PROVO — After last weekend's split of a two-match series between top-ranked BYU and No. 2 UC Irvine, men's volleyball fans wondered which team might come out on top of this week's national rankings.
The answer: The Cougars (9-1 overall) remains atop both the coaches and media polls, ahead of still-second UC Irvine (11-2).
BYU swept UCI in three games Friday night, handing the preseason favorite and formerly top-ranked Anteaters their second defeat in a week. However, Irvine returned the favor by giving the Cougars their first loss of the season in a victory that went the full five games.
In this week's CSTV/AVCA Top 15 coaches poll, BYU collected 11 of 16 first-place votes and 235 poll points, ahead of UCI, with three first-place ballots and 222 points. Rounding out the top five are Pepperdine, UC Santa Barbara and IPFW.
BYU is off this week, next facing NAIA's top-ranked Cal-Baptist on Tuesday before matches on Feb. 15 and 17 at third-ranked Pepperdine, which moved up from No. 4 in last week's polls.