Marquette Volleyball's Top 25 Dreams Take a Hit – Did Weekend Stumbles Cost Them?
Andrew Fleck, the dedicated Site Manager for SB Nation’s Anonymous Eagle – your go-to source for all things Marquette Golden Eagles, from basketball to volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, recruiting updates, and the broader world of Marquette athletics – brings us the latest on the volleyball team's national ranking.
Last week, Marquette Volleyball was hovering on the edge of the AVCA Top 25 poll, clinging to a precarious 15 points. But here’s where it gets controversial... When you're that close to breaking into the rankings, every match counts. Every set, every point is scrutinized by the voters. The Golden Eagles faced Seton Hall and St. John's over the weekend. While they secured wins against both teams, each match went to four sets. And this is the part most people miss... Both Seton Hall and St. John's currently hold RPI rankings below 200 (as of Monday morning). Did those extended matches against lower-ranked teams give voters a reason to pause?
You can definitely argue that those four-set victories impacted Marquette's standing. While their RPI (Rating Percentage Index) remained unchanged, their AVCA poll point total took a dip. The latest Top 25 rankings (check them out here: https://www.avca.org/polls-awards/polls/?season=2025&divisions=division-i-women&_weeks=week-7) reveal a five-point drop, leaving them with 10 points. This places them between Iowa State (with 18 points) and Western Kentucky (with 9 points), unofficially making them the 30th-ranked team in the nation this week. A respectable position, no doubt, but a slide nonetheless.
Looking ahead, Wisconsin remains the highest-ranked opponent on Marquette's schedule. However, the Badgers themselves experienced a slight drop, moving from #7 to #9 this week. Creighton maintained a steady #13 ranking, while Minnesota fell four spots to #18. Beyond these ranked teams, Florida is making a push, accumulating 70 points in the "Receiving Votes" category, making them the unofficial #26 team. They still have a ways to go to catch #25 USC, who boast 155 points.
Marquette aims to bounce back this Friday as they host Xavier at the McGuire Center. This match carries extra weight, as MU is currently tied with the Musketeers for second place in their league. First serve is scheduled for 7 PM Central, and you can catch all the action on ESPN+. Following that, Marquette welcomes Butler on Saturday at 6 PM Central, also broadcast on ESPN+.
The Xavier match is particularly crucial. A decisive victory could be the momentum boost they need to climb back up in the rankings. A loss, however, could further jeopardize their chances of cracking the Top 25. It is also worth noting that some analysts feel that RPI isn't a great indicator of the actual skill of a team, and that the AVCA poll should be more heavily weighted towards head-to-head results.
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What do you think? Did Marquette's performance against Seton Hall and St. John's truly warrant a drop in the AVCA poll? Or are the voters being too harsh? Share your opinions in the comments below! Do you think RPI is overvalued? Or that the AVCA poll is more about reputation than recent results?
