Cougars Reclaim Nation's Top Spot; MPSF Tournament Schedule Announced

PROVO -- Following back-to-back victories over previously top-ranked Hawai'i, the BYU men's volleyball team regained the No. 1 spot in both the USA Today/AVCA Coaches' and Volleyball Magazine polls, earning all 16 first-place votes in the coaches' poll. After a two week absence, the Cougars return to the nation's top ranking marks the sixth week this season BYU has been ranked No. 1, earning the distinction of being the only team to spend more than two weeks as the nation's top-ranked team. UCLA, Hawai'i and Long Beach State each spent two weeks at No. 1 earlier in the season.

MPSF TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

The Cougars (20-3, 14-3) will play host to seventh-ranked UC Irvine (13-12, 8-9) in the first round of the 2001 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The match will be played at the Smith Fieldhouse, beginning at 7 p.m. (MDT). Should the Cougars advance, they will await the winner of the Hawai'i vs. USC match, being played in Honolulu on Saturday at 11 p.m. (MDT).

Semi-final action will begin at 5 p.m. (MDT) on Thursday, April 26, pitting the winners of the UCLA-Stanford and Long Beach State-Pepperdine matchups, also being played this weekend. Game two will be played at 7:30 p.m. (MDT), featuring the BYU-UC Irvine winner vs. the Hawai'i-USC winner. Should the Cougars fail to advance, the semifinals and finals will be moved to the highest remaining seed following the first round. The championship match is slated for Saturday, April 28 at 7 p.m. (MDT) in the Smith Fieldhouse.

TOURNAMENT TICKET INFORMATION

Under MPSF guidelines, ticket prices have been set at $10 for adults and $5 for students. Ticket prices are valid for both reserved and general-admission seating throughout the tournament. On Thursday, April 26, fans will have the opportunity to watch both matches for one low price. Adults will be charged $11, while students will pay $6. The final round on Saturday, April 28, will revert back to the single-match price of $10 for adults and $5 for students. Fans can purchase their tickets at the Marriott Center ticket office, or by calling (801) 378-BYU1 or (800) 322-BYU1.

USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top-15 Poll

April 17, 2001

1. BYU (20-3)

2. Hawai'i (17-6)

3. Long Beach State (17-6)

4. UCLA (20-7)

5. Stanford (14-8)

6. Pepperdine (14-8)

7. UC Irvine (13-12)

8. USC (13-8)

9. Lewis (23-5)

10. Pacific (10-13)

11. UC Santa Barbara (12-12)

12. Ohio State (18-6)

13. Penn State (21-7)

14. CS Northridge (12-15)

15. Ball State (18-8)

Volleyball Magazine Top-10

April 16, 2001

1. BYU (20-3)

2. Hawai'i (17-6)

3. UCLA (20-7)

4. Long Beach State (17-6)

5. Stanford (14-8)

6. Pepperdine (14-8)

7. USC (13-8)

8. Lewis (23-5)

9. UC Santa Barbara (12-12)

10. UC Irvine (13-12)