INDIANAPOLIS --- The Tusculum College volleyball team has dropped two spots and is listed eighth in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings announced officials Wednesday.

The Pioneers (22-10) have won their last two matches entering this week's Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament, held at Mars Hill, N.C. Tusculum is the fourth-seed in the tournament and they will face No. 5 seed Newberry College on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. from Stanford Arena on the campus of Mars Hill College.

Wingate University is once again the top-ranked team in the region, followed by Armstrong Atlantic State University, who is up a spot to No. 2. Catawba College is third, while Carson-Newman College made the biggest jump, moving from eighth to fourth. Lander University is fifth, followed by Francis Marion University, Pfeiffer University and Tusculum to comprise the top eight. Lincoln Memorial University is ninth, while Newberry comes in at No. 10.

Thursday's SAC Tournament quarterfinal match-up between will have NCAA Tournament ramifications, with Tusculum and Newberry being listed eighth and ninth, respectively.

The winner of this weekend's SAC Tournament will receive an automatic bid to next week's NCAA Division II Tournament.

- NCAA -

NCAA II Southeast Region Volleyball Rankings
Rk. Team Prv.
1 Wingate 1
2 Armstrong Atlantic State 3
3 Catawba 2
4 Carson-Newman 8
5 Lander 4
6 Francis Marion 5
7 Pfeiffer 7
8 TUSCULUM 6
9 Lincoln Memorial 10
10 Newberry 9
Tusculum Opponents in Italics