UC Santa Barbara improves in the rankings.
The majority of the field was active last weekend, and none of the results really came as a surprise. Attention centered on the UC Santa Barbara vs. Grand Canyon University match, and that three-point decision to the Gauchos will have its own write-up.
As far as the rankings are concerned, UC Santa Barbara leapt past idle Stanford for this round. The Gauchos have never beaten the Cardinal in the post-season, but it’s clear the Pacific Desert team is better than it’s been, and it’s the result of a four-year process. UCSB gets the extra boost for winning on the road – 500-mile one-way trip – which is never easy, regardless of the stakes.
The top-two Pacific Mountain West teams added to their standings totals. UC Davis beat Humboldt 78-22, and saw senior captain and fullback Prai Harris score five tries. Chico State resumed league play with a 36-5 win over Cal during the Bears’ homecoming. The PMRC North had a league-wide bye week, which comes after a weekend of postponed matches due to snow. We’re zeroing in on the Washington State vs. Oregon match this weekend.
That inactivity saw Queens University move to #10, as the Royals beat North Carolina State by 34 points. Junior Antares Lance resumed her role as a key finisher with three tries, while senior captain Bridget Mielke contributed 14 points on two tries and two conversions. Also in Mason-Dixon, Virginia Tech and UVA posted shutouts. The Hokies best East Carolina 66-0 and UVA blanked Pittsburgh 93-0.
