UNITED SOCCER COACHES DIVISION III NATIONAL POLL - 9/10/19
AMERICAN VOLLEYBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION DIVISION III NATIONAL POLL - 9/10/19

MINNEAPOLIS -- Thanks to outstanding starts to their seasons, the Augsburg University men's soccer and volleyball teams vaulted into the NCAA Division III national rankings on Tuesday, with the men's soccer team receiving its highest ranking in program history at the No. 9 spot in the United Soccer Coaches poll, and the volleyball team receiving the No. 17 ranking in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.

MEN'S SOCCER
The Auggie men's soccer team jumped into the national discussion with a strong 3-0-1 start to the season, including two victories over 2018 NCAA national tournament teams -- a 3-2 win at Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) on Sept. 1, and a 2-1 win over Wisconsin-Superior, the team that knocked the Auggies out of last year's NCAA national tournament, last Saturday. Augsburg has outscored its opponents by a 9-4 margin so far this season.

In the United Soccer Coaches' North Region poll, which includes teams from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois, Augsburg is the top-ranked team in the first poll of the 2019 season. The only other Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team in the regional ranking was St. Thomas (1-1-2) in the No. 9 spot.

It's the first time Augsburg has been in the United Soccer Coaches (formerly National Soccer Coaches Association of America) Division III national poll since the 2012 season, and it's the first time ever that Augsburg has been ranked in the top 10 nationally in men's soccer. The Auggies' previous highest national ranking was No. 14, in the 2009 season.

After traveling to face Minnesota Morris on Wednesday (9/11) at 4 p.m., the Auggies will face another nationally-ranked opponent, No. 24-ranked Luther (Iowa), on Friday (9/13) at 7:30 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field.

VOLLEYBALL
In volleyball, Augsburg moved into the national poll at the No. 17 spot, after receiving votes in the first regular-season top-25 poll last week. Augsburg is one of three MIAC schools in the volleyball top 25, joining No. 12 Saint Benedict and No. 18 St. Thomas. Gustavus and St. Olaf are receiving votes in the poll.

Augsburg is off to one of its best starts in program history, standing at 7-1 after two successful tournament runs -- going 3-1 at the Pacific Coast Classic in southern California on Labor Day weekend, and going 4-0 at its own Augsburg Invitational last weekend.

The Auggies claimed three wins over top-12-ranked opponents in a four-match span. Augsburg topped then-No. 5-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) in a five-set win on Aug. 31, and then scored two five-set wins on Sept. 6, over then-No. 12-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater and then-No. 4-ranked Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Augsburg's lone loss of the season came in its opening match, a three-set loss to California Lutheran on Aug. 30.

It's the first time Augsburg has been ranked in the top 25 in the AVCA poll since the 2015 season. The Auggies' highest-ever national ranking was No. 13, in the 2013 season.

Augsburg is back in action this weekend with four matches in Iowa, starting with a match at Luther (Iowa) on Thursday (9/12) at 7 p.m. The Auggies then have three matches at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, facing the host Duhawks on Friday (9/13) at 7 p.m., and facing two opponents on Saturday (9/14), Wisconsin-La Crosse at 12 p.m. and Edgewood (Wis.) at 4 p.m.