FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- The Fairmont State University women's volleyball team is ranked third in the Atlantic Regional in the first NCAA Division II National Power Index (NPI) rankings, released Monday, Oct. 19.

The Falcons, under sixth-year head coach Travis Hinkle, enter the week with a 22-4 overall record and 10-0 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play.

Fairmont State is also ranked No. 38 nationally with an NPI rating of 59.455.

Wheeling is the next closest MEC school in the rankings at No. 12 in the region with a rating of 54.281. The Falcons trail Gannon and Indiana (Pa.), who are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively.

The NPI is a new ranking system adopted by Division II for the 2026-27 academic year to help evaluate teams for NCAA Tournament selection. The system uses a data-driven formula that considers a team's wins and losses, strength of schedule and quality of opponents.

Unlike traditional rankings, the NPI evaluates teams on a national scale, allowing programs from different conferences and regions to be compared using the same system.

Rankings for women's volleyball will initially be released every Monday before transitioning to daily updates, Monday through Friday, beginning the week of Nov. 2.

The Falcons remain at home for their next contest on Tuesday, October 21 as they host Wheeling University. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.