Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware volleyball team continued to earn high marks in the national Ratings Percentage Index and the regional RichKern.com/American Volleyball Coaches Association poll released this week.

After splitting last weekend’s two contests, the Blue Hens earned a seventh-place ranking in the regional poll and were slotted at No. 55 in the NCAA RPI. The squad was the highest-rated team from the Colonial Athletic Association in both rankings.

On Friday, Delaware saw its 10-match winning streak come to an end with a tough 3-2 setback against James Madison. Despite the misstep, the squad rebounded in impressive fashion, sweeping George Mason, 3-0, on Saturday evening.

Currently, the squad stands at the top of the conference standings with an 8-1 record in league play. The Hens hold a 1.5-game lead over both VCU and William & Mary, who stand at 6-2. The Rams and Tribe will both make trips to Barb Viera Court this weekend to battle for the top spot. VCU enters the First State for a 7 p.m. showdown on Friday, while William & Mary is slated for a 7 p.m. bout on Saturday.

Delaware is bolstered by a strong offensive attack, highlighted by setter Jess Chason and hitters Katie Dennehy and Kim Stewart. Entering this week’s matches, Chason leads the CAA with a 10.10 assists-per-set average, which is more than half-an-assist higher than the next-closest competitor.

Dennehy (above) and Stewart have been on-point as well, balancing out the potent attack. The two standouts have combined for 460 kills this season. During conference action, they are tied for sixth in the CAA with matching 3.16 kills-per-set averages.

Freshman right-side hitter Alissa Alker and middle blockers Michelle LaLonde and Paige Erickson have also pieced together fine campaigns. In her debut season, Alker ranks third on the team with 172 kills and 40 blocks. LaLonde is also eighth in the conference in blocking, while Erickson stands eighth in blocks-per-set during CAA action.

All-American libero Steph Barry also stands second in the conference in digs-per-set, and Kelly Gibson has established herself as one of the top servers in the CAA. She currently ranks fourth overall and first in conference matches in aces-per-set.

In the regional rankings, Florida State stands at the top of the Eastern Region. Fellow Atlantic Coast Conference powers Duke, North Carolina, Miami, and Virginia Tech round out the top-five.

In the NCAA RPI, the Seminoles are ranked second in the nation behind Texas. Penn State, Illinois, and Minnesota make up the rest of the top-five.

AGATE:

2009 RichKern.com/AVCA Regional Rankings - East Division (October 27): 1. Florida State; 2. Duke; 3. North Carolina; 4. Miami (FL); 5. Virginia Tech; 6. Geogia Tech; 7. Delaware; 8. Clemson; 9. George Mason; 10. VCU; 11. Virginia; 12. Winthrop; 13. Liberty; 14. Wake Forest; 15. Coastal Carolina; 16. William & Mary; 17. Florida A&M; 18. Boston College; 19. Northeastern; 20. Georgia State.