LINCOLN, NE -- The University of Delaware volleyball team was selected 9th in the East Region in this week's RichKern.com/American Volleyball Coaches Association poll announced today.

The rankings, which are based on the Rich Kern Percentage Index, include teams from the Atlantic Coast, Big South, and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences as well as the Colonial Athletic Association.

This past week, Delaware split its two games, defeating Virginia Commonwealth, 3-1, on Friday before falling to William & Mary, 3-2, on Saturday night.

Despite the split, the Hens are off to the finest start in team history. The squad’s 19-3 record through its first 22 games is the best since the program was started in 1972.

Delaware leads the CAA in team hitting percentage (.255), kills (1257), assists (995), digs (1469), and aces (163). The squad has also held its opponents to a conference-low .142 attack percentage.

The Hens are led by sophomore libero Steph Barry, who leads the conference with 516 digs and 39 aces. Against William & Mary, she posted a career-high 46 digs. That total was the highest in the CAA and the second highest in all of Division I volleyball this season.

Barry also tallied 31 digs against Virginia Commonwealth. She has now recorded five 30-dig performances this season, the second most in Division I.

Co-captains Colleen Walsh and Megan Welch (at right) have also had exceptional seasons. Walsh leads the CAA with 356 kills, while Welch has a conference-high 1,006 assists.

Michelle LaLonde and Paige Erickson have also had successful seasons. LaLonde leads the league with a .348 hitting percentage. Erickson is second with a .295 mark.

Along with Delaware, Hofstra was ranked 6th in the poll, while William & Mary, James Madison, Georgia State, Northeastern, and George Mason all placed in the top-20.

Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Virginia were the top five teams in the poll, all hailing from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Delaware returns to action on Friday at 7 p.m. when the squad travels to Hofstra to take on the Pride.

AGATE:

2007 RichKern.com/AVCA Regional Rankings - East Division (October 9): 1. Clemson; 2. Duke; 3. Florida State; 4. Georgia Tech; 5. Virginia; 6. Hofstra; 7. Virginia Tech; 8. North Carolina; 9. Delaware; 10. Maryland; 11. Wake Forest; 12. William & Mary; 13. James Madison; 14. Miami (FL); 15. Georgia State; 16. Liberty; 17. Northeastern; 18. George Mason; 19. Florida A&M; 20. Winthrop.