The New York University men's volleyball team has been ranked #1 in the country by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), it was announced on Tuesday, February, 25. This is the eighth time in program history, and the first since March 29, 2011, that the Violets have reached the top spot of the poll, all under the piloting of Head Coach Jose Pina.
 
The Violets have gotten off to an electric start to the season, winning all 11 matches, including a victory over the former #1 team, Springfield College, on Saturday. With their dominant start, NYU has begun to rewrite the record books, including the best start to a season and the longest winning streak in men's volleyball history.
 
Leading the charge this season for the Violets has been co-captain Neil Ferraro (Newton, MA/Xaverian Brothers), who tops the team in blocks and kills. The senior has been named United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Player of the Week twice, while collecting AVCA Player of the Week accolades once. Co-captain and fellow senior Evan Lindley (Evanston, IL/Evanston Township) has also gotten off to a great start this season, collecting a team-leading 18 service aces and posting 74 kills, second to only Ferraro.
 
For Pina, this achievement is one of many in his illustrious career. Since his debut in 1994, Pina has piloted the Violets to two Molten Division III Men's Invitational Championships (2000, 2002), two Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Hay Division titles (2002, 2004), seven EIVA Tournaments (1999, 2001-02, 2004-05, 2008, 2011), one NCAA Division III Tournament (2017), and one UVC Championship (2017).
 
"It's a great honor to be ranked number one," said Pina. "But, at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is where we finish at the end of the season."
 
The Violets are back on the court Wednesday, February 26, when they host #3 Stevens at 7:00pm at NYU's Brooklyn Athletic Facility.