INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – In the first of three regular season rankings, the Colorado State University Pueblo women's volleyball team is one of 10 teams listed as under consideration in this season's initial NCAA Division II South Central Regional rankings that were released Wednesday afternoon. The initial NCAA rankings list teams under consideration in alphabetical order that could qualify for NCAA postseason play. 

The ThunderWolves, who have four matches left in the regular season, are sporting a 15-7 overall record and are tied for fourth with Colorado School of Mines in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings with a 7-3 record. The Pack owns a head-to-head win (3-0 at home on Oct. 10) over the Orediggers should the teams finish the regular season tied in the league standings. The top eight teams in the final league standings earn a spot in the RMAC Tournament with the top four teams in the league hosting a first round tournament game on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

CSU Pueblo is one of five RMAC schools included in the first edition of this year's regional rankings as the Pack is joined by Colorado Mesa (12-9 D-II, 11-9 in-region), Mines (17-5 D-II, 14-5 in-region), MSU Denver (19-3 D-II, 14-3 in-region) and UCCS (20-2 D-II, 18-2 in-region). 

In addition to the five RMAC schools, the rankings also include five schools from the Lone Star Conference. The LSC teams in the initial rankings are Angelo State (17-7 D-II, 16-5 in-region), Lubbock Christian (20-5 D-II, 19-3 in-region), St. Mary's (Texas) (12-11 D-II, 11-7 in-region), Texas Woman's (16-8 D-II, 14-6 in-region) and West Texas A&M (19-5 D-II, 18-3 in-region).

On the season, the Pack is 3-6 against teams included in this season's initial South Central Regional rankings. The Pack is  1-0 against Mines, 1-1 against Lubbock Christian, 1-1 against UCCS and is 0-1 against both Colorado Mesa and MSU Denver, and 0-2 against West Texas A&M.

The 64-team NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament will be comprised of eight teams from each of the eight Division II regions and the South Central Region is made up of 15 teams from the RMAC and 18 teams from the LSC. The two conference champions and six at-large teams will make up the eight-team field for the South Central Regional Tournament, which is scheduled for Dec. 4-7 at the site of the highest ranked team in the region. 

The next NCAA Regional Rankings will be released on Wednesday, Nov. 12, with all 10 teams ranked in order, and the final regular-season rankings will be published on Nov. 19. The NCAA will announce the 64-team bracket on Monday, Nov. 24. 

CSU Pueblo will take its two-match win streak on the road this coming Saturday, Nov. 8 as the Pack travels to Las Vegas, N.M., for a 7 p.m. RMAC match against New Mexico Highlands. Following the New Mexico Highlands match, the Pack will return home to Massari Arena to play three games next week to close out the regular season. The homestand will begin with a 6 p.m. match on Tuesday, Nov. 11 against Adams State, before hosting Western Colorado on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. and Fort Lewis on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m.