Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

LINCOLN, Neb. – After extending its win streak to five straight matches, the University of Delaware volleyball team was ranked No. 7 in the RichKern.com/American Volleyball Coaches Association poll for the East Region.

The rankings, which are based on the Rich Kern Percentage Index, include teams from the Atlantic Coast, Big South, and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences as well as the Colonial Athletic Association.

For the second straight week, UD stands as the top-rated team from the CAA.

Last week, Delaware toppled Towson, 3-0, for its fifth straight victory. It also marked the team’s third straight sweep after also defeating George Mason and James Madison, 3-0, to open up conference action.

Overall, the squad has now won 11 straight sets, marking the team’s longest streak since taking 13 consecutive frames from October 19 – November 2, 2007.

On an individual level, junior setter Jess Chason stands atop the conference with a 9.67 assists-per-set average. Senior libero Steph Barry also ranks second in the league with a 4.40 digs-per-set average, while Katie Dennehy is third with a rate of 3.14 kills-per-set.

Kelly Gibson (at right) also ranks as one of the top servers in the CAA, averaging 0.40 aces-per-frame. Michelle LaLonde has had a strong year along the net as well, ranking seventh among conference competitors with a 0.92 blocks-per-set rate.

In the Rich Kern rankings, Florida State is ranked first in the East and stands second in the country. The Seminoles are followed by fellow ACC powers Duke, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina. Miami (FL), Virginia Tech, Delaware, Clemson, George Mason, and Virginia round out the top-10.

Already this year, Delaware sports a 2-0 record among other regionally ranked opponents in the East. The Blue Hens topped North Carolina, 3-2, in a match at the Bob Carpenter Center, while the squad beat Mason, 3-0, at Viera Court.

Delaware will be back in action tonight when the squad travels to Villanova to take on the Wildcats at 7 p.m.

AGATE:

2009 RichKern.com/AVCA Regional Rankings - East Division (October 6): 1. Florida State; 2. Duke; 3. Georgia Tech; 4. North Carolina; 5. Miami (FL); 6. Virginia Tech; 7. Delaware; 8. Clemson; 9. George Mason; 10. Virginia; 11. VCU; 12. Wake Forest; 13. Winthrop; 14. Georgia State; 15. Boston College; 16. Florida A&M; 17. Liberty; 18. Coastal Carolina; 19. William & Mary; 20. Maryland.