INDIANAPOLIS --- Tusculum College climbed three spots and is listed third in this week's NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings. The Pioneers are one of six South Atlantic Conference teams listed in the poll.

Tusculum went 2-1 last week to close out the regular-season. TC opened the week with a 3-1 win over Mars Hill in the Pioneers' home finale. TC dropped a road match at No. 9 nationally-ranked Wingate, before closing out the regular season with a 3-2 victory at Coker.

The top-two remains the same from last week's poll. Wingate holds the top spot, while Armstrong is second. Tusculum is third while Flagler moved four spots and is listed fourth in this week's rankings. Lincoln Memorial is fifth, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne, Newberry, Montevallo, Anderson and Francis Marion.

Tournament champions of the South Atlantic Conference, Peach Belt Conference and Conference Carolinas will receive automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. There will also be five at-large bids to the NCAA postseason, which begins Dec. 5 at campus sites. The NCAA II Elite Eight will be held Dec. 12-14 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Tusculum (20-9) is in quest of its fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth.

TC finished second in the South Atlantic Conference and has won seven of its last nine matches. The Pioneers are the No. 2 seed in this year's Food Lion SAC Tournament and will face seventh-seed Mars Hill in a quarterfinal match at 5 p.m. The SAC Tournament is being held at Eleazer Arena on the campus of Newberry College.

- NCAA -

NCAA II Southeast Region Volleyball Poll
Rk. Team Prv
1 Wingate 1
2 Armstrong 2
3 TUSCULUM 6
4 Flagler 8
5 Lincoln Memorial 3
6 Lenoir-Rhyne 7
7 Newberry 5
8 Montevallo 9
9 Anderson 4
10 Francis Marion NR