Posted: Aug 29, 2022
CHARLOTTE, N.C.- After going 4-0 and sweeping three straight Top 15 ranked opponents to open their 2022 season last weekend, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were rewarded on Monday as the NJCAA announced that the Bucs were ranked #1 in the first regular season poll of the 2022 campaign.
After dropping their opening set of the weekend to a scrappy Trinity Valley squad, the Bucs roared back to win 12 consecutive sets to go 4-0 with #14 Utah State-Eastern, #9 Central Wyoming, and #1 and two-time defending National Champions Iowa Western left in their wake. FSW never trailed in the Central Wyoming match against a team who finished in the Top 10 at the National Tournament a season ago and needed just 1:06 to sweep Iowa Western who failed to get past 12 points in any of the three sets.
With tough early season tournaments going on all over the country, including at Suncoast Credit Union Arena this past weekend, there was a shakeup in the Top 20 from the preseason poll. Falling in behind the Bucs was New Mexico Military at #2, Snow at #3, undefeated Western Nebraska at #4, and Salt Lake at #5. The Top 20 definitely had a Florida flare to it as including FSW, five Suncoast Conference squads were in the week one rankings including #8 Miami Dade, #10 Polk State, #12 Hillsborough, and #19 Daytona State.
The Bucs are idle this week after the busy weekend at the Battle at the Beach Tournament in Fort Myers and will take the court again on September 6th in Winter Haven when they battle #10 Polk State in the two teams 2022 Suncoast Conference openers.
The Bucs #1 ranking marks the second straight season that FSW has risen to the top of the rankings after spending the final seven weeks of the 2021 regular season ranked the top team in the land.