Does it seem like the same teams are atop the AVCA top 25 poll each week? You're hardly the first to notice, which got us wondering which teams had the most No. 1 rankings all time.
We went back to look at every to document each time a team was ranked No. 1 in the history of Division I women's volleyball.
These are a couple things we noticed:
- The early seasons of the poll were dominated by West Coast teams, especially UCLA.
- It wasn’t until 1990 that Nebraska, the team with the most No. 1 rankings (99), had its first top ranking.
- Penn State, the team with the second-most No. 1 rankings (95), didn’t earn its top spot until 1997.
The following chart shows how many weeks each team has spent as the No. 1 team since the beginning of the 1982 season through Oct. 22, 2018 — the most recent ranking. The total of preseason and final No. 1 rankings are also noted, along with the last time each school had a No. 1 ranking.
It’s worth noting that some years had more rankings than others. There are now 16 total rankings each season in Division I women’s volleyball. (Fun fact: There was only a top 20 from 1982 to 1991. The top 25 started in 1992).
| Team | No. 1 rankings | Preseason No. 1 | Final No. 1 | Last No. 1 ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 99 | 5 | 6 | 2017 |
| Penn State | 95 | 8 | 7 | 2017 |
| Stanford | 71 | 6 | 7 | 2018 |
| UCLA | 56 | 6 | 7 | 2012 |
| Hawaii | 48 | 4 | 2 | 2004 |
| Southern California | 47 | 3 | 2 | 2015 |
| Long Beach State | 27 | None | 1 | 2001 |
| Pacific | 18 | 3 | 1 | 1999 |
| Florida | 16 | None | None | 2017 |
| BYU | 11 | None | 1 | 2018 |
| Texas | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2017 |
| Washington | 10 | None | 1 | 2015 |
| Minnesota | 9 | None | None | 2018 |
| California | 4 | None | None | 2011 |
| Illinois | 4 | None | None | 2011 |
| San Diego State | 4 | None | None | 1986 |
| San Jose State | 3 | None | None | 1986 |
| Cal Poly | 1 | None | None | 1985 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | None | None | 2016 |
MORE: Teams that could be the next first-time volleyball national champion | AVCA poll reactions
