PLYMOUTH, N.H. – For the first time in nearly two decades the Plymouth State University women's volleyball team is regionally ranked by the NCAA.
 
Plymouth State is one of nine teams included in the NCAA Region I rankings as released by the NCAA on Wednesday. The first ranking appears in alphabetical order, with subsequent rankings in numerical rank order. NCAA Regional rankings are used to help determine at large berths for the NCAA Tournament.
 
Plymouth State is one of three Little East Conference (LEC) teams to make the grade, joined by Keene State (12-9) and Western Connecticut State (15-6).
 
Region I is made up of 43 programs and includes teams from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), North Atlantic Conference (NAC) and LEC.
 
PSU had won its first 19 matches of the season before a narrow 3-0 setback to Middlebury on Tuesday night. The winning streak was the second longest in program history, just one game shy of the program standard. The Panthers have already secured their first outright LEC regular season title and will be the top seed for next month's LEC Tournament for just the second time in school history.
 
Plymouth State (19-1) visits Colby-Sawyer College for a non-conference match tonight at 7:00 p.m.