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There are the conference standings, and than there are the conference power rankings to help show what teams are on the rise or fading.
Off the Block special contributor Jonathan Bates released his latest MPSF Power Rankings, a new weekly that will appear on Off the Block each week during the rest of the regular season.
Bates has covered the MPSF for Off the Block during the last two seasons.This power ranking is the solely the views of Bates. Follow Bates on Twitter at @mpsf_bias.
[Editor’s note: These rankings were made before No. 9 UC Santa Barbara upset No. 3 Pepperdine on Wednesday]
MPSF POWER RANKING – Week 14
1. Hawai’i
Change from last week: No change
Matches remaining: at BYU (twice)
There is not much to be gained by sweeping Stanford at home in terms of rankings. If they are going to lose in Provo, it will be the first match of weekend.
2. Pepperdine
Change from last week: + 1
Matches remaining: None
Swept UCLA last week, and are the best team at home in the conference, but you have to figure it needs UC Irvine or Hawai’i to lose for them to be playing in Palo Alto in a few weeks.
3. UC Irvine
Change from last week: -1
Matches remaining: vs. UC San Diego
Needed five sets to beat UC Santa Barbara and four to beat UCLA. Yes, I am splitting hairs here, but the top three are so close to each other in terms of how well they are playing.
4. BYU
Change from last week: +3
Matches remaining: vs. Hawai’i (twice)
I guess all the Cougars needed was a week off to right the ship. Quite impressive to sweep CSUN in Northridge the way the Matadors had been playing.
5. UC Santa Barbara
Change from last week: -1
Matches remaining: vs. Stanford
Lost to UC Irvine in five and swept UC San Diego. Awards aren’t given for playing with a depleted roster, but they have my respect for sure.
6. USC
Change from last week: -1
Matches remaining: at Cal Baptist; vs Cal Baptist
Beat Concordia-Irvine in four sets. They are still playing for home court in the first round this weekend.
7. Long Beach State
Change from last week: +1
Matches remaining: vs. CSUN
Elevated in my poll only because of CSUN’s goose egg this weekend.
8. UCLA
Change from last week: +1
Matches remaining: at Stanford
Yes, the Bruins lost two of three and their lone victory last week was against the conference’s cellar dweller, but they control their own destiny in securing that last spot for the MPSF tournament.
9. CSUN
Change from last week: -3
Matches remaining: at Long Beach State
It’s frustrating to see how well CSUN plays one week and then so terribly the next week. So much promise, yet will spend another MPSF Tournament at home.
10. Stanford
Change from last week: -1
Matches remaining: vs. UCLA and UC Santa Barbara
Stanford got swept by Hawai’i on the road, which is not surprising at all.
11. Cal Baptist
Change from last week: No change
Matches remaining: vs. USC; at USC
I won’t be surprised if the Lancers take at least one set from the Trojans this weekend.
12. UCSD
Change from last week: No change
Matches remaining: at UC Irvine
I wonder if coach Ring will use this match to experiment for next season.