CIS Blackberry Top Ten

OTTAWA (CIS) – The Laval Rouge et Or and Alberta Golden Bears are ranked No. 1 in the first CIS women’s and men’s volleyball coaches’ polls of the season, respectively.

Alberta also opens at No. 1 in the inaugural men’s hockey Top 10 of 2010-11.

In other sports, the only change at the top this week is in men’s soccer, where the undefeated StFX X-Men (9-0-0) leapfrog reigning national champion Laval (8-1-0) following the Rouge et Or’s first loss of the regular season, a 2-1 setback against new No. 10 UQAM (5-3-1) last Friday.

Meanwhile, McGill (women’s hockey), Alberta (women’s soccer), Lethbridge (women’s rugby), McMaster (women’s cross country) and Guelph (men’s cross country) all hold on to their No. 1 positions.

In women’s volleyball, No. 2 Manitoba, No. 3 Alberta, Brandon and Montreal - who are tied at No. 4 - No. 6 and reigning CIS champion UBC, No. 7 Winnipeg, No. 8 Dalhousie, No. 9 Calgary and No. 10 Guelph follow in order behind Laval.

The top-ranked Rouge et Or, who claimed the bronze medal at the CIS championship last march, enjoyed a solid pre-season as they compiled a 6-1 record – all versus CIS opponents – including a pair of home wins over 2010 national finalist Manitoba, on Oct. 15-16.

Conference play in women’s volleyball gets under way this weekend in the OUA and AUS, while the schedule starts a week later in Quebec and Canada West.

In men’s volleyball, No. 2 Laval, No. 3 Trinity Western, No. 4 Brandon, No. 5 and reigning national champion Calgary, No. 6 Western Ontario, No. 7 Manitoba, No. 8 Dalhousie, No. 9 McMaster and No. 10 Queen’s round out the inaugural Top 10.

The No. 1 Golden Bears, who captured CIS bronze last spring, open at No. 1 for the fourth straight year. They show a 7-2 pre-season mark this fall – 5-2 versus CIS rivals – including a four-set victory over defending champion Calgary on Oct. 15.

Men’s volleyball conference play kicks off this weekend in Ontario and next week in the rest of the country.

In men’s hockey, the 2010 CIS finalist Golden Bears open at No. 1 for the ninth time in 13 years. Alberta is 3-1 after two weekends of Canada West action.

No. 2 McGill (4-0), No. 3 UNB (1-1), No. 4 StFX (2-0), No. 5 and defending University Cup champion Saint Mary’s (1-1), No. 6 Saskatchewan (2-2), No. 7 Moncton (2-0), No. 8 Ryerson (4-1), No. 9 Manitoba (1-1) and No. 10 Western Ontario (2-0-1) complete the first media poll of the campaign.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
1. McMaster
2. Guelph
3. Victoria
4. Calgary
5. Western Ontario
6. Alberta
7. Queen’s
8. McGill
9. Dalhousie
10. Windsor

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
1. Guelph
2. Windsor
3. Calgary
4. Victoria
5. Western Ontario
6. Queen’s
7. Regina
8. McMaster
9. Alberta
10. Toronto

WOMEN’S HOCKEY
1. McGill
2. Wilfrid Laurier
3. Manitoba
4. Alberta
5. StFX
6. Guelph
7. Montreal
8. Windsor
9. Regina
10. Saint Mary’s

MEN’S HOCKEY (first rankings of season)
1. Alberta
2. McGill
3. UNB
4. StFX
5. Saint Mary’s
6. Saskatchewan
7. Moncton
8. Ryerson
9. Manitoba
10. Western Ontario

WOMEN’S RUGBY
1. Lethbridge
2. Guelph
3. StFX
4. Concordia
5. Alberta
6. Laval
7. Queen’s
8. McMaster
9. Waterloo
10. Victoria

WOMEN’S SOCCER
1. Alberta
2. McGill
3. Montreal
4. Queen’s
5. Wilfrid Laurier
6. Ottawa
7. Dalhousie
8. UBC
9. UPEI
10. Laval

MEN’S SOCCER
1. StFX
2. Laval
3. Alberta
4. York
5. UBC
6. Toronto
7. Western Ontario
8. Carleton
9. Saint Mary’s
10. UQAM

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (first rankings of season)
1. Laval
2. Manitoba
3. Alberta
T4. Brandon
T4. Montreal
6. UBC
7. Winnipeg
8. Dalhousie
9. Calgary
10. Guelph

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (first rankings of season)
1. Alberta
2. Laval
3. Trinity Western
4. Brandon
5. Calgary
6. Western Ontario
7. Manitoba
8. Dalhousie
9. McMaster
10. Queen’s