No. 10 Mustangs Not Letting Up
Nov 13 | Volleyball
The SMU volleyball team is very aware of the position Miami and Florida State are in as they come to Moody Coliseum this weekend.
They know because that's where the No. 10 Mustangs were earlier this season, either just outside of the Top 25 and looking to get in or just inside of the rankings and looking to move up. SMU used signature wins against No. 2 Nebraska and No. 18 Baylor to get themselves into the polls, then kept winning and moving up.
Now the Mustangs are the team that could get Miami and Florida State where they want to be.
"These are kids, probably a lot like us, that have had to really scrap and maybe not as big of name, but they are playing great volleyball," SMU head coach Sam Erger said. "They are winning games. They probably don't give a crap about who we are. I would imagine they're not so different. So that is tough and it's a tough ask and I bet it will be great volleyball. We will not overlook them and I doubt they will overlook us, so I would imagine it'll be really good."
The Hurricanes are no strangers to big wins. They beat then-No. 1 Texas in Austin and were ranked as high as 20th. After dropping out, they beat then-No. 25 Arkansas to take their spot in the rankings. Now they're fighting to get back in.
Meanwhile, Florida State has been in the Top 25 all season long, starting at No. 20. The Seminoles moved up as high as 15th and were as low as 24th last week before coming into this weekend at No. 22.
"I think something we focus on a lot is setting the standard, not letting any team come in and creep in on us," senior outside hitter Jamison Wheeler said. "So I think just playing SMU volleyball, not worrying about who's across the net every single game, I think that's what makes us good."
SMU has already been in this position, recently too. The Mustangs swept a Virginia team that was receiving votes in Charlottesville on Nov. 3 and took down No. 25 North Carolina in four sets this past weekend.Â
"That's a tournament feel for a game and that's what's really cool about the ACC," Erger said after the UNC match. "We've had a lot of those where big-time opponents doing really good things, winning lots of games and getting prepped, I think, for more to come."
It's also the final two-match home weekend for the Mustangs who will play three on the road before closing out the regular season at home against N.C. State on Nov. 30.Â
They hope to have more home games once the NCAA tournament field is announced. They have entered the Top 10 of the poll and were also No. 7 in the committee's Top 16 when it was released.
"That's just a crazy milestone to hit," Wheeler said of reaching the Top 10. "I feel like I've said this so many times, when I committed here I could have never imagined being in the Top 10. It's just so fun, and it's a great way to finish out my four years here, as well. But it's just so fun, and we can keep climbing too. I mean, why stop at 10? It's just a really fun feeling."
