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Jonathan Bates | Off the Block associate editor
McKendree pulled off an historic win on Sunday – their first victory over Ohio State in program history. This win has propelled the Bearcats to a No. 3 ranking in this week’s Division II coaches poll released on Tuesday.
No. 1 Lewis received all 10 first place votes this week, something they have achieved seven times out of nine weeks this season.
Lewis has won seven straight matches, but their most recent win is probably their most impressive yet. Their win over Loyola on Friday night in Chicago represents a win against the highest ranked opponent this year. The Flyers are also all alone in first place in the MIVA. Julian Moses led the effort with a season-high 16 kills, while Ryan Coenen chipped in with a season-high five aces. This coming weekend, Lewis travels to New Jersey to face Princeton and NJIT.
No. 2 Barton defeated conference foe, Belmont Abbey, in their only match last week. Angelos Mandilaris had 32 kills while attacking at an efficient .674 clip and was named OTB’s co-opposite of the week. The Bulldogs have won six in a row and 12 of their last 13 matches. Barton is off this coming weekend before continuing conference play in two week at Erskine and Emmanuel.
No. 3 McKendree split their pair of matches at Ohio State this past weekend. Opposite Zach Schnittker led the Bearcats with a combined 26 kills, four aces, seven blocks, and seven digs. This weekend, McKendree hosts Quincy for a conference tilt.
No. 4 UC San Diego was swept by UC Santa Barbara this past weekend. This coming weekend, the Tritons travel to play a non-conference match at Concordia-Irvine before returning to La Jolla to host Stanford. Junior libero Ryan Libero ranks 11th nationally with 2.30 digs per game.
No. 5 Lincoln Memorial won both of their matches last week – a four-game win against fellow independent Queens and a sweep of NAIA member Cumberland. The Railsplitters will play three matches next week against ConfCarolinas teams – hosting Emmanuel before traveling to Mount Olive and Lees-McRae. Opposite Evan Cory was named Independent Teams Player of the Week for the fourth time on Monday in part due to his 22-kill performance versus Queens.
Also receiving votes this week are Concordia-Irvine and Charleston
Both NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II men’s volleyball programs compete for the same national championship. The AVCA National Coaches Poll ranks the top 15 Division I-II men’s volleyball teams and is released each Monday during the regular season.
A national voting committee comprised of coaches from the more than 20 Division II teams determines the weekly rankings for the Division II National Coaches Poll.
Off the Block is a website that launched in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball coverage.
The Division II National Coaches Poll will be released on the Off the Block website every Tuesday during the regular season.
Off the Block Division II Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Previous | Trend |
| 1 | Lewis | 14-4 | 50 (10) | 1 | — |
| 2 | Barton | 12-3 | 38 | 2 | — |
| 3 | McKendree | 7-8 | 27 | 4 | +1 |
| 4 | UC San Diego | 6-11 | 18 | 3 | -1 |
| 5 | Lincoln Memorial | 9-6 | 9 | 5 | — |
Others receiving votes:Â Concordia-Irvine 6, Charleston 2