CSU volleyball team moves up to sixth in the nation

The CSU volleyball team is ranked sixth in the nation, its highest ranking since October 2001.

The Rams (18-1, 6-0 Mountain West) moved up one spot in this week’s AVCA coaches poll, jumping Penn State on Monday.

Also Monday, the Rams moved up to No. 13 in the NCAA’s RPI rankings, which are used to determine tournament seeding. The top 16 teams host first- and second-round action.

And for the second week in a row and fourth time in five weeks, a Colorado State University volleyball player is the Mountain West Player of the Week.

Junior opposite hitter Dri Culbert earned the award for her efforts as the Rams swept Wyoming and Fresno State last week. Culbert averaged three kills per set and hit .567. She had a team-most 15 digs against Wyoming and led CSU with 10 kills in Saturday’s win over Fresno State.

It’s the third time in MW history the same school has earned four honors in a five-week span and the first time four different players have been represented. The other CSU winners were Kelsey Snider (Sept. 15), Marlee Reynolds (Sept. 22) and Deedra Foss (Oct. 6).

The Rams have road matches at second-place New Mexico (11-7, 4-2 MW) at 7 p.m. Thursday and Air Force (9-11, 3-3 MW) at 6 p.m. Friday.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle at twitter.com/Kevin_Lytle and at facebook.com/KevinSLytle.