Being idle cost the Ball State University men's volleyball team in this week's coaches poll.
Four days before playing its season opener, Ball State moved down two spots to No. 13 in the top 15 coaches poll released Monday night.
The Cardinals received 50 votes — 23 fewer votes than in the preseason poll — as the University of Hawai'i and UC San Diego moved ahead of Ball State.
Hawai'i (2-1) jumped up four spots to No. 8 after defeating No. 1 University of Southern California on Saturday. UC San Diego (1-2) also moved up two spots with 65 votes, despite loses to No. 10 UCLA and No. 3 UC Irvine at the Santa Barbara Invitational.
Along with Ball State, all three Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association ranked teams moved down in this week's poll.
Ohio State University moved down one spot into a tie with UC San Diego at No. 11. The Buckeyes — the defending conference champions and preseason favorite to win the MIVA — lost to Southern California, Hawai'i and No. 6 Penn State University during the weekend at the Outrigger Invitational in Hawaii.
Lewis University, which also did not play last week, dropped one spot to No. 15 and received 25 votes — four fewer votes than in the preseason poll.
This is the second consecutive season the Cardinals have dropped in the coaches poll before playing its season opener. Ball State moved down one spot to No. 13 in last season's coaches poll before losing to then-No. 4 Stanford University in its season opener.
Ball State finished last season No. 13 in the final coaches poll and lost to Ohio State in the conference championship match for the second consecutive season.
Returning six starters from the 2009 team, Ball State will open its season against Loyola University at 8 p.m. Friday in Chicago.
Loyola received five votes in Monday's coaches poll and is listed at No. 17.
Coaches poll
1. USC — 217 (6) votes
2. Cal State Northridge — 207 (5) votes
T-3. Stanford — 201 (3) votes
T-3. UC Irvine — 201 (2) votes
5. BYU — 187 votes
6. Penn State — 159 votes
7. Pepperdine — 153 votes
8. Hawai'i — 124 votes
9. Long Beach State — 117 votes
10. UCLA — 107 votes
T-11. Ohio State — 65 votes
T-11. UC San Diego — 65 votes
13. Ball State — 50 votes
14. UC Santa Barbara — 34 votes
15. Lewis — 25 votes
Others receiving votes: St. Francis 6; Loyola 5
Parentheses indicate first-place votes
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