INDIANAPOLIS --- The Tusculum College volleyball team is ranked third in this year's inaugural NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll announced officials Thursday.

The Pioneers (17-4, 11-1 SAC) are one of five South Atlantic Conference members listed in this season's first regional ranking. Wingate is the top ranked team in the region, followed by Flagler, Tusculum, Montevallo, Lees-McRae, Lincoln Memorial, Carson-Newman, UNC Pembroke, Erskine and Anderson.

Of the nine other teams listed in this week's region poll, the Pioneers have faced six of them, while posting a 4-2 record in those contests. Tusculum has defeated Lincoln Memorial, Carson-Newman, Erskine and Anderson, while the two losses came to Wingate and Lees-McRae.

Tournament champions for the SAC, Peach Belt Conference and Conference Carolinas will receive automatic bids to NCAA Southeast Regional in November. The five remaining top-ranked teams will earn at-large bids to the eight-team regional. Tusculum earned an at-large bid to last year's regional for the Pioneers first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Pioneers are on the road for a pair of league matches this weekend. Tusculum will be at Catawba on Friday for a 7 p.m. match, followed by Saturday's battle with SAC front-runner Wingate at 2 p.m. TC's 17-4 record is the program's best start to a season in school history as a NCAA member. Tusculum's 11 SAC wins are already the most by a Tusculum team since joining the conference in 1999.

- NCAA -

NCAA II Volleyball Southeast Region Rankings
Rk. Team Rec.
1 Wingate 19-1
2 Flagler 18-7
3 TUSCULUM 17-4
4 Montevallo 13-9
5 Lees-McRae 16-6
6 Lincoln Memorial 15-5
7 Carson-Newman 12-6
8 UNC Pembroke 16-7
9 Erskine 15-7
10 Anderson (S.C.) 15-8