Welcome to our ongoing “Where Are We Now” series here at Anonymous Eagle. It typically appears when there’s enough time, as Marquette heads into Big East play, and we have access to national rankings. Unfortunately, this season I lack the time for an in-depth look at volleyball. Had the NCAA released the RPI on Monday, I could’ve utilized the team sheets instead of creating my own analysis of the Best Win/Worst Loss metrics. Without the RPI, I’m relying solely on Evollve, which I find useful, but they don’t provide automatic rankings for all schedules.
Initially, I considered skipping this year’s entry. However, I realized: This is Big East volleyball. A detailed analysis isn’t necessary since many teams in this league aren’t prioritizing strong volleyball performance, making a review of these less competitive teams unengaging for everyone.
The National Rankings Contender
#6 — Creighton
I thought about branding this section “The National Championship Contender,” because being in the top 10 should signify contention, right? However, the Bluejays are just outside the top 15, currently sitting at #16 in the AVCA top 25 poll, and they’ve suffered losses to teams ranked #1, #3, and #7 in the Evollve rankings, along with losses to #13 and #23. Despite facing numerous NCAA tournament-caliber opponents, their five losses suggest they might not be true title contenders, instead simply deserving of a top 25 ranking this season.
The NCAA Tournament Contender
#54 — Marquette
Evollve doesn’t entirely satisfy my curiosity regarding Marquette’s loss to #96 Ball State, though it’s not a catastrophic loss given that the Cardinals are in the top 100. If Marquette had won, they could likely rank around 10 spots higher. Provided MU avoids issues in Big East play — and if they perform well against Florida and Minnesota — I believe they will comfortably secure an NCAA tournament spot.
The Quality Wins
#73 — Villanova
#75 — Connecticut
While I have critiqued other teams outside of Creighton and Marquette, Villanova and UConn deserve recognition. Being ranked in the top 75 is commendable, as not being in the triple digits is a positive sign. These two teams are likely to join Marquette and Creighton in the Big East tournament, as the conference has reduced the field to four teams this year. If they aren’t in contention, something has gone awry for them.
The Beginning Of The Problem
#122 — Xavier
#144 — DePaul
Xavier’s non-conference schedule is clearly lacking; they currently have an 11-1 record with only one Power 4 opponent, which they lost against. Their sole significant challenge has been Cincinnati at #58. DePaul hasn’t faced any tough matches yet, resulting in four losses and a low ranking. If these teams continue to perform poorly, it won’t bode well for others in the Big East as the season progresses.
Objectively Bad Teams
#214 — Providence
#217 — Butler
#223 — St. John’s
#225 — Georgetown
#239 — Seton Hall
To highlight their poor performance, here are the lowest ranked teams in the Power 4 conferences right now:
ACC: #202 Virginia Tech
SEC: #90 Alabama
Big 12: #161 Texas Tech
Big Ten: #127 Rutgers
As evident, St. John’s bears the weight of this by losing five matches against considerable opponents, winning only five sets combined. Conversely, these five teams have lost to a plethora of non-Power 4 teams. Such losses don’t only highlight bad luck but illustrate a failure to challenge themselves, resulting in an overall negative impact on their RPI and, consequently, everyone else’s in the conference.
