They have been knocking on the door of the national rankings all season. With two wins over the country's then-fifth ranked program, the Park University Gilbert beach volleyball team kicked it wide open.

 

In the NAIA's fourth women's beach volleyball coaches poll of the season, the Buccaneers received 37 votes and entered the national rankings at No. 10- tied with Hope International and San Diego Christian. By entering the rankings, they made school history as the first program at Park Gilbert to be nationally ranked.

 

It took a Herculean effort from the Buccaneers over the last two weeks to jump into the No. 10 spot. It started on March 17 with a win over Mesa CC and a close loss to No. 3 Ottawa (Ariz.). What undoubtedly propelled them was their sweep of last week's Cal Pac Jamboree in which they picked up two wins over then-No. 5 Saint Katherine.

With the wins over Saint Katherine, the beach volleyball team also made school history; it marked the highest seed defeated by any Park Gilbert program.

 

As for the rest of the Cal Pac, Westcliff jumped from receiving votes to No. 3; the Buccaneers were scheduled to play Westcliff in the Cal Pac Jamboree, but the Warriors were forced to postpone due to COVID concerns in their program. Saint Katherine fell from No. 5 to receiving zero votes and Benedictine Mesa received 14 votes.

 

The Buccaneers' performance over the last two weeks also puts them in good standing within the conference as the Cal Pac Tournament nears. With a 5-1 conference record, they are currently the Cal Pac's second seed, behind only Westcliff. The tournament is scheduled for April 7-9 in Chula Vista, Calif.

 

The Buccaneers are back in action tomorrow with their Cal Pac finale against Benedictine Mesa at Gene Autry Park (Mesa, Ariz.) at 10 a.m. After that, they play Ottawa (Ariz.) on April 1 in an exhibiton and April 2 in a countable match before turning their attention toward the conference tournament.

 

FULL NAIA RELEASE HERE