In the latest issue of U.S News and World Report’s “Best Colleges” rankings, the University of Miami ranked no. 49, marking the first time since 2017 that UM has crossed the top-50 threshold.

With a 3-0 victory over the Florida State Seminoles in the season finale on Friday, Miami volleyball (5-3, 5-3 ACC) concluded what has easily been the program’s best overall season in recent memory.

The Canes lost the first match of the series in five sets, but rebounded and swept the Tigers in the series finale, winning each set by no less than six points.

In the newly-created best-of-three first round known as the Wild Card Series, the Marlins swept the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, proving themselves as a legitimate contender that is capable of playing quality baseball regardless of expanded playoffs.

The Hurricanes won both matches in four sets and have now improved to a 3-1 overall record for the season.

Miami was the underdog in the first match and narrowly escaped with a fifth-set victory to upset Georgia Tech, but the Yellow Jackets’ experience and roster depth was able to overcome an early Miami lead in the second match and hand the Hurricanes their first loss of 2020.

The Hurricanes basketball program bolstered their future perimeter offense with the commitment from class of 2021 four-star prospect Nisine Poplar, a combo guard out of Philadelphia’s Math, Civics, and Sciences Charter School (MC&S).

With Rousseau gone, the defensive end responsibilities will fall more heavily on AAC Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-AAC award winner Quincy Roche and Jaelan Phillips, a transfer from UCLA who was the highest-ranked signee in the nation in 2017.

The Hurricanes combination of veteran leadership and stability in Cam’Ron Harris and the dynamic young talents of Jaylan Knighton and Donald Chaney, Jr. should make for an exciting, productive season at running back.

While the Dolphins have compiled an extensive 46-page long document addressing how they will combat the spread of Covid-19 within the stadium, all it takes is one asymptomatic carrier to spoil it for everybody. Beyond Hard Rock Stadium, the consequences of this can extend as far as UM's campus community.