LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team finished the 2019 season on Saturday with an 18-10 overall record and 12-8 in the NSIC, to move to No. 18 in this week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 Division II weekly poll released on Monday afternoon.

SMSU was slated at No. 17 in the previous poll released on Nov. 11.

SMSU finished the season on a four-match winning streak, to finish just shy of the NSIC tournament. SMSU finished in a tie for eighth place in the final NSIC standings,but will miss out for the NSIC Tournament next weekend in Sioux Falls, S.D. Upper Iowa earned the eighth seed with a better strength of schedule points index than SMSU. The Mustangs came up just points shy of the Peacocks, despite SMSU defeating UIU in the only meeting between the two teams this season, while SMSU also defeated league champion Northern State twice.

SMSU has been ranked in the Top 25 for 187 consecutive polls, dating back to Sept. 5, 2006.

SMSU is one of eight NSIC schools ranked in this week’s Top 25 with NSIC regular season champion, Northern State, leading the way at No. 4. St. Cloud State follows behind at No. 7, Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota Duluth tied for No. 8, Wayne State at No. 12, Winona State at No. 15, SMSU at No. 18 and Winona State at No. 19.

SMSU finished the regular season with three all-conference honorees with Angela Young earned All-NSIC first team and Meg Schmidt and Zoe Lier earning All-NSIC second team. Young also was named to the 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District® 7 team.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications