16-2), up two spots; #11 Concordia-St. Paul (14-4), up one spot; #12 Southwest Minnesota State (17-3), fell five spots; #22 Northern State (13-4), moved up one spot as #25 Minnesota Duluth (10-8), fell one spot.
Also, senior libero Brooke Peltz was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week. It’s the first time she has received the league honor.
A 5-8 senior from Lincoln (East HS), Peltz averaged an NSIC-best seven digs per set last week in a 3-0 home sweep over Augustana Thursday night and a 3-1 road win Saturday at Minnesota State. She notched a career-best 34 digs in Saturday’s win over the Mavericks in Mankato and was credited with 15 digs in Thursday’s home sweep over Augustana. For the week, Peltz had a perfect 1.000 reception percentage with no errors on 26 total attempts.
For the season, Peltz ranks fourth in the NSIC averaging 5.17 digs per set. She is also second on the Wildcat team in service aces with 20.
