WAYNE, Neb. -- The record-setting Wayne State College volleyball team finished fourth in the final AVCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, with fellow in-state school UNK coming in at 15th.

The Wildcats concluded the season with a 30-3 record, while winning the NSIC regular season title for the first time in school history. It was just the fourth 30-win season for the Wildcats in program history. The Wildcats earned the top seed in the central region, earning the right to host the most competitive region in the country, ultimately falling in the second round to St. Cloud State.

The top two teams in the poll, national champion West Texas A&M and second-ranked Concordia-St. Paul, were both beaten by Wayne State this season. The Wildcats beat West Texas A&M in five sets at the Colorado Premier Challenge in September. Wayne State swept Concordia-St. Paul in Colorado, as well, before beating the Golden Bears in both of their conference meetings later in the season.

Wayne State's inclusion in the final poll marks the 13th time in the last 16 years that WSC has ended the year with a national ranking. It’s the second-highest ever national ranking to end the season in school history, trailing only the 2015 squad's No. 3 ranking.

The Wildcats were ranked in every AVCA poll this season and spent five weeks ranked #1 in the country. 

UNK also qualified for the central regional tournament, falling in a five-set opening round thriller to Concordia-St. Paul. The Lopers finished 28-6 overall. UNK was in the top 10 in every poll until Oct. 31.

A total of eight teams from the central region were ranked in the final poll, including seven of the top 15.

AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll – Final Poll: December 5, 2022

                                                                                2022    Previous

Rank School (First-Place Votes)                          Points    Record   Rank

1          West Texas A&M [47]                1175     33-4      9

2          Concordia-St. Paul                    1125     31-6      3

3          MSU Denver                             1014     30-2      1

4          Wayne State (Neb.)                  972       30-3      2

5          St. Cloud State                          913       28-6      7

6          Cal State L.A.                            873       25-7      19

7          Minnesota Duluth                      842       27-5      6

8          Barry                                        801       28-6      17

9          Tampa                                      772       29-4      5

10        Alaska Anchorage                     718       27-3      4

11        Missouri-St. Louis                      651       25-8      NR

12        Southwest Minnesota State        582       23-6      10

13        NW Missouri State                     552       24-7      12

14        Western Washington                 535       21-6      8

15        Nebraska-Kearney                    517       28-6      13

16        West Florida                             426       28-6      11

17        Wingate                                    394       32-3      25

18        Washburn                                 357       24-8      15

19        Regis                                        339       22-8      14

20        Cal State San Bernardino          287       20-7      16

21        Colorado Mesa                          273       22-7      18

22        Colorado School of Mines          221       22-8      22

23        Cal Poly Pomona                      200       24-6      20

24        Chaminade                               152       26-8      NR

25        Quincy                                      135       28-3      21

Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots:  Gannon 85; Harding 78; Central Oklahoma 49; Lynn 47; Ferris State 42; Central Washington 40; Lewis 27; Southern New Hampshire 23; Hillsdale 19; Eckerd 8; Dallas Baptist 7; Augustana (SD) 6; Central Missouri 5; Sonoma State 4

4 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 9 combined points