Dear AVCA Poll: Vote for UCF

Dear AVCA Pollsters,

I know you have tough job coaching your own teams during the weekend and you may not have time to take notice what is going on around you. But can you or your SID that votes for you in the coaches’ poll take notice of a volleyball team in Orlando, Florida?

It’s the UCF Knights. Not Central Florida. And it’s Knights, not Golden Knights. They have won 15 in a row and are 18-3 on the season and 9-0 in AAC, coming off a 5-set win on the road at Cincinnati, who 39 of you voted for last week.

The Knights have an RPI of 13 as of October 15th, which is a higher RPI than Colorado (63), Tennessee (42), Missouri (33), Pepperdine (40), South Carolina (27), and Northern Iowa (22), whom you all voted for over UCF. I could keep mentioning others but I know you all have matches to prepare for and your SIDs have previews and recaps to write.

You also voted Arizona over UCF in the actual top 25 poll, even though UCF is 33 spots ahead of Arizona in the RPI.

Now I know what you’re thinking: Here we go again with these UCF people who complain about the football team without relent. And I know you ask about who has UCF beaten.

Glad you asked.

For starters, UCF has beaten USC, who you have as a top-15 team in the country and is #4 in RPI. You know who has not beaten USC this season? Arizona who you voted into top 25 ( Lost in 4 sets at USC on October 14) as well as Colorado (Lost in 5 hosting USC Sept 23). UCF also beat Cincinnati, whom you were on verge of voting into the top 25, and has one of best players in the country in Jordan Thompson.

Here’s some more info to help you:

UCF has played the 10th-toughest schedule in the nation, according to the NCAA. TENTH! Not in the 100s, like the football people bring up to our brothers on the gridiron.

I know you don’t have a lot of time in your hands and you just vote for programs you’re familiar with or coaches you’re friends with. But believe it or not, there are good volleyball programs outside the midwest and west coast. And there even more good volleyball teams in the Sunshine State other than the Florida Gators.

Here’s hoping this letter helps you as you vote in future polls, and if you’re not completely convinced by this letter, why don’t you watch them with your very own eyes, starting this weekend? You can see UCF play two home matches and see it for yourself. It’s a crazy concept called the eye test. You may be surprised by what you see.

So here’s hoping we help you in the voting process and that this group of student-athletes get the recognition they deserve: a place into the top 25. Please remind your SID when they vote. If the ballot says Central Florida, that is them, even though we prefer UCF.

Vote for UCF.

Sincerely,

Eric Lopez