LINCOLN, NE -- The University of Delaware volleyball team moved up to 6th place 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 went 2-0, sweeping both Georgia State and UNC Wilmington over the weekend.

With the victories, the Hens improved to 22-4, including 7-2 in the CAA. Their 22 wins are the second most in a season since Bonnie Kenny took over the program in 2002.

Delaware continues to lead the CAA in team hitting percentage (.250), kills (1502), assists (1359), digs (1802), and aces (186). 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 606 digs and 46 aces. Co-Captains Colleen Walsh and Megan Welch have also had exceptional seasons. Walsh leads the CAA with 417 kills, while Welch has a conference-high 1,207 assists.

Michelle LaLonde also leads the league with a .336 hitting percentage, while Walsh is sixth overall with a .270 mark.

The Hens have also been aided by a strong freshman presence. Katie Dennehy is the current CAA Rookie of the Week after recording a team-high 29 kills over the weekend. She is tenth in the conference with a .259 hitting percentage, while she is third on the team with 275 kills.

Fellow freshman Paige Erickson (at right) has also had a successful season. She leads the conference with 105 blocks, while she is third overall with a 1.13 blocks-per-game average. She is also seventh in the CAA in hitting percentage, notching a .267 average.

Along with Delaware, Hofstra was ranked 4th in the poll, while James Madison, Northeastern, William & Mary, Georgia State, and George Mason all placed in the top-20.

Clemson, Duke, and Georgia Tech were the top three 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 Towson to take on the Tigers.

AGATE:

2007 RichKern.com/AVCA Regional Rankings - East Division (October 23): 1. Clemson; 2. Duke; 3. Georgia Tech; 4. Hofstra; 5. Virginia; 6. Delaware; 7. Virginia Tech; 8. James Madison; 9. Florida State; 10. Maryland; 11. North Carolina; 12. Liberty; 13. Northeastern; 14. William & Mary; 15. Wake Forest; 16. Georgia State; 17. Winthrop; 18. George Mason; 19. Boston College; 20. High Point.