Johnson City, Tenn. (June 19, 2002) � The NCAA released the final ratings percentage index (RPI) for the 2001 volleyball season on Wednesday with East Tennessee State vastly improving their standing from the 2000 campaign. East Tennessee State finished the 2000 season 187th among the 312 NCAA Division I schools. But following an impressive 20-6 season in 2001, the Bucs charged up in the rankings, finishing the season in 78th, an improvement of 109 positions. During the 2001 season, the Bucs attained their highest SoCon finish (2nd) since 1992 and had their most conference wins (15) in school history. Possibly most impressive of the 2001 Buccaneer accomplishments was the fact that for the first time in school history, the Bucs did not lose consecutive matches all season. "It is exciting for our program to be ranked amongst the top 100 schools in the nation," said Buccaneer volleyball head coach Deane Webb. "While this was a significant improvement, I am even more excited about the potential our program has as we strive to reach the next level."