Regular readers of my weekly volleyball notebook are well aware the Panthers put together an extremely difficult non-league slate in 2010.
The numbers we knew going into the season included six-straight matches against teams that won at least 20 contests a season ago. The early-season run also included three NCAA Tournament teams and a full list of squads that have been picked to finish at or near the top of their league standings.
Now, the NCAA has released its first official volleyball RPI of the season. The numbers indeed show just how difficult UWM's schedule has been.
Iowa State has been UWM's highest-ranked opponent, with the Cyclones seventh. Tulsa, which the Panthers knocked off on the opening weekend of the season, is 35th. Saint Louis, which UWM also beat on the opening weekend, is 61st. Others in the top 100 include Wisconsin (42nd), North Dakota State (91st) and Marquette (97th).
And, the lowest-ranked team UWM has faced outside of the league is Toledo, which stands a very respectable 151st.
As for UWM's own ranking, the Panthers sit 89th in the RPI, second in the Horizon League to Cleveland State's standing at 82nd. Milwaukee is 1-2 against the top 50 and 3-4 against the top 100.
