Big Ten Conference Women's Volleyball News

Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central Sept. 10-16

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Composite Schedule

Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Big Ten Record Book | Big Ten Weekly Release - Sept. 10

Seven Big Ten volleyball programs were among this week’s AVCA/TARAFLEX Top 25, announced on Monday: #1 Nebraska, #6 Wisconsin, #12 Penn State, #13 Minnesota, #14 Purdue, #16 USC and #24 UCLA. Oregon and Indiana received votes.
Seven Big Ten programs remain undefeated through the first two weeks of play. The Big Ten leads all Division I conferences with seven, followed by the ACC (6), Big 12 (5), SEC (2) and Big East (2). Thirty-three teams boast an unblemished record.
Indiana head coach Steve Aird became the fourth coach in program history to record 100 wins. Aird and the Hoosiers are 5-0 for the first time in his tenure and the first time since 2017. The Hoosiers have won 15-straight sets after dropping the first two games of the season. It’s the longest streak by the program since winning 18 consecutive sets during the 2010 campaign.
Iowa is off to its best start (6-0) since 2009. A win over SEMO on Thursday will mark the best start in school history. Through two weekends, setter Claire Ammeraal has been the tournament MVP at the Rebel Challenge and Kwik Star Klassic. Ammeraal has a triple-double, two double-doubles, leads the team in assists (174) and has 56 digs, 36 kills and 13 blocks.
Maryland’s Duru Gökçen was named UMBC Tournament MVP, totaling 20 kills and 21 blocks across the Terps’ 3-0 weekend.
Penn State’s match on Sept. 1 vs. TCU totaled 731,000 viewers on FOX. The Nittany Lions hosted Kentucky on Friday for a top 5 matchup that amassed 554,000 viewers, also on FOX.
Purdue’s Ryan McAleer tallied 30 digs in a 3-2 victory over No. 15 Kansas. It was the most digs by a Boilermaker since 2021, and she became the 12th Boilermaker to tally 30 digs in a single match.
USC won the 2025 Trojan Invitational to move to 5-0 to start the season for the first time under head coach Brad Keller, and the Women of Troy are off to their best start since 2015. The Trojans beat No. 13 Creighton (3-0), UC Santa Barbara (3-2) and San Diego (3-2), and Abigail Mullen was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, while teammates Reese Messer and London Wijay were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Six Big Ten teams are among the top 25 nationally in hitting percentage. Indiana is third nationally with a .347 hitting percentage, followed by Minnesota (8th - .320), Michigan (9th - .319), Rutgers (12th - .307), Nebraska (15th - .302) and Wisconsin (21st - .296).
Michigan State leads the nation in opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to just a .076 hitting percentage through five matches. The Spartans and first-year head coach Kristen Kelsay are enjoying a 5-0 start to the 2025 season for the first time since 2022.
The We Give Blood drive turns school pride into life-saving purpose. Powered by Abbott and the Big Ten, this is the largest blood donation competition of our time - tackling the national blood shortage. Students, fans, alumni and communities across the country are backing their favorite Big Ten schools by donating blood. Every donation can help save up to three lives - and bring your school one step closer to winning $1 million to advance student or community health. You can find any blood center or mobile drive in the U.S. to donate blood between August 27 and December 5 and upload proof of donation at BigTen.Org/Abbott or text DONATE to Abbott (222688) and follow the prompts. Messaging and data rates may apply.

Indiana, Maryland, Michigan and Purdue Earn Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Co-Player of the Week
Allison Jacobs, Michigan
Gr. – OH – Stevenson Ranch, Calif.

Led the Wolverines to a 4-0 week, recording 66 kills and averaging 5.08 kills per set, while holding a .345 hitting percentage

Averaged 2.00 digs per set with 26 over the weekend, adding seven blocks

Hit .464 against Eastern Michigan with 15 kills and two errors on 28 swings

Recorded 22 kills (22-3-45) and added 10 digs for a double double against Florida Atlantic

Registered double-digit kills in other two matches with 10 against Marshall and 19 against Southern Indiana

Last Michigan Player of the Week: Jacque Boney (Sept. 26, 2022)

Co-Player of the Week
Kenna Wollard, Purdue
Jr. – OH – Dunlap, Ill.

Led the Purdue offense in every match last week with 4.50 kills per set with a .290 hitting percentage as Purdue went 2-1, including wins over No. 15 Kansas and Bowling Green and a 3-1 loss to No. 23 Georgia Tech

Produced 63 kills, which was second-most among Big Ten players last week

Hit .318 vs. Bowling Green with 19 kills and .321 vs. No. 23 Georgia Tech with 24 kills

Recorded first career double-doubles vs. Bowling Green and Kansas with 15 digs in each match

Last Purdue Player of the Week: Eva Hudson (Nov. 11, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Duru Gökçen, Maryland
So. - MB – Istanbul, Turkey

Named UMBC Tournament MVP after helping Maryland to a 3-0 weekend with wins over Old Dominion, William & Mary and UMBC

Led the Terps with 20 kills and 21 total blocks across three matches, averaging 1.91 blocks per set

Tallied five blocks in a sweep of Old Dominion on Friday and added eight blocks in a 3-1 win against William & Mary

Finished the weekend with nine kills and six blocks against UMBC

Last Maryland Defensive Player of the Week: Anastasia Russ (Nov. 21, 2022)

Setter of the Week
Teodora Kričković, Indiana
Fr. – S – Novi Sad, Serbia

Helped Indiana to its first 5-0 start since 2017, averaging 12.56 assists per set (113 total assists) in a clean sweep at the Indiana Invitational with a trio of 3-0 wins against SEMO, Northern Kentucky and Western Michigan

Set the Hoosiers to a .401 hitting percentage across three matches

46 assists against SEMO tied an Indiana record for most assists in a three-set match during the 25-point rally scoring era. Set Indiana to a program-best 53 kills in a three-set match in the 25-point rally scoring era

Recorded 33 assists, four blocks, three aces, three kills and two digs in a 3-0 win against Western Michigan to finish the weekend

Last Indiana Setter of the Week: Camryn Haworth (Oct. 16, 2023)

Freshman of the Week
Jaidyn Jager, Indiana
OH – Carlsbad, Calif.

Helped Indiana to its first 5-0 start since 2017, averaging 4.33 kills per set in a clean sweep at the Indiana Invitational with a trio of 3-0 wins against SEMO, Northern Kentucky and Western Michigan

Totaled 39 kills behind a .368 hitting percentage across the weekend

Recorded first career 20-kill match against SEMO. It was the first 20-kill match by an Indiana freshman since 2021. Hit .515 in the match (20-2-33), the highest hitting percentage by an Indiana freshman in the 25-point rally scoring era (min. 12 kills)

Recorded first career double double against Northern Kentucky with 12 kills and 12 digs

Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Ramsey Gary (Oct. 16, 2023)

2025 Big Ten Players of the Week

Aug. 26
P: Kennedy Martin, Jr., PSU
D: Rebekah Allick, Sr., NEB
S: Bergen Reilly, Jr., NEB
F: Virginia Adriano, NEB
Sept. 1
P: Julia Hanson, Sr., MINN
D: Leah Ford, RS-So., USC
S: Stella Swenson, RS-Fr., MINN
F: Alanah Clemente, ORE
Sept. 8
Co-P: Allison Jacobs, Gr., MICH
Co-P: Kenna Wollard, Jr., PUR
D: Duru Gökçen, So., MD
S: Teodora Kričković, Fr., IND
F: Jaidyn Jager, IND

Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central Sept. 3-9

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Composite Schedule

Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Big Ten Record Book | Big Ten Weekly Release - Sept. 3

79 Big Ten volleyball matches will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, NBC and Peacock for the 2025 season. Big Ten Network will broadcast at least 63 matches, featuring all 18 conference schools. NBC will broadcast two matches this fall: UCLA vs. USC on Saturday, October 11 at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Minnesota vs. Nebraska on Saturday, November 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Both matches will also be streamed live on Peacock.
Seven Big Ten volleyball programs were among this week’s AVCA/TARAFLEX Top 25, announced on Monday: #1 Nebraska, #5 Penn State, #8 Wisconsin, #14 Minnesota, #17 Purdue, #19 UCLA and #22 USC. Oregon received votes in the poll for the second consecutive week. Nebraska was a unanimous No. 1 selection.
On Sunday, #1 Nebraska reverse-swept #7 Kentucky at the Broadway Block Party in Nashville, Tenn. It marked Nebraska’s first reverse sweep win since November 3, 2023, and first against a top 10 team since the 2018 Final Four match against Illinois.
Nebraska’s Harper Murray and Rebekah Allick and USC’s Leah Ford were named to Michella Chester’s Starting Rotation for Week 1.
Senior Mimi Colyer surpassed 1,500 kills in Wisconsin’s match vs. Texas on Sunday. Colyer is second among active Division I players with 1,501 career kills.
Illinois head coach Chris Tamas earned his 150th win as a head coach, all of which have come at the helm of the Fighting Illini. Tamas is the fourth head coach in program history to reach the milestone.
Northwestern began its season 3-0 for the first time since 2022. The Wildcats went on to win their first seven matches of that season.
Iowa won its first three matches to begin the 2025 campaign. The Hawkeyes last started their season 3-0 in 2019. With a win on Thursday, it would be the first time Iowa has started a season 4-0 since 2016.
No. 17 Purdue opens its home schedule with the Stacey Clark Classic, a three-day, four-team tournament featuring three top-25 programs, including the Boilermakers. Purdue has won every Stacey Clark Classic since the tournament was dedicated to Boilermaker fan Stacey Clark in 2016. Purdue is 21-0 in Stacey Clark Classic matches and will look to remain perfect, playing No. 23 Georgia Tech, No. 15 Kansas and Bowling Green.
Match times for the 2025 NCAA Volleyball National Semifinals and National Championship in Kansas City were announced on Tuesday. Semifinal matches will be played on Thursday, December 18, at 6:30 p.m. ET and 30 minutes following the first match on ESPN. The National Championship will be on Sunday, December 21, with first serve on ABC at 3 p.m. ET.
The Big Ten led the nation in attendance for the 17th consecutive season in 2024. The conference totaled 918,615 fans across 267 matches, which was over 440,000 more fans than the ACC, who finished second in attendance rankings, and over 470,000 more fans than the SEC (3rd). The Big Ten averaged 3,215 fans per match, the only conference to surpass the 3,000 threshold.
The We Give Blood drive turns school pride into life-saving purpose. Powered by Abbott and the Big Ten, this is the largest blood donation competition of our time - tackling the national blood shortage. Students, fans, alumni and communities across the country are backing their favorite Big Ten schools by donating blood. Every donation can help save up to three lives - and bring your school one step closer to winning $1 million to advance student or community health. You can find any blood center or mobile drive in the U.S. to donate blood between August 27 and December 5 and upload proof of donation at BigTen.Org/Abbott or text DONATE to Abbott (222688) and follow the prompts. Messaging and data rates may apply.

Minnesota, Oregon and USC Collect Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Player of the Week
Julia Hanson, Minnesota
Sr. – OH– Savage, Minn.

Named Golden Gopher Invitational Tournament MVP after producing 4.64 kills, 1.73 digs, 0.36 blocks and 0.09 aces per set in the Gophers’ 3-0 weekend against Cal Poly, Ball State and St. Thomas

Hit .370 for the weekend with 51 kills

Produced a season-high 21 kills behind .340 hitting on Friday vs. Cal Poly, adding five digs and a block

Posted 12 kills with a .632 hitting percentage on Saturday vs. Ball State, adding four digs and two solo blocks

Finished the weekend with her first double double of the year, tallying 18 kills and 10 digs with a block

Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Julia Hanson (Dec. 2, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Leah Ford, USC
RS-So. - MB – Keller, Texas

Produced her first-career double double in a 3-1 win over LMU

Had a career best 10 blocks (3 solo) and a career-high 11 kills (while hitting .625) in the victory, also reaching a career milestone of 18.5 points

Averaged 2.50 blocks per set and 4.63 points per set, helping limit the LMU offense to a .080 hitting percentage

Ford is the first USC player to record double-digit blocks in a match and a double-double with blocks since Lindsey Miller did on Aug. 31, 2023

Last USC Defensive Player of the Week: Leah Ford (Sept. 1, 2025)

Setter of the Week
Stella Swenson, Minnesota
RS-Fr. – S – Minnetonka, Minn.

Named to Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team after recording 11.27 assists, 2.91 digs, 0.91 kills and 0.45 blocks per set in a 3-0 weekend for Minnesota

Posted a career-best 48 assists to go along with seven kills and 14 digs Friday vs. Cal Poly, setting a Minnesota offense to a .350 hitting percentage

Followed it up with 39 assists, two kills and seven digs in a sweep over Ball State, where the Gophers hit .523. It was Minnesota’s first time hitting over .500 in a match since 2017

Had 37 assists, 11 digs, three blocks, a kill and an ace in a win over St. Thomas

Last Minnesota Setter of the Week: Melani Shaffmaster (Nov. 28, 2022)

Freshman of the Week
Alanah Clemente, Oregon
OPP – Mission Hills, Calif.

Accounted for 5.67 points per set, 4.83 kills per set, 1.67 blocks per set and hit .684 (29-3-38) during Oregon’s 3-0 weekend at the EVEN Hotel Bobcat Invite in Bozeman, Mont.

In the opener, Clemente had 11 kills (.667) in two sets of the Ducks’ 3-1 win over South Dakota

Produced her second double-digit performance of the weekend with 13 kills (.647) in a sweep of host Montana State, adding six blocks in the victory

Provided a spark off the bench with five kills and two blocks in the fourth set of Saturday’s 3-1 win over Prairie View A&M

Last Oregon Freshman of the Week: Cristin Cline (Oct. 21, 2024)

2025 Big Ten Players of the Week

Aug. 26
P: Kennedy Martin, Jr., PSU
D: Rebekah Allick, Sr., NEB
S: Bergen Reilly, Jr., NEB
F: Virginia Adriano, NEB

Sept. 1
P: Julia Hanson, Sr., MINN
D: Leah Ford, RS-So., USC
S: Stella Swenson, RS-Fr., MINN
F: Alanah Clemente, ORE

Allick Named AVCA National Player of the Week

AVCA — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central Aug. 27 - Sept. 2

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Composite Schedule

Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Big Ten Record Book | Big Ten Weekly Release - Aug. 27

79 Big Ten volleyball matches will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, NBC and Peacock for the 2025 season. Big Ten Network will broadcast at least 63 matches, featuring all 18 conference schools. NBC will broadcast two matches this fall: UCLA vs. USC on Saturday, October 11 at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Minnesota vs. Nebraska on Saturday, November 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Both matches will also be streamed live on Peacock.
Seven Big Ten volleyball programs were among the AVCA/TARAFLEX Preseason Top 25, announced on August 6: #1 Nebraska, #2 Penn State, #8 Wisconsin, #11 Minnesota, #15 Purdue, #18 UCLA and #21 USC. Oregon and Washington received votes in the poll. For the first time in conference history, the Big Ten had the top two teams in the preseason rankings.
Friday’s matchup between Nebraska and Pittsburgh recorded 771,000 viewers on FOX, making it the second most-viewed regular season women’s college volleyball telecast in history. On Sunday, Penn State vs. Creighton drew 132,000 viewers on FS1, while Stanford vs. Nebraska totaled 573,000 viewers on ESPN.
In front of a sold-out Pinnacle Bank Arena to begin the AVCA First Serve and Dani Busboom Kelly’s tenure at Nebraska, the Huskers became the first Division I volleyball program to reach 1,500 all-time wins.
Nebraska’s Rebekah Allick and Laney Choboy and Penn State’s Izzy Starck were named to the AVCA All-First Serve Team.
Nebraska last beat two top-10 teams to begin the season in 2016 (#10 Florida (3-1) and #2 Texas (3-0)). Like 2025, Penn State started its 2008 campaign with a pair of top-25 wins (#12 Hawaii (3-0) and #6 UCLA (3-0)), a 38-0 season which culminated with a National Championship.
Wisconsin will begin the 2025 season with the Opening Spike Classic over Labor Day Weekend at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. The four-team invite will feature Creighton, Kansas, Texas and Wisconsin, all four teams who were ranked in the AVCA’s preseason top 25.
Illinois, Nebraska and Purdue will participate in the inaugural Broadway Block Party at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. on August 31. The triple-header will begin with Nebraska vs. Kentucky, followed by Purdue vs. Tennessee and Illinois vs. Vanderbilt. All three matches will be available on the ESPN family of networks.
The second annual State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase heads to PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on August 31 - September 1. Penn State will play Arizona State on Sunday and TCU on Monday.
The Big Ten led the nation in attendance for the 17th consecutive season in 2024. The conference totaled 918,615 fans across 267 matches, which was over 440,000 more fans than the ACC who finished second in attendance rankings, and over 470,000 more fans than the SEC (3rd). The Big Ten averaged 3,215 fans per match, the only conference to surpass the 3,000 threshold.
Five of the top 10 teams in average attendance were in the Big Ten, including Nebraska (8,713) and Wisconsin (7,638) at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Minnesota (5th - 4,917), Purdue (8th - 4,076) and Washington (10th - 3,640) were also among the top 10. Ten Big Ten schools were among the top 25.
Abbott and the Big Ten Conference are kicking off Season 2 of the We Give Blood drive. The competition begins on August 27, with fans receiving a custom Homefield school-specific t-shirt when they make a donation on that day (while supplies last). Every donation can help save up to three lives — and someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds.

Nebraska and Penn State Earn Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

Big Ten Conference — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Player of the Week
Kennedy Martin, Penn State
Jr. – OPP – Fort Mill, S.C. – Major: Labor and Human Resources

Averaged 4.00 kills/set in wins over No. 12 Creighton and No. 14 Kansas at the AVCA First Serve

Shined in her Penn State debut, hitting .344 with 14 kills, nine digs, two blocks and one ace in a sweep over the Bluejays at Pinnacle Bank Arena

Tallied 18 kills, five digs, three blocks and one ace as Penn State rallied for a five-set win against Kansas at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Monday evening

Has reached double-digit kills in 55 consecutive matches, which is every match of her career

Last Penn State Player of the Week: Jess Mruzik (Oct. 21, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Rebekah Allick, Nebraska
Sr. - MB – Lincoln, Neb. - Major: Management

Posted 1.71 blocks per set to go along with 2.86 kills per set and a .406 hitting percentage in the Huskers’ two wins at the AVCA First Serve

Opened the season with seven blocks and nine kills in a 3-1 win against No. 3 Pittsburgh

Recorded five more blocks with 11 kills on .600 hitting in a sweep of No. 6 Stanford on Sunday and was named MVP of the match

Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Lexi Rodriguez (Nov. 11, 2024)

Setter of the Week
Bergen Reilly, Nebraska
Jr. – S – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Major: Business and Law

Dished out 10.86 assists per set, cueing a Nebraska offense that hit .224 vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh and .385 against No. 6 Stanford. The .385 team hitting percentage was the Huskers’ most efficient match against a ranked team since 2016

Opened the season with a double-double of 40 assists and 10 digs in a 3-1 win over Pitt. Also recorded three blocks, one kill and one ace

Tallied 36 assists, nine digs, four kills and three blocks in a sweep of Stanford

Last Nebraska Setter of the Week: Bergen Reilly (Nov. 25, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Virginia Adriano, Nebraska
OPP – Turin, Italy

Recorded six kills, three blocks and one dig in first-ever start for the Huskers against No. 3 Pitt

Last Nebraska Freshman of the Week: Andi Jackson (Nov. 13, 2023)

2025 Big Ten Players of the Week

P: Kennedy Martin, Jr., PSU
D: Rebekah Allick, Sr., NEB
S: Bergen Reilly, Jr., NEB
F: Virginia Adriano, NEB

Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central Aug. 20-26

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Composite Schedule

Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Big Ten Record Book | Big Ten Weekly Release - Aug. 20

79 Big Ten volleyball matches will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, NBC and Peacock for the 2025 season. Big Ten Network will broadcast at least 63 matches, featuring all 18 conference schools. NBC will broadcast two matches this fall: UCLA vs. USC on Saturday, October 11 at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Minnesota vs. Nebraska on Saturday, November 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Both matches will also be streamed live on Peacock.
Seven Big Ten volleyball programs were among the AVCA/TARAFLEX Preseason Top 25, announced on Aug. 6: #1 Nebraska, #2 Penn State, #8 Wisconsin, #11 Minnesota, #15 Purdue, #18 UCLA and #21 USC. Oregon and Washington received votes in the poll. For the first time in conference history, the Big Ten had the top two teams in the preseason rankings.
Minnesota, Penn State and Nebraska will participate in the 2025 AVCA First Serve on Aug. 22-25 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb., and the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. Nebraska will play Pittsburgh to begin the 2025 season on Friday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. ET on FOX. Penn State will begin its season on Saturday against Creighton at 5 p.m. ET in Lincoln. Nebraska finishes its opening weekend against Stanford on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and Penn State heads to Sioux Falls on Monday for a 6:30 p.m. ET first serve against Kansas on BTN. Minnesota and Texas A&M. will complete the BTN doubleheader on Monday night in Sioux Falls. The field for this year’s AVCA First Serve includes five participants that made the elite eight in 2024, including three semifinalists. Nine of the 10 teams were ranked in the top 20 of the final AVCA poll rankings. The tenth team is Vanderbilt who is in its first season of competition as it restarts its program for the first time in 45 years.
The Big Ten welcomes three new head coaches to the conference, including Michigan State’s Kristen Kelsay, Nebraska’s Dani Busboom Kelly and Oregon’s Trent Kersten. Kelsay and Busboom Kelly are two of five Big Ten head coaches to lead their alma mater.
Wisconsin will begin the 2025 season with the Opening Spike Classic over Labor Day Weekend at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. The four-team invite will feature Creighton, Kansas, Texas and Wisconsin, all four teams who were ranked in the AVCA’s preseason top 25.
Illinois, Nebraska and Purdue will participate in the inaugural Broadway Block Party at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. on Aug. 31. The triple-header will begin with Nebraska vs. Kentucky, followed by Purdue vs. Tennessee and Illinois vs. Vanderbilt. All three matches will be available on the ESPN family of networks.
The second annual State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase heads to PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Aug. 31 - Sept. 1. Penn State will play Arizona State on Sunday and TCU on Monday.
The Big Ten led the nation in attendance for the 17th consecutive season in 2024. The conference totaled 918,615 fans across 267 matches, which was over 440,000 more fans than the ACC who finished second in attendance rankings, and over 470,000 more fans than the SEC (3rd). The Big Ten averaged 3,215 fans per match, the only conference to surpass the 3,000 threshold.
Five of the top 10 teams in average attendance were in the Big Ten. Including Nebraska (8,713) and Wisconsin (7,638) at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Minnesota (5th - 4,917), Purdue (8th - 4,076) and Washington (10th - 3,640) were also among the top 10. Ten Big Ten schools were among the top 25.
Seven All-Americans from 2024 return to fill Big Ten rosters in 2025. Nebraska returns Andi Jackson (First Team), Harper Murray (Second Team) and Bergen Reilly (Second Team). Penn State returns Freshman of the Year and Second Team honoree Izzy Starck and adds Florida transfer Kennedy Martin who was a First Team selection in 2024. Wisconsin returns Charlie Fuerbringer and adds Oregon transfer and Second Team selection Mimi Colyer.

Seven From Big Ten Volleyball Among AVCA/TARAFLEX Preseason Top 25

AVCA — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

79 Big Ten Volleyball Matches to be Televised in 2025

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced on Monday that 79 Big Ten volleyball matches will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1 and NBC for the 2025 season.

Big Ten Network will broadcast at least 63 matches, featuring all 18 conference schools on linear television. BTN’s coverage begins with a doubleheader featuring Penn State vs. Kansas and Minnesota vs. Texas A&M in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Friday, August 25 as part of the AVCA First Serve Showcase.

Additional First Serve matches that will be played in Lincoln, Neb., featuring Nebraska, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Creighton will air nationally on FOX and FS1 on Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23. The FOX broadcast network will air five matches in total, including three primetime tilts, while FS1 will televise nine matchups.

NBC will broadcast two matches this fall: UCLA vs. USC on Saturday, October 11 at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Minnesota vs. Nebraska on Saturday, November 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Both matches will also be streamed live on Peacock.

In addition, more than 200 matches will be streamed exclusively on B1G+, BTN's subscription service. All Big Ten Network matches can be seen through its digital extension, the FOX Sports app, delivering live events and on-demand programming to Big Ten Network customers via the web, smartphones and tablets.

Additionally, Volleyball World will again offer its subscribers access to select Big Ten volleyball matches on VolleyballWorld.tv.

2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL TELEVISION SCHEDULE

DATE	MATCH	SITE	TV	TIME (ET)
Friday, August 22	Pittsburgh at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	FOX	7 p.m.
Saturday, August 23	Penn State vs. Creighton	Lincoln, Neb.	FS1	5 p.m.
Monday, August 25	Kansas vs. Penn State	Sioux Falls, S.D	BTN	6:30 p.m.
Monday, August 25	Texas A&M vs. Minnesota	Sioux Falls, S.D.	BTN	9 p.m.
Friday, August 29	Kansas at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	BTN	7 p.m.
Sunday, August 31	Texas at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	BTN	2 p.m.
Sunday, August 31	Penn State vs. Arizona State	Pittsburgh, Pa.	FOX	5 p.m.
Monday, September 1	Penn State vs. TCU	Pittsburgh, Pa.	FOX	5 p.m.
Friday, September 5	Kentucky at Penn State	University Park, Pa.	FOX	8 p.m.
Sunday, September 7	Florida at Ohio State	Columbus, Ohio	BTN	Noon
Sunday, September 7	Cal at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	BTN	2 p.m.
Sunday, September 7	Creighton at USC	Los Angeles, Calif.	BTN	4 p.m.
Friday, September 12	Utah at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	FS1	7 p.m.
Wednesday, September 17	Pittsburgh at Penn State	University Park, Pa.	BTN	7 p.m.
Saturday, September 20	Arizona at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	BTN	TBD
Sunday, September 21	Florida at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	BTN	1 p.m.
Sunday, September 21	Notre Dame at Michigan	Ann Arbor, Mich.	BTN	3 p.m.
Sunday, September 21	Cal at USC	Los Angeles, Calif.	BTN	5 p.m.
Wednesday, September 24	Michigan at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	BTN	7 p.m.
Wednesday, September 24	Indiana at Northwestern	Evanston, Ill.	BTN	9 p.m.
Thursday, September 25	Washington at Purdue	West Lafayette, Ind. (Mackey Arena)	BTN	6:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 25	Michigan State at Minnesota	Minneapolis, Minn.	BTN	8:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 27	Michigan at Michigan State	East Lansing, Mich.	BTN	8 p.m.
Sunday, September 28	UCLA at Penn State	University Park, Pa.	BTN	Noon
Sunday, September 28	Illinois at Purdue	West Lafayette, Ind. (Mackey Arena)	BTN	2 p.m.
Wednesday, October 1	Minnesota at Michigan	Ann Arbor, Mich.	BTN	7:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 2	Illinois at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	BTN	8 p.m.
Thursday, October 2	Purdue at UCLA	Los Angeles, Calif.	BTN	10 p.m.
Friday, October 3	Nebraska at Penn State	University Park, Pa.	FOX	8 p.m.
Saturday, October 4	Iowa at Washington	Seattle, Wash.	BTN	7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 4	Purdue at USC	Los Angeles, Calif.	BTN	9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 8	UCLA at Minnesota	Minneapolis, Minn.	BTN	8 p.m.
Thursday, October 9	Purdue at Ohio State	Columbus, Ohio	FS1	7 p.m.
Thursday, October 9	Oregon at USC	Los Angeles, Calif.	FS1	9 p.m.
Friday, October 10	Wisconsin at Penn State	University Park, Pa.	BTN	7 p.m.
Friday, October 10	Washington at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	BTN	9 p.m.
Saturday, October 11	USC at UCLA	Los Angeles, Calif.	NBC	3:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 12	Wisconsin at Maryland	College Park, Md.	BTN	2 p.m.
Sunday, October 12	Washington at Oregon	Eugene, Ore.	BTN	4 p.m.
Wednesday, October 15	Rutgers at Maryland	College Park, Md.	BTN	7 p.m.
Thursday, October 16	Purdue vs. Indiana	Indianapolis, Ind. (Gainbridge Fieldhouse)	BTN	7 p.m.
Thursday, October 16	Michigan at Northwestern	Evanston, Ill.	BTN	9 p.m.
Friday, October 17	UCLA at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	BTN	8 p.m.
Friday, October 17	Penn State at Washington	Seattle, Wash.	BTN	10 p.m.
Saturday, October 18	Penn State at Oregon	Eugene, Ore.	BTN	10:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 19	Ohio State at Indiana	Bloomington, Ind.	BTN	Noon
Sunday, October 19	USC at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	BTN	2 p.m.
Wednesday, October 22	Oregon at UCLA	Los Angeles, Calif.	BTN	10 p.m.
Friday, October 24	Minnesota at Indiana	Bloomington, Ind.	BTN	8 p.m.
Friday, October 24	Wisconsin at Washington	Seattle, Wash.	BTN	10 p.m.
Saturday, October 25	Michigan State at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	BTN	8:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 25	Maryland at UCLA	Los Angeles, Calif.	BTN	10:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 26	Rutgers at Iowa	Iowa City, Iowa	BTN	3 p.m.
Wednesday, October 29	Illinois at Minnesota	Minneapolis, Minn.	BTN	8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 29	UCLA at USC	Los Angeles, Calif.	BTN	10 p.m.
Friday, October 31	Penn State at Michigan	Ann Arbor, Mich.	BTN	6:30 p.m.
Friday, October 31	Nebraska at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	BTN	9 p.m.
Friday, October 31	Oregon at Washington	Seattle, Wash.	BTN	11 p.m.
Sunday, November 2	Wisconsin at Ohio State	Columbus, Ohio	BTN	Noon
Sunday, November 2	Oregon at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	BTN	2 p.m.
Sunday, November 2	Indiana at Penn State	University Park, Pa.	BTN	4 p.m.
Wednesday, November 5	Minnesota at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	FS1	TBD
Thursday, November 6	Illinois at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	FS1	8 p.m.
Thursday, November 6	UCLA at Oregon	Eugene, Ore.	FS1	10 p.m.
Saturday, November 8	Nebraska at Minnesota	Minneapolis, Minn.	NBC	3:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 9	Penn State at Illinois	Champaign, Ill.	BTN	4:30 p.m.,
Friday, November 14	Nebraska at UCLA	Los Angeles, Calif.	BTN	TBD
Wednesday, November 19	Purdue at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	BTN	TBD
Wednesday, November 19	USC at Oregon	Eugene, Ore.	BTN	TBD
Thursday, November 20	Iowa at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	FS1	TBD
Thursday, November 20	Illinois at UCLA	Los Angeles, Calif.	FS1	TBD
Sunday, November 23	Minnesota at Rutgers	Piscataway, N.J.	BTN	4:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 23	Northwestern at Purdue	West Lafayette, Ind.	BTN	6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 26	TBD vs. TBD (wildcard)	TBD	BTN	6 or 7 p.m.
Wednesday, November 26	TBD vs. TBD (wildcard)	TBD	BTN	8 or 9 p.m.
Friday, November 28	Penn State at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	BTN	6:30 p.m.
Friday, November 28	Wisconsin at Minnesota	Minneapolis, Minn.	BTN	9 p.m.
Saturday, November 29	Penn State at Iowa	Iowa City, Iowa	BTN	TBD
Saturday, November 29	Ohio State at Nebraska	Lincoln, Neb.	BTN	TBD

AVCA Reveals 2025 Division I Player of the Year Watch List

AVCA — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Announces 2025 Volleyball Preseason Honors

Big Ten Conference — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced its 2025 volleyball preseason honors and preseason poll on Thursday, ahead of the fourth annual Big Ten Volleyball Media Days on July 28-29 at Big Ten Network Studios in Chicago.

Nebraska claimed the top spot in the preseason poll, in what will be Dani Busboom Kelly’s first season leading the Cornhuskers.

Penn State, the reigning National Champions, are projected to finish second in the conference. The Nittany Lions shared a Big Ten Championship with Nebraska a season ago.

Eight schools were represented among the 20 student-athletes receiving preseason recognition.

Five members of the preseason all-conference team were unanimous selections: Nebraska’s Harper Murray, Andi Jackson and Bergen Reilly and Penn State’s Kennedy Martin and Izzy Starck. Reilly was named the 2024 Big Ten Setter of the Year, while Murray and Jackson were selected to the All-Big Ten First Team. Starck was the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, as well as the National Freshman of the Year. Martin, a junior transfer from Florida, was an All-American in 2024 and was recognized on the All-SEC First Team.

The preseason poll and all-conference teams were voted on by the conference’s 18 head coaches. Eleven members of the preseason all-conference team are scheduled to attend Big Ten Volleyball Media Days next week. Media interested in attending the event can apply for credentials here.

The complete list of Big Ten volleyball preseason honors is as follows:

2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL

Nebraska
Penn State
Wisconsin
Minnesota
UCLA
USC
Purdue
Washington
Illinois
Michigan
Indiana
Oregon
Ohio State
Michigan State
Northwestern
Maryland
Iowa
Rutgers

2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Allison Jacobs, MICH, Gr., OH
Julia Hanson, MINN, Sr., OH
Mckenna Wucherer, MINN, Sr., OH
Rebekah Allick, NEB, Sr., MB
ANDI JACKSON, NEB, Jr., MB
HARPER MURRAY, NEB, Jr., OH
BERGEN REILLY, NEB, Jr., S
Gillian Grimes, PSU, Sr., L
KENNEDY MARTIN, PSU, Jr., OPP
IZZY STARCK, PSU, So., S
Phekran Kong, UCLA, Gr., MB
Cheridyn Leverette, UCLA, Sr., OH
Maggie Li, UCLA, Jr., OH
Marianna Singletary, UCLA, RS-Jr., MB
Adonia Faumuina, USC, Jr., OH
Kierstyn Barton, WASH, Jr., OH
Julia Hunt, WASH, So., MB
Carter Booth, WIS, Sr., MB
Mimi Colyer, WIS, Sr., OH
Charlie Fuerbringer, WIS, So., S

Unanimous Selection in ALL CAPS
* - additional players due to tie in voting

Big Ten Announces 36 Student-Athletes to Participate at 2025 Volleyball Media Days

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday the complete list of volleyball student-athletes scheduled to attend the fourth annual Big Ten Volleyball Media Days. The two-day event from July 28-29 at Big Ten Network Studios will feature nine schools each day, represented by their head coach and two student-athletes each day.

July 28: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers
July 29: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin

Media intending to cover the event can apply for credentials here.

2025 Big Ten Volleyball Media Day Student Athlete Attendees
Illinois
Chris Tamas
Kayla Burbage
Averie Hernandez

Indiana
Steve Aird
Avry Tatum
Ava Vickers

Iowa
Jim Barnes
Claire Ammeraal
Chard’e Vanzandt

Maryland
Adam Hughes
Ajack Malual
Eva Rohrbach

Michigan
Erin Virtue
Maddi Cuchran
Allison Jacobs

Michigan State
Kristen Kelsay
Evie Doezema
Zuzanna Kulig

Minnesota
Keegan Cook
Julia Hanson
Stella Swenson

Nebraska
Dani Busboom Kelly
Rebekah Allick
Harper Murray

Northwestern
Tim Nollan
Ayah Elnady
Sienna Noordermeer

Ohio State
Jen Flynn Oldenburg
Olivia Hasbrook
Mia Tuman

Oregon
Trent Kersten
Orian Drore
Sophia Meyers

Penn State
Katie Schumacher-Cawley
Gillian Grimes
Izzy Starck

Purdue
Dave Shondell
Taylor Anderson
Kenna Wollard

Rutgers
Caitlin Schweihofer
Kenzie Dyrstad
Lexi Visintine

UCLA
Alfee Reft
Cheridyn Leverette
Zayna Meyer

USC
Brad Keller
Adonia Faumuina
Leah Ford

Washington
Leslie Gabriel
Kierstyn Barton
Julia Hunt

Wisconsin
Kelly Sheffield
Carter Booth
Mimi Colyer

Schumacher-Cawley to Receive Jimmy V Award at 2025 ESPYS

Penn State Athletics — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Conference Recognizes 111th Medal of Honor Class

Big Ten Conference — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference is celebrating its 111th class of recipients who earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor from their respective institutions during the 2024-25 academic year. Established in 1915, the Big Ten Medal of Honor is the conference’s most prestigious award. It was the first award in intercollegiate athletics to demonstrate support for the educational emphasis placed on athletics.

The Big Ten Medal of Honor is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each member institution who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field throughout their collegiate career. This year’s class comprised student-athletes from 15 sports.

Big Ten schools currently feature more than 11,000 student-athletes, but only 36 earn the award on an annual basis. Since the Big Ten Medal of Honor was first presented more than a century ago, just over 1,680 student-athletes have earned this unique distinction. Those names are on permanent display at the Big Ten Office in Rosemont.

Below is a listing of this year’s recipients:

2025 Big Ten Medal of Honor Class

Illinois
Jackson Buchanan, Golf
Raina Terry, Volleyball

Indiana
Jassen Yep, Swimming
Brianna Copeland, Softball

Iowa
Payton Sandfort, Basketball
Maggie Johnston, Soccer

Maryland
Jaxon Smith, Wrestling
Emma DeBerdine, Field Hockey

Michigan
Paul Juda, Gymnastics
Julia Fliegner, Tennis

Michigan State
Jaden Akins, Basketball
Gabrielle Stephen, Gymnastics

Minnesota
Dawson Garcia, Basketball
Mya Hooten, Gymnastics

Nebraska
Micaylon Moore, Track & Field
Lexi Rodriguez, Volleyball

Northwestern
Brooks Barnhizer, Basketball
Maddie Zimmer, Field Hockey

Ohio State
Cody Simon, Football
Makenna Webster, Field Hockey/Ice Hockey

Oregon
Bryce Boettcher, Football
Paige Sinicki, Softball

Penn State
Tyler Warren, Football
Maddie Gordon, Softball

Purdue
Cameron Miller, Track & Field
Sophie McAfee, Diving

Rutgers
Kyle Monangai, Football
Chloe Timberg, Track & Field

UCLA
Pablo Ereño, Golf
Lilly Reale, Soccer

USC
Caden Aoki, Baseball
Gala Trubint, Volleyball

Washington
Carson Bruener, Football
Dalayah Daniels, Basketball

Wisconsin
Bob Liking, Cross Country/Track & Field
Phoebe Bacon, Swimming

2025 Big Ten Conference Volleyball Schedule Announced

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday the full volleyball conference schedule for all 18 member institutions for the 2025 season.

Each school will play a 20-match Big Ten schedule, meeting three member institutions both home and away and playing the 14 remaining schools once.

Conference play begins on Wednesday, Sept. 24, with a pair of matches as Nebraska hosts Michigan and Indiana visits Northwestern.

The remaining 14 institutions will begin their conference slate on Thursday, Sept. 25 or Friday, Sept. 26. Matches will be played Wednesday-Sunday, with teams competing twice in Big Ten play each week.

The Big Ten champion will receive the conference’s automatic qualifier to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, which will be played Dec. 4-21, culminating with the national semifinals and championship match on Dec. 18 & 21 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The complete 2025 Big Ten volleyball conference schedule can be found below. Television network designations and start times for the complete Big Ten schedule will be announced at a later date.

2025 Big Ten Volleyball Schedule

Wednesday, September 24
Michigan at Nebraska
Indiana at Northwestern

Thursday, September 25
Maryland at Iowa
Michigan State at Minnesota
Washington at Purdue

Friday, September 26
Rutgers at Wisconsin
Oregon at Illinois
UCLA at Ohio State
USC at Penn State

Saturday, September 27
Michigan at Michigan State
Maryland at Nebraska
Washington at Indiana
USC at Ohio State

Sunday, September 28
Wisconsin at Iowa
Illinois at Purdue
Rutgers at Minnesota
Oregon at Northwestern
UCLA at Penn State

Wednesday, October 1
Minnesota at Michigan

Thursday, October 2
Illinois at Wisconsin
Purdue at UCLA

Friday, October 3
Nebraska at Penn State
Iowa at Oregon
Indiana at USC
Michigan State at Northwestern
Ohio State at Washington
Maryland at Rutgers

Saturday, October 4
Nebraska at Rutgers
Iowa at Washington
Purdue at USC
Indiana at UCLA
Ohio State at Oregon

Sunday, October 5
Minnesota at Northwestern
Michigan State at Illinois
Michigan at Wisconsin
Penn State at Maryland

Wednesday, October 8
UCLA at Minnesota

Thursday, October 9
Oregon at USC
Purdue at Ohio State

Friday, October 10
Iowa at Michigan State
Wisconsin at Penn State
Northwestern at Rutgers
Illinois at Maryland
Indiana at Michigan
Washington at Nebraska

Saturday, October 11
Iowa at Michigan
Northwestern at Penn State
Illinois at Rutgers
Indiana at Michigan State
Ohio State at Minnesota
USC at UCLA

Sunday, October 12
Nebraska at Purdue
Wisconsin at Maryland
Washington at Oregon

Wednesday, October 15
Rutgers at Maryland

Thursday, October 16
Purdue at Indiana
Michigan at Northwestern

Friday, October 17
Minnesota at Oregon
Illinois at Ohio State
Nebraska at Michigan State
Penn State at Washington
UCLA at Wisconsin
USC at Iowa

Saturday, October 18
Minnesota at Washington
Penn State at Oregon

Sunday, October 19
Illinois at Northwestern
Maryland at Michigan State
Nebraska at Michigan
Purdue at Rutgers
Ohio State at Indiana
UCLA at Iowa
USC at Wisconsin

Wednesday, October 22
Oregon at UCLA

Thursday, October 23
Maryland at USC

Friday, October 24
Minnesota at Indiana
Wisconsin at Washington
Northwestern at Nebraska
Purdue at Illinois
Michigan State at Iowa
Michigan at Ohio State
Rutgers at Penn State

Saturday, October 25
Michigan State at Nebraska
Michigan at Illinois
Maryland at UCLA

Sunday, October 26
Minnesota at Purdue
Wisconsin at Oregon
Northwestern at Indiana
Penn State at Ohio State
Rutgers at Iowa
Washington at USC

Wednesday, October 29
Illinois at Minnesota
UCLA at USC

Friday, October 31
Nebraska at Wisconsin
Iowa at Northwestern
Purdue at Michigan State
Indiana at Maryland
Penn State at Michigan
Rutgers at Ohio State
Oregon at Washington

Saturday, November 1
Purdue at Michigan
Rutgers at Michigan State
USC at Minnesota

Sunday, November 2
Iowa at Illinois
Wisconsin at Ohio State
Indiana at Penn State
Maryland at Northwestern
Oregon at Nebraska
Washington at UCLA

Wednesday, November 5
Minnesota at Wisconsin

Thursday, November 6
Northwestern at USC
Illinois at Nebraska
UCLA at Oregon

Friday, November 7
Iowa at Indiana
Michigan State at Washington
Michigan at Rutgers
Ohio State at Maryland
Penn State at Purdue

Saturday, November 8
Iowa at Purdue
Nebraska at Minnesota
Northwestern at UCLA
Michigan at Maryland

Sunday, November 9
Indiana at Wisconsin
Michigan State at Oregon
Ohio State at Rutgers
Penn State at Illinois
USC at Washington

Thursday, November 13
Northwestern at Iowa

Friday, November 14
Nebraska at UCLA
Wisconsin at Michigan State
Ohio State at Michigan
Penn State at Minnesota
Maryland at Purdue
Rutgers at USC
Oregon at Indiana
Washington at Illinois

Saturday, November 15
Nebraska at USC
Wisconsin at Illinois
Maryland at Indiana
Rutgers at UCLA
Oregon at Purdue

Sunday, November 16
Minnesota at Iowa
Michigan State at Michigan
Ohio State at Penn State
Washington at Northwestern

Wednesday, November 19
Purdue at Wisconsin
USC at Oregon

Thursday, November 20
Iowa at Nebraska
Illinois at UCLA
Rutgers at Indiana
Michigan at Washington

Friday, November 21
Minnesota at Maryland
Northwestern at Ohio State
Michigan State at Penn State

Saturday, November 22
Nebraska at Indiana
Illinois at USC
Michigan at Oregon
UCLA at Washington

Sunday, November 23
Iowa at Wisconsin
Michigan State at Ohio State
Minnesota at Rutgers
Northwestern at Purdue
Maryland at Penn State

Wednesday, November 26
Wisconsin at Northwestern
Purdue at Minnesota
Indiana at Illinois
Oregon at Rutgers
Washington at Maryland
UCLA at Michigan
USC at Michigan State

Friday, November 28
Wisconsin at Minnesota
Northwestern at Illinois
Ohio State at Iowa
Penn State at Nebraska
Oregon at Maryland
Washington at Rutgers
UCLA at Michigan State
USC at Michigan

Saturday, November 29
Indiana at Purdue
Ohio State at Nebraska
Penn State at Iowa

State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase Set for Labor Day Weekend

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (April 30, 2025) – Intersport and FOX Sports have announced scheduling plans for the second annual State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase, set to once again take place over Labor Day weekend with national broadcast coverage by FOX and FS1.

Defending national champion Penn State, Pitt, TCU and Arizona State will converge at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., for the four-match event that helps kick off the 2025 college volleyball campaign on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. Match times and television designations will be announced at a later date, but confirmed matchups include:

Arizona State vs. Pitt
Arizona State vs. Penn State
Penn State vs. TCU
Pitt vs. TCU

Fans interested in learning more about the event and gaining early access to a 24-hour ticket presale opportunity, which will take place on May 20, can access the general event page on the PPG Paints Arena website or by clicking the following link: www.bit.ly/25WCVSDetails. The general public ticket sale will begin May 21.

All four programs advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, with Penn State staking its claim as the nation’s top team after winning its eighth national championship – and first since 2014 – in program history. Pitt made its fourth-straight Final Four appearance last year, while both Arizona State and TCU earned their way into the second round of the NCAA Tournament. All-time, the programs have combined for 89 NCAA Tournament appearances.

In 2024 alone, the quartet of teams combined to win 120 matches. Penn State, winners of the Big Ten Conference title, won 35 matches, ACC Champion Pitt won 33 matches and Arizona State posted 30 wins, second-most in program history, and claimed its first conference championship in program history. In addition, TCU recorded 22 victories to record its fourth-most victories in a single season in program history. The Nittany Lions ended the season ranked No. 1 in the final AVCA poll, followed by No. 3 Pitt, No. 13 Arizona State and No. 25 TCU.

Launched in 2024 with a similar group of elite programs – Minnesota, Stanford, Texas and Wisconsin – the State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase will once again shine a spotlight on the new college volleyball season with must-see nationally televised contests. Additionally, more than 22,000 fans attended the two-day event last season, which was held at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis.

PPG Paints Arena served as the host site for the 2019 NCAA Championship, which was won by Stanford in a three-set sweep over Wisconsin. More than 30,000 fans attended the championship weekend events.

About Intersport
Intersport is an award-winning agency that fills the empty space between marketing campaigns and consumers—helping brands make more meaningful connections. Its industry-leading team offers expert insights in content marketing, experiential marketing, hospitality, partnership consulting and platform development. The Chicago-based agency also owns and operates events across the professional and collegiate sports landscape, including basketball, football, golf, pickleball and volleyball. Intersport has been headquartered in Chicago since its inception in 1985 and has an additional office in Detroit. Learn more at

www.intersport.global and on social media (LinkedIn, Instagramand Facebook).

About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform, Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture business Big Ten Network, and a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.

Media Contacts:
Dan Mihalik, Intersport, dmihalik@intersport.global
Jack Pennington, FOX Sports, jack.pennington@fox.com

Big Ten Conference Announces Dates and School Rotations for 2025 Volleyball Media Days

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. –The Big Ten Conference announced today that 2025 Big Ten Volleyball Media Days will be held on July 28-29 at Big Ten Network in Chicago.

This year’s event will feature a two-day schedule highlighting nine teams each day. Each of the conference’s 18 institutions will be represented by its head coach and two student-athletes.

DAY 1 (July 28): Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers
Day 2 (July 29): Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin

Additional information on credentials, media schedules and student-athlete attendees will be announced at a later date.

Nebraska's Rodriguez Wins AAU James E. Sullivan Award

Nebraska Athletics — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT

2025 Big Ten Conference Volleyball Opponent Rotation Announced

Big Ten Conference — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced the complete opponent rotation for all 18 schools for the 2025 volleyball season on Thursday. Each member institution will play a 20-match conference schedule against all 17 conference opponents, meeting three member institutions both home and away and playing the 14 remaining schools once. Double play opponents were determined with consideration for competitive balance, geography and rivalries.

Nebraska and Penn State shared the Big Ten title in 2024, and the Nittany Lions went on to win the program’s eighth national title, defeating Louisville, 3-1 at the KFC Yum! Center. Nebraska met Penn State in the National Semifinal, advancing to the program’s seventh national semifinal in the past 10 seasons. Overall, nine Big Ten teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2024.

The complete list of Big Ten Conference single-play and home/away opponents is below. Dates, times and television coverage will be announced at a later date.

ILLINOIS
Home: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, Washington
Away: Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin

INDIANA
Home: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Rutgers, Washington,
Away: Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Maryland, Northwestern, Purdue

IOWA
Home: Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Away: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Purdue, Washington
Home/Away: Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin

MARYLAND
Home: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin
Away: Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Indiana, Penn State, Rutgers

MICHIGAN
Home: Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, USC
Away: Illinois, Maryland, Northwestern, Oregon, Rutgers, Washington, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State

MICHIGAN STATE
Home: Indiana, Wisconsin, Maryland, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Away: Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Washington
Home/Away: Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska

MINNESOTA
Home: Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA, USC
Away: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Maryland, Northwestern, Oregon, Washington
Home/Away: Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin

NEBRASKA
Home: Illinois, Iowa, Ohio State, Maryland, Northwestern, Washington, Oregon
Away: Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State

NORTHWESTERN
Home: Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin
Away: Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa

OHIO STATE
Home: Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue, UCLA, USC
Away: Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington
Home/Away: Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers

OREGON
Home: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Away: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Home/Away: UCLA, USC, Washington

PENN STATE
Home: Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Away: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Purdue, Washington
Home/Away: Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State

PURDUE
Home: Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Washington
Away: Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota

RUTGERS
Home: Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Purdue, Washington
Away: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State

UCLA
Home: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, Nebraska
Away: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Oregon, USC, Washington

USC
Home: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Away: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Oregon, UCLA, Washington

WASHINGTON
Home: Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State
Away: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Home/Away: Oregon, UCLA, USC

WISCONSIN
Home: Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Away: Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Washington
Home/Away: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota

Trent Kersten Named Head Coach of Oregon Volleyball

Oregon Athletics — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Dani Busboom Kelly Named Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach

Nebraska Athletics — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The Big Ten Conference Announces Inaugural “Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award” for Student-Athletes

Big Ten Conference — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill – In honor of Jackie Robinson’s core values of courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence, the Big Ten Conference today announced the inaugural Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award to recognize the conference’s student-athletes who have made an exceptional impact in their local community. Before breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier, Jackie Robinson was a standout student-athlete at UCLA, where he was the school’s first four-sport letter winner, excelling in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball.

Student-athletes will be nominated based on the following criteria:

Demonstrated Impact: Significant and tangible contributions to community projects or causes, including measurable outcomes or positive changes resulting from their involvement.

Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with others, including peers, organizations, and community members, to achieve common goals and enhance community impact.

Consistency and Commitment: Ongoing and consistent participation in community service activities over an extended period of time.

Visibility and Advocacy: Efforts to raise awareness and advocate for important groups or causes, leveraging their platform to promote positive change and engage others.

"The Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award celebrates Jackie’s legacy of excellence in community service,” said Sonya Pankey Robinson, Jackie’s first grandchild, Director and board member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. "We are proud to recognize 36 outstanding men and women for the incredible impact they make in their community."

“It is our privilege and great honor to bestow this award in Jackie’s name upon these deserving Big Ten student-athletes and to express our appreciation for the continuing support of the Jackie Robinson Foundation,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti.

"Our student-athletes make significant contributions through competition, academics, and community impact,” said Big Ten Senior Vice President, Community & Impact, Omar Brown. “This award allows the Big Ten to recognize these efforts in improving communities, just as we do with their other achievements. Jackie Robinson embodies this award and our goal to honor student-athletes who positively impact others."

Each Big Ten member-institution can nominate two student-athletes, one male and one female, from their respective schools. The Big Ten Conference will select two Jackie Robinson Community & Impact award winners, from the 36 nominations, who will be announced by the Big Ten Conference this spring. All remaining nominees will be recognized with individual awards for their contributions to their local communities.

The Big Ten Conference’s commitment to athletics, academics and service goes back to the conference’s founding. Coupling the academic goals set forth by leaders of the charter members of the conference with their steadfast commitment to athletics, the conference instituted the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1915, the first award to demonstrate support for the educational emphasis placed on intercollegiate athletics. It is awarded annually by each member institution to one male and one female student of the graduating class who has attained the greatest proficiency in scholarship and athletics.

In June of 2020 the conference launched the Big Ten Equality Coalition. This group, which features student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, chancellors, presidents and other members, has a stated goal of seeking tangible ways to actively and constructively combat racism and hate around the world, while also empowering student-athletes to express their rights to free speech and peaceful protest. An important initiative resulting from conversations initiated by the coalition was the Big Ten Voter Registration Initiative.

In recent years, several delegations of conference student-athletes and administrators have traveled to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, for an immersive civil rights educational experience entitled: “Big Life Series: Selma to Montgomery.” The visit to one of the key centers of the civil rights movement was highlighted by marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to learn more about the profound impact that young people had on the civil rights movement.

Additionally, the Big Ten Conference is dedicated to making a lasting impact on the communities where its major events are held hosting sports clinics, renovating recreation centers, and giving elementary-aged children a behind-the-scenes experience with major Big Ten events. In all cases the conference focuses on creating meaningful improvements aimed at leaving each location better than it was found. Most recently, the Big Ten collaborated with the College Football Playoff Foundation, local sports organizations and local school districts to enhance spaces for teachers and children while providing additional educational and athletic opportunities for children.

As Jackie Robison famously said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Seven From Big Ten Volleyball Named CSC Academic All-Americans

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Seven Big Ten Conference volleyball student-athletes have been selected as Academic All-Americans by members of the College Sports Communicators (CSC), the organization announced on Tuesday.

Nebraska’s Lexi Rodriguez was selected to the First Team for the second consecutive season. The Huskers’ Bergen Reilly and Purdue’s Eva Hudson were each named to the First Team for the first time in their careers.

Ohio State’s Emily Londot and Wisconsin’s Julia Orzol earned a spot on the Second Team, both are repeat All-America selections from 2023. Nebraska’s Merritt Beason received recognition on the Second Team.

Michigan’s Allison Jacobs was named to the Third Team.

CSC Volleyball Academic All-Americans

First Team
Eva Hudson, Jr., Purdue (3.83, Biomedical Health Sciences)
Bergen Reilly, So., Nebraska (3.81, Business & Law)
Lexi Rodriguez, Sr., Nebraska (3.65/4.00, Integrated Media Communication)

Second Team
Merritt Beason, Sr., Nebraska (3.57/4.00, Applied Science)
Emily Londot, Gr., Ohio State (3.98/4.00, Kinesiology)
Julia Orzol, Sr., Wisconsin (3.94, Business)

Third Team
Allison Jacobs, Sr., Michigan (4.00/4.00, Management)

Kristen Kelsay Named Head Volleyball Coach at Michigan State

Michigan State Athletics — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball National Championship Central Dec. 19 & 22

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL | BIG TEN STANDINGS | BIG TEN COMPOSITE SCHEDULE

BIG TEN STATISTICS | NCAA STATISTICS | NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET

AVCA TOP 25 POLL | NCAA RPI RANKINGS

BIG TEN WEEKLY RELEASE - DEC. 19

NCAA TOURNAMENT
Date	Match	Location	Time (ET)	Links
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, Dec. 5	#6 Minnesota d. Western Ky., 3-1	Pittsburgh Quadrant (at Historic Memorial Coliseum - Lexington, Ky.)	4:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Thursday, Dec. 5	#6 USC d. UT Arlington, 3-0	Penn State Quadrant (at Gregory Gymnasium - Austin, Texas)	5 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Thursday, Dec. 5	#4 Purdue d. Western Michigan, 3-0	Louisville Quadrant (at Holloway Gymnasium - West Lafayette, Ind.)	6:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Thursday, Dec. 5	#2 Wisconsin d. Fairfield, 3-0	Nebraska Quadrant (at UW Field House, Madison, Wis.)	8 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Thursday, Dec. 5	#4 Oregon d. High Point, 3-0	Pittsburgh Quadrant (at Matthew Knight Arena - Eugene, Ore.)	9:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	UNI d. Illinois, 3-1	Louisville Quadrant (at KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, Ky.)	4 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#1 Penn State d. Delaware State, 3-0	Penn State Quadrant (at Rec Hall - University Park, Pa.)	7:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	LMU d. Washington, 3-2	Louisville Quadrant (at Maples Pavilion - Stanford, Calif.)	7:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#1 Nebraska d. Florida A&M, 3-0	Nebraska Quadrant (at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.)	8 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap

SECOND ROUND
Friday, Dec. 6	#4 Purdue d. Loyola Chicago, 3-0	Louisville Quadrant (at Holloway Gymnasium - West Lafayette, Ind.)	6 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#3 Kentucky d. #6 Minnesota, 3-1	Pittsburgh Quadrant (at Historic Memorial Coliseum - Lexington, Ky.)	7 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#3 Texas d. #6 USC, 3-0	Penn State Quadrant (at Gregory Gymnasium - Austin, Texas)	7:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#2 Wisconsin d. #7 Georgia Tech, 3-1	Nebraska Quadrant (at UW Field House, Madison, Wis.)	8 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#4 Oregon d. #5 TCU, 3-1	Pittsburgh Quadrant (at Matthew Knight Arena - Eugene, Ore.)	9 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Saturday, Dec. 7	#1 Penn State d. #8 North Carolina, 3-1	Penn State Quadrant (at Rec Hall - University Park, Pa.)	6:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Saturday, Dec. 7	#1 Nebraska d. #8 Miami, 3-0	Nebraska Quadrant (at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.)	8 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap

REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
Thursday, Dec. 12	#1 Pittsburgh d. #4 Oregon, 3-2	Pittsburgh Quadrant - (at	3:30 p.m.	ESPN2 \| Live Stats \| Recap
Thursday, Dec. 12	#1 Louisville d. #4 Purdue, 3-0	Louisville Quadrant - (at Freedom Hall, Louisville, Ky.)	9:30 p.m.	ESPN2 \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 13	#1 Penn State d. #5 Marquette, 3-1	Penn State Quadrant - (at Rec Hall, University Park, Pa.)	3:30 p.m.	ESPN2 \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 13	#2 Wisconsin d. #6 Texas A&M, 3-2	Nebraska Quadrant - (at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.)	7 p.m.	ESPN2 \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 13	#1 Nebraska d. #5 Dayton, 3-1	Nebraska Quadrant - (at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.)	9:30 p.m.	ESPN2 \| Live Stats \| Recap

REGIONAL FINAL
Sunday, Dec. 15	#1 Nebraska d. #2 Wisconsin, 3-0	Nebraska Quadrant - (at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.)	3 p.m.	ABC \| Live Stats \| Recap
Sunday, Dec. 15	#1 Penn State d. #2 Creighton, 3-2	Penn State Quadrant - (at Rec Hall, University Park, Pa.)	8:30 p.m.	ESPN \| Live Stats \| Recap

NATIONAL SEMIFINAL
Thursday, Dec. 19	#1 Penn State d. #1 Nebraska, 3-2	KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, Ky.)	9 p.m.	ESPN \| Live Stats \| Recap

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, Dec. 22	#1 Penn State d. #1 Louisville, 3-1	KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, Ky.)	3 p.m.	ABC \| Live Stats \| Recap

Penn State Wins 2024 NCAA Volleyball National Championship

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

LOUISVILLE - For the first time since 2014 and the eighth time in program history, Penn State has won the 2024 NCAA Volleyball National Championship. Penn State defeated Louisville, 3-1 (25-23, 32-34, 25-20, 25-17), on Sunday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

For third-year head coach Katie Schumacher Cawley, it’s her first national title since taking over the program following former Nittany Lions’ head coach Russ Rose’s legendary Penn State career. Schumacher-Cawley is the first woman head coach ever to win an NCAA Volleyball National Championship.

Jess Mruzik was named the 2024 Most Outstanding Player, while teammates Camryn Hannah and Gillian Grimes and Nebraska’s Harper Murray were also named to the All-Tournament Team.

Mruzik buried a season-high 29 kills with a .315 hitting percentage to lead the potent Nittany Lion offense who hit .277 for the match.

Penn State earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 29-2 overall and 19-1 in the Big Ten on its way to its first conference title since 2017.

Penn State’s victory was the 22nd volleyball national title for a Big Ten institution.

Penn State Set for National Championship Match Sunday Against Louisville

Penn State Athletics — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Penn State Headed to National Championship After Reverse Sweep of Nebraska

Penn State Athletics — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Starck Named National Freshman of the Year, One of 14 Big Ten Players Named AVCA All-Americans

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

2024 AVCA Division I All-America Teams

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Fourteen Big Ten volleyball student-athletes have been selected as All-Americans by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), announced on Wednesday. Penn State’s Izzy Starck was also recognized as the National Freshman of the Year, the first Nittany Lion to receive the honor since Ali Frantti in 2014.

Seven Big Ten institutions were represented among the 14 honorees, with two additional schools featured on the 2024 honorable mention list.

Nebraska and Pittsburgh led the nation with four selections each. Oregon, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin each had two All-Americans, while Illinois and USC had one.

Starck adds National Freshman of the Year to her list of first-year achievements after she was named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year and the East Coast Region Freshman of the Year. Starck was the only freshman to be named an All-American on either the first or second team and joins fellow first-year setter Charlie Fuerbringer of Wisconsin as the only two freshmen to be named an All-American of any distinction, including honorable mention.

The complete list of Big Ten All-Americans can be found below.

2024 AVCA All-Americans
First Team
Jess Mruzik, Gr., OH, Penn State
Andi Jackson, So., MB, Nebraska
Lexi Rodriguez, Sr., L, Nebraska
Sarah Franklin, Gr., OH, Wisconsin

Second Team
Harper Murray, So., OH, Nebraska
Bergen Reilly, So., S, Nebraska
Mimi Colyer, Jr., OH, Oregon
Izzy Starck, Fr., S, Penn State
Raven Colvin, Sr., MB, Purdue
Eva Hudson, Jr., OH, Purdue

Third Team
Raina Terry, Gr., OH, Illinois
Onye Ofoegbu, RS-Sr., MB, Oregon
Mia Tuaniga, Sr., S, USC
Charlie Fuerbringer, Fr., S, Wisconsin

Honorable Mention
Julia Hanson, Jr., OH, Minnesota
Melani Shaffmaster, RS-Sr., S, Minnesota
Michelle Ohwobete, Sr., OH, Oregon
Camryn Hannah, Gr., OH, Penn State
Taylor Trammell, Sr., MB, Penn State
Cheridyn Leverette, Jr., OH, UCLA
Ally Batenhorst, Gr., OH, USC

Sarah Franklin and Lexi Rodriguez Named Two of Four AVCA Player of the Year Finalists

AVCA — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Nebraska and Penn State Meet in National Semifinal Thursday

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Nebraska and Penn State each advanced to the 2024 NCAA Volleyball National Semifinals with Regional Final wins on Sunday. The Huskers and Nittany Lions will meet in Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center on Thursday, with the winner facing either Pittsburgh or Louisville in the National Championship on Sunday. It’s the first time since 2008 that all four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the National Semifinals.

The Huskers defeated Wisconsin in straight sets (26-24, 25-17, 25-21) to advance to the National Semifinal for the second straight year and seventh time in the past 10 seasons. Overall, Nebraska is competing in an NCAA Semifinal for the 18^th time in program history and for the 12^th time in John Cook’s 25 seasons.

Penn State topped Creighton in five sets (25-15, 16-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-7) to advance to the National Semifinal for the first time since 2017 and 14^th time in program history. Sunday marked Penn State’s first NCAA Regional Final appearance and win under third-year head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley.

34 Big Ten Volleyball Players Named to AVCA All-Region Teams

AVCA — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball NCAA Tournament Central Dec. 4 - Dec. 7

Big Ten Conference — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL | BIG TEN STANDINGS | BIG TEN COMPOSITE SCHEDULE

BIG TEN STATISTICS | NCAA STATISTICS | NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET

AVCA TOP 25 POLL | NCAA RPI RANKINGS

BIG TEN WEEKLY RELEASE - DEC. 5

NCAA TOURNAMENT
Date	Match	Location	Time (ET)	Links
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, Dec. 5	#6 Minnesota d. Western Ky., 3-1	Pittsburgh Quadrant (at Historic Memorial Coliseum - Lexington, Ky.)	4:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Thursday, Dec. 5	#6 USC d. UT Arlington, 3-0	Penn State Quadrant (at Gregory Gymnasium - Austin, Texas)	5 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Thursday, Dec. 5	#4 Purdue d. Western Michigan, 3-0	Louisville Quadrant (at Holloway Gymnasium - West Lafayette, Ind.)	6:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Thursday, Dec. 5	#2 Wisconsin d. Fairfield, 3-0	Nebraska Quadrant (at UW Field House, Madison, Wis.)	8 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Thursday, Dec. 5	#4 Oregon d. High Point, 3-0	Pittsburgh Quadrant (at Matthew Knight Arena - Eugene, Ore.)	9:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	UNI d. Illinois, 3-1	Louisville Quadrant (at KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, Ky.)	4 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#1 Penn State d. Delaware State, 3-0	Penn State Quadrant (at Rec Hall - University Park, Pa.)	7:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	LMU d. Washington, 3-2	Louisville Quadrant (at Maples Pavilion - Stanford, Calif.)	7:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#1 Nebraska d. Florida A&M, 3-0	Nebraska Quadrant (at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.)	8 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap

SECOND ROUND
Friday, Dec. 6	#4 Purdue d. Loyola Chicago, 3-0	Louisville Quadrant (at Holloway Gymnasium - West Lafayette, Ind.)	6 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#3 Kentucky d. #6 Minnesota, 3-1	Pittsburgh Quadrant (at Historic Memorial Coliseum - Lexington, Ky.)	7 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#3 Texas d. #6 USC, 3-0	Penn State Quadrant (at Gregory Gymnasium - Austin, Texas)	7:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#2 Wisconsin d. #7 Georgia Tech, 3-1	Nebraska Quadrant (at UW Field House, Madison, Wis.)	8 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Friday, Dec. 6	#4 Oregon d. #5 TCU, 3-1	Pittsburgh Quadrant (at Matthew Knight Arena - Eugene, Ore.)	9 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Saturday, Dec. 7	#1 Penn State d. #8 North Carolina, 3-1	Penn State Quadrant (at Rec Hall - University Park, Pa.)	6:30 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap
Saturday, Dec. 7	#1 Nebraska d. #8 Miami, 3-0	Nebraska Quadrant (at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.)	8 p.m.	ESPN+ \| Live Stats \| Recap

Big Ten Announces 2024 Volleyball Postseason Honors

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

2024 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON HONORS

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced the 2024 Volleyball All-Big Ten Teams and individual honors on Wednesday, as chosen by a vote of the conference’s 18 head coaches. Wisconsin graduate student and outside hitter Sarah Franklin was selected as Player of the Year, while Nebraska’s Lexi Rodriguez was named Libero of the Year (voted to replace Defensive Player of the Year) and Bergen Reilly earned Setter of the Year. Penn State’s Izzy Starck was named Freshman of the Year and Katie Schumacher-Cawley was named Coach of the Year by both the coaches and media.

Franklin was named Big Ten Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after receiving both Big Ten and National Player of the Year honors a season ago. Franklin, a 2024 AVCA Player of the Year semifinalist, led the Badgers offensively throughout the regular season, averaging 4.48 kills/set behind 470 total kills with a .295 hitting percentage. Notably, Franklin set a new Wisconsin program record for most kills in a single match with 33 kills vs. Marquette on Sept. 17. In the same match, Franklin recorded her 1,500^th career kill. Franklin and the Badgers were selected to the NCAA Tournament for the 12^th straight season and will face Fairfield in the first round of the postseason on Thursday.

It's the third individual honor of Rodriguez’s career, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2023. Rodriguez is also a three-time All-American and has guided the Husker back row with 3.80 digs per set throughout the regular season, helping Nebraska to its second consecutive Big Ten Championship. Rodriguez recently passed Kayla Banwarth for No. 2 all-time in career digs at Nebraska. She now has 1,819 career digs and is chasing only Justine Wong-Orantes (1,890) to become the all-time digs leader in Nebraska program history.

Reilly earns her second-straight Setter of the Year honor after guiding the Husker attack to an efficient .288 hitting percentage, which ranks 11^th nationally. Reilly is the first Nebraska setter to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons and was selected as the conference’s setter of the week five times this season. Reilly leads the Big Ten averaging 11.12 assists per set and ranks 8^th nationally in this category.

Starck guided the Nittany Lions to their first Big Ten title since 2017 and was named Big Ten Setter of the Week five times in addition to being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week six times. She is the 14^th Penn State player to be named Freshman of the Year and the first since Jonni Parker in 2017. Starck is 11^th nationally, averaging 11.05 assists per set, guiding a Penn State attack that is 14^th in the country with a .282 hitting percentage.

Schumacher-Cawley led Penn State to a 29-2 overall record and a 19-1 mark in Big Ten play, capping the regular season with a 3-1 win over No. 2 Nebraska to earn a share of the Big Ten Championship. Penn State’s 29 wins are the most in a single season since finishing 33-2 in 2017. The Nittany Lions were within the top 7 of the AVCA rankings each week throughout the regular season, peaking at No. 2 (one first-place vote) in the Dec. 2 poll.

Franklin, Rodriguez, Reilly and Starck were each recognized on the All-Big Ten First Team. Franklin and Rodriguez, along with Illinois’ Rainy Terry, Minnesota’s Julia Hanson, Nebraska’s Andi Jackson, Oregon’s Mimi Colyer and Penn State’s Jess Mruzik were unanimous first-team selections.

The Big Ten also recognized nine All-Freshman honorees and 18 Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen for the sportsmanship award are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The complete list of the 2024 Postseason Awards can be found above.

Minnesota's Julia Hanson Named AVCA/GameChanger Division I Women’s Player of the Week

AVCA — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Minnesota and Penn State Claim Final Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Player of the Week
Julia Hanson, Minnesota
Jr. – OH – Savage, Minn. – Major: Food and Agriculture Business Management

Averaged 6.44 points and 5.63 kills (.337) with 2.00 digs, 0.63 blocks and 0.50 aces per set in wins over Illinois and Ohio State last week

Went for 22 kills (.283) with an ace, seven digs and three blocks in a comeback win at Illinois

Had 23 kills (.400) with three aces, nine digs and two blocks in the home finale against the Buckeyes

Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Julia Hanson (Oct. 28, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Phoebe Awoleye, Minnesota
RS-Sr. - MB – Marietta, Ga. - Master’s: Sport Management

Tallied 2.50 blocks, 1.13 kills and 0.75 digs per set in wins over Illinois and Ohio State

Had 10 blocks, three kills and five digs against Illinois in a comeback win

Totaled 10 blocks and six kills (.333) with a dig in a senior night win against Ohio State

Led the Big Ten in blocks per set (1.64) in regular season conference matches

Last Minnesota Defensive Player of the Week: Phoebe Awoleye (Oct. 14, 2024)

Setter of the Week
Izzy Starck, Penn State
Fr. – S – Viera, Fla. – Major: Undecided

Averaged 11.71 assists/set and recorded double-doubles in both matches while helping No. 4 Penn State clinch a share of the Big Ten title with wins over Rutgers and No. 2 Nebraska

Added 3.00 digs, 1.14 blocks, and 1.14 kills per set over the two wins

The win over the Cornhuskers on Friday was the Nittany Lions' first in the series since 2018. Starck racked up 46 assists, 11 digs, six blocks, and three kills

Earlier in the week she tallied 36 assists, 10 digs, two blocks, and five kills in a 3-0 sweep at Rutgers

Last Penn State Setter of the Week: Izzy Starck (Nov. 25, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Caroline Jurevicius, Penn State
OPP – Cleveland, Ohio – Major: Communications

Jurevicius had the best match of her young career while helping No. 4 Penn State secure the 18th Big Ten title in program history

Posted a career-high 18 kills on .414 hitting and added two blocks and two digs in a 3-1 win over No. 2 Nebraska in front of a sold-out crowd Friday at Rec Hall. It was the Nittany Lions' first win over Nebraska since 2018 and the team's first Big Ten title since 2017

The 18 kills eclipsed her previous career-high total of 11

Earlier in the week she contributed five kills, three digs, and two blocks in a 3-0 sweep at Rutgers

Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Izzy Starck (Nov. 4, 2024)

2024 Big Ten Players of the Week
Sept.2
P:Eva Hudson, Jr., PUR
D: Rebekah Allick, Jr., NEB
S: Bergen Reilly, So., NEB
F: Izzy Starck, PSU
Sept. 9
P: Raina Terry, Gr., ILL
D: Nalani Iosia, Sr., MSU
S: Taylor Anderson, So., PUR
F: Izzy Starck, PSU
Sept. 16
P: Emily Londot, Gr., OSU
D: Raven Colvin, Sr., PUR
S: Bergen Reilly, So., NEB
F: Julia Hunt, WASH
Sept. 23
P: Sarah Franklin, Fifth-Year, WIS
D: Onye Ofoegbu, RS-Sr.., ORE
S: Mia Tuaniga, Sr., USC
Co-F: Izzy Starck, PSU
Co-F: Jadyn Livings, USC
Sept. 30
Co-P: Jess Mruzik, Gr., PSU
Co-P: Alissa Kinkela, RS-Jr., RU
D: Lexi Rodriguez, Sr., NEB
S: Izzy Starck, Fr., PSU
F: Malu Garcia, IOWA
Oct. 7
P: Jess Mruzik, Gr., PSU
Co-D: Rebekah Allick, Jr., NEB
Co-D: Ali Hornung, Sr., PUR
S: Morgan Burke, So., MICH
F: Charlie Fuerbringer, WIS
Oct. 14
P: Mimi Colyer, Jr., ORE
D: Phoebe Awoleye, RS-Sr., MINN
S: Bergen Reilly, So., NEB
F: Izzy Starck, PSU
Oct. 21
P: Jess Mruzik, Gr., PSU
D: Carter Booth, Jr., WIS
S: Izzy Starck, Fr., PSU
F: Cristin Cline, ORE
Oct. 28
P: Julia Hanson, Jr., MINN
D: Andi Jackson, So., NEB
S/F: Izzy Starck, Fr., PSU
Nov. 4
P: Ally Batenhorst, Gr., USC
D: Ali Hornung, Sr., PUR
S: Mia Tuaniga, Sr., USC
F: Izzy Starck, PSU
Nov. 11
Co-P: Eva Hudson, Jr., PUR
Co-P: Sarah Franklin, Fifth-Year, WIS
D: Lexi Rodriguez, Gr., NEB
S: Charlie Fuerbringer, Fr., WIS
F: Ashlyn Philpot, ILL
Nov. 18
P: Sarah Franklin, Fifth-Year, WIS
D: Nalani Iosia, Sr., MSU
S: Bergen Reilly, So., NEB
F: Charlie Fuerbringer, WIS
Nov. 25
P: Emily Londot, Gr., OSU
D: Gillian Grimes, Jr., PSU
Co-S: Bergen Reilly, So., NEB
Co-S: Izzy Starck, Fr., PSU
F: Emmi Sellman, OSU
Dec. 2
P: Julia Hanson, Jr., OH, MINN
D: Phoebe Awoleye, RS-Sr., MB, MINN
S: Izzy Starck, Fr., PSU
F: Caroline Jurevicius, PSU

Nine Big Ten Teams Selected for 2024 NCAA Volleyball Tournament

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference will have nine schools participating in the 2024 NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament, the NCAA announced during Monday evening’s selection show. Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, USC, Washington and Wisconsin will represent the Big Ten in this year’s tournament. The nine teams tie the ACC and the SEC for the most teams selected across all conferences.

No. 1 seed Nebraska will make its 43^rd postseason appearance after winning its 36^th all-time conference title and fifth since joining the Big Ten in 2011. The Huskers finished the regular season with a 29-2 overall record and a 19-1 mark in conference play. Nebraska hosts Florida A&M on Friday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. ET.

Of the 44 NCAA Tournaments, No. 1 seed Penn State has appeared in all of them and will host Delaware State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Nittany Lions won the program’s 18^th Big Ten title overall and first since 2017. Penn State has won 19 straight at Rec Hall and will look to extend its home win streak to 20 on Friday vs. the Hornets.

No. 4 seed Oregon makes its fifth-straight postseason appearance and 21^st overall after finishing the regular season 22-7 overall and 14-6 in Big Ten play. The Ducks will host High Point on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Minnesota earned a No. 6 seed in this year’s tournament. The Golden Gophers (20-10, 13-7 Big Ten) were placed in the Lexington, Ky., region and will take on Western Kentucky in the first round on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Gophers have advanced to the tournament in 10 straight seasons and 25 of the last 26 overall.

Illinois earned a spot in this year’s tournament for the first time since 2021 after finishing the regular season 18-12 overall and 10-10 in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini will play Northern Iowa in its tournament opener on Friday at 4 p.m. ET.

For the eighth time under head coach Dave Shondell, the Purdue Boilermakers will begin the postseason hosting the First and Second Rounds inside Holloway Gymnasium. Purdue was selected as a four-seed and will face Western Michigan on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers earned their bid for the 10^th consecutive year and the 19^th time in Shondell’s 22 seasons at Purdue and 36^th overall program appearance.

Washington will be making its postseason appearance for the 22nd time in the past 23 seasons, playing Loyola Marymount on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. After missing the tournament last season for the first time since 2001, second-year head coach Leslie Gabriel brought Washington back into the postseason conversation. The Huskies finished the regular season at 19-11 and 9-11 in their first year in the Big Ten.

USC will make its 40^th appearance in the national tournament, receiving a six seed in the bracket, and will face UT Arlington in a first-round match on Thursday at 5 p.m. ET. The Women of Troy will make their third consecutive postseason appearance after finishing the regular season 21-9 overall and 13-7 in the Big Ten.

For the 12^th-straight season and the 28^th time in program history, the Wisconsin Badgers earned a bid into this year’s tournament and were selected as the No. 2 seed in the Nebraska regional. The Badgers will play Fairfield and host the first and second round matches on Thursday and Friday in the UW Field House. First serve between the Badgers and Stags is set for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

At least one Big Ten program has reached the NCAA national semifinals (Final Four) in all but one year since 2007, with at least one member institution advancing to the NCAA national championship match 13 times in that 17-year span. The 2024 National Semifinals and Championship match will be played at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 19 and 22.

Nebraska Volleyball Wins Back-to-Back Big Ten Titles

Nebraska Athletics — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Penn State Volleyball Clinches Share of Big Ten Title With 3-1 Win Over No. 2 Nebraska

Penn State Athletics — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central Nov. 27 - Nov. 30

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Composite Schedule

Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Big Ten Record Book | AVCA Top 25 | Big Ten Weekly Release

Seven of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are mentioned in this week’s AVCA Coaches Poll, announced on Monday. The poll includes No. 2 Nebraska, No. 4 Penn State, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 8 Purdue, No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Minnesota and No. 21 USC. Washington is receiving votes. The Big Ten has had seven teams ranked in the AVCA Top 25 for seven consecutive weeks. Throughout the regular season, the Big Ten peaked with eight teams in the Top 25 in three separate weeks, with seven teams ranked in every other regular season week.
In this week’s NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings, three Big Ten schools are in the top 10, six in the top 25 and nine in the top 40 of the NCAA RPI report through games as of Nov. 24. RPI rankings through games of Nov. 24: Nebraska 1, Penn State 4, Wisconsin 7, Purdue 15, Oregon 16, USC 21, Minnesota 29, Illinois 32, Washington 38.
The Big Ten Conference continues to be the most popular conference in the country in terms of attendance, placing a remarkable 12 schools among the top 30 in the latest NCAA attendance rankings released Monday, Nov. 25. Nebraska leads the country at 8,713 fans per match, just ahead of Wisconsin (2nd; 7,873), with Minnesota fourth (4,896) and Purdue sixth (4,332). Washington is next at No. 10 (3,638), followed by No. 12 Ohio State (3,518), No. 14 Michigan State (3,386), No. 19 Oregon (3,146), No. 20 Illinois (3,130), No. 22 Penn State (3,051), No. 28 USC (2,466) and No. 30 Northwestern (2,209). In comparison, no other conference has more than two schools in the top 15 of the NCAA attendance rankings this week, with the Big Ten owning seven of the top-15 spots.
The Nebraska vs. Wisconsin match on Nov. 23 on Big Ten Network delivered 591,000 viewers, making it the most-watched volleyball match on BTN this season and the second-most watched in network history.
Penn State and Nebraska are the only two Big Ten teams who are still in contention for a Big Ten Championship. Nebraska looks to capture the title for the second consecutive year, while Penn State seeks its first Championship since 2017. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten with 17 Big Ten titles, including consecutive first-place finishes from 2003-10.
Penn State Head Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley reached 200 career wins with a 3-0 win over Purdue on Nov. 21. Seventy-five of those victories have come as the coach of Penn State, where she holds a .798 winning percentage.
The final week of the regular season features a trio of doubleheaders on BTN, starting on Wednesday with #6 Wisconsin vs. Ohio State at 8:30 p.m. ET, followed by #9 Purdue vs. #13 Oregon at 10:30 p.m. ET. Coverage continues on Friday with No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 2 Nebraska at Rec Hall at 5 p.m. ET, followed by RV Washington vs. #9 Purdue at 7:30 p.m. ET. The regular season concludes on Saturday with Maryland hosting No. 2 Nebraska at 7 p.m. ET, followed by No. 8 Wisconsin vs. Michigan State at 9 p.m. ET.
Sixteen players from the Big Ten Conference were chosen in the 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) Draft. The 16 selections led all conferences, and Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin led the way with three selections each. Nebraska opposite Merritt Beason was the first overall pick to the Atlanta Vibe, leading the Big Ten’s four selections in the first round.
The NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship bracket will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Big Ten Champion will be the conference’s automatic qualifier for the 2024 Tournament, which features 64 teams (32 AQ’s, 32 at-large). The national semifinals and final will be held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 19 (semifinals) and Dec. 22 (final).

16 Big Ten Players Chosen in Pro Volleyball Federation Draft

Big Ten Conference — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Sixteen players from the Big Ten Conference were chosen in the 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) Draft. The 16 selections led all conferences, and Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin led the way with three selections each.

Nebraska opposite Merritt Beason was the first overall pick to the Atlanta Vibe, leading the Big Ten's four selections in the first round.

Listed below are this year's selections:

2024 PVF DRAFT

Name	School	Round	Pick (Overall)	PVF Team
Merritt Beason	Nebraska	1	1	Atlanta Vibe
Camryn Hannah	Penn State	1	4	Vegas Thrill
Devyn Robinson	Wisconsin	1	5	San Diego Mojo
Raven Colvin	Purdue	1	7	Grand Rapids Rise
Emily Londot	Ohio State	2	10	Omaha Supernovas
Raina Terry	Illinois	2	11	Columbus Fury
Ally Batenhorst	USC	2	15	Omaha Supernovas
CC Crawford	Wisconsin	2	16	Indy Ignite
Lydia Grote	Minnesota	3	17	Orlando Valkyries
Lindsay Krause	Nebraska	3	19	Omaha Supernovas
Taylor Trammell	Penn State	3	20	Indy Ignite
Leyla Blackwell	Nebraska	4	26	San Diego Mojo
Mia Tuaniga	USC	4	27	Atlanta Vibe
Anna Smrek	Wisconsin	4	31	Orlando Valkyries
Nalani Iosia	Michigan State	5	39	Orlando Valkyries
Jess Mruzik	Penn State	5	40	Grand Rapids Rise

Ohio State, Penn State and Nebraska Claim Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Player of the Week
Emily Londot, Ohio State
Gr. – OPP – Utica, Ohio – Master’s: Kinesiology

Led the Buckeyes to a pair of wins in their final home weekend of the season against RV Washington and Indiana

Londot averaged 4.50 kills/set, hitting nearly .400, as well as 5.13 points/set, 2.88 digs/set and 0.63 blocks/set

In the sweep of Washington, Londot led all players with 16 kills and added nine digs, two aces and two blocks

In the win against Indiana, Londot recorded her sixth 20-kill match of the season and hit .405. She added 14 digs for her 16th double-double of the season, and also recorded a trio of blocks. Londot had eight kills in the fourth set to help the Buckeyes force a fifth set and then was 3-of-3 in the fifth set to help the team hit .833 in the set

Last Ohio State Player of the Week: Emily Londot (Sept. 16, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Gillian Grimes, Penn State
Jr. - L – Westchester, Ill. - Major: Criminology

Grimes averaged 5.29 digs/set and chipped in with 1.43 assists/set in No. 4 Penn State's home wins over No. 8 Purdue and RV Washington

Racked up 20 digs in just three sets in the Nittany Lions' sweep of nationally-ranked Purdue on Thursday, helping hold the Boilermakers to .142 hitting

Added 17 digs and contributed an ace in a 3-1 win over Washington on Sunday, helping hold the Huskies to .124 hitting

Grimes tallied five assists in both matches

Last Penn State Defensive Player of the Week: Allie Holland (Sept. 12, 2022)

Co-Setter of the Week
Bergen Reilly, Nebraska
So. – S – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Major: Business and Law

Set the Huskers to two sweeps last week over Iowa and No. 6 Wisconsin, averaging 12.83 assists per set with 11 digs, five kills, four blocks and two aces

Reilly set the Huskers to a combined .355 hitting percentage on the week, including .472 at Iowa and .259 against Wisconsin

Reilly recorded 41 assists, eight digs, three kills, three blocks and two aces in the win at Iowa

Followed up that outing with 36 assists, three digs, two kills and a block against Wisconsin to earn the season sweep over the Badgers

Last Nebraska Setter of the Week: Bergen Reilly (Nov. 18, 2024)

Co-Setter of the Week
Izzy Starck, Penn State
Fr. – S – Viera, Fla. – Major: Undecided

Averaged 11.29 assists, 2.71 digs, 1.29 blocks, and 1.29 kills per set in No. 4 Penn State's home wins over No. 8 Purdue and RV Washington

In the sweep over the nationally-ranked Boilermakers on Thursday, Starck racked up 38 assists, 10 digs, five blocks, and three kills for her 12^th double-double of the season

Followed that outing with 41 assists, nine digs, four blocks and six kills in a 3-1 win over Washington on Sunday

Last Penn State Setter of the Week: Izzy Starck (Oct. 28, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Emmi Sellman, Ohio State
OH – Burtonsville, Md. – Major: Exploration

Helped lead the Buckeyes to a pair of wins vs. Washington and Indiana this past weekend by averaging 3.63 kills/set, 1.88 digs/set and 0.50 blocks/set

In the sweep of Washington, Sellman finished with 10 kills, six digs, a pair of aces and a block

In the win against Indiana, she totaled 19 kills, nine digs and three blocks. In the fifth set, Sellman was a perfect 5-of-5 to help the team to a .833 hitting percentage in the deciding set. She played a role in all four points to end the match, including recording the kill on match point

Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Mia Tuman (Nov. 6, 2023)

Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central Nov. 20-26

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Composite Schedule

Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Big Ten Record Book | AVCA Top 25 | Big Ten Weekly Release

Seven of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are mentioned in this week’s AVCA Coaches Poll, announced on Monday. The poll includes No. 2 Nebraska, No. 4 Penn State, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 8 Purdue, No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Minnesota and No. 21 USC. Washington is receiving votes.
Six Big Ten teams are among the Top 25 in the latest RPI rankings: #1 Nebraska, #6 Penn State, #9 Wisconsin, #16 USC, #17 Purdue and #18 Oregon. The six teams are tied with the Big 12 for the most of any conference in the Top 25. Three additional teams are among the Top 50 in RPI, including #27 Illinois, #29 Minnesota and #33 Washington.
Bergen Reilly (6th), Taylor Anderson (9th), Izzy Starck (10th) and Charlie Fuerbringer (12th) rank among the nation’s top setters in assists per set. The Big Ten’s four in the Top 15 are the most of any Division I conference. These setters are cueing a potent offense for each of their respective Big Ten schools. Penn State is third in the nation, averaging 14.56 kills per set, followed by Nebraska (7th - 14.27), Purdue (10th - 14.19) and Wisconsin (25th - 13.88).
Penn State’s Taylor Trammell leads the nation with a .466 hitting percentage (197-32-354).
Phoebe Awoleye reached 600 career blocks on Nov. 14 at Nebraska. She currently holds 609, which is third among all active Division I players in that category.
Already the owner of Indiana’s all-time aces record, setter Camryn Haworth became Indiana’s all-time leader in assists (during the rally-scoring era), after recording 28 assists against Iowa to take her career tally to 3,727. Haworth surpassed Megan Tallman’s previous record of 3,711 assists.
Two weeks remain in the regular season, and this week features four key matchups for Big Ten opponents in the Top 25. No. 6 Wisconsin welcomes No. 16 Minnesota to Madison on Wednesday for a 9 p.m. ET first serve on Big Ten Network. Action continues with No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 8 Purdue on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on BTN. The Boilermakers will see another ranked opponent on Saturday, welcoming No. 21 USC to West Lafayette for a 7 p.m. ET start on B1G+. Looking to extend its nation-leading home win streak to 41 and earn a season sweep of #6 Wisconsin, #2 Nebraska hosts the Badgers on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on BTN.
Nebraska’s 3-1 win over Minnesota on Thursday, Nov. 14, drew an average of 250,000 viewers on Big Ten Network. On Saturday, Nebraska vs. Indiana averaged 174,000 viewers on the Network.
The NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship bracket will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Big Ten Champion will be the conference’s automatic qualifier for the 2024 Tournament, which features 64 teams (32 AQ’s, 32 at-large). The national semifinals and final will be held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 19 (semifinals) and Dec. 22 (final).
The AVCA has revealed 14 semifinalists for the AVCA Division I Player of the Year award. Five from Big Ten institutions are among the 14 semifinalists. The 2024 AVCA Player of the Year will be announced on Friday, Dec. 20, in Louisville, KY, during the AVCA Convention.

Wisconsin, Michigan State and Nebraska Claim Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Player of the Week
Sarah Franklin, Wisconsin
Fifth-Year – OH – Lake Worth, Fla. – Major: Communications

Helped Wisconsin to a 2-0 week with wins over No. 23 USC and UCLA

Totaled 32 kills across the two matches, including a match-high 19 kills against UCLA where she hit .378 (19-2-45)

Recorded 13 kills against the nationally ranked Trojans, hitting .632 with one error on 19 attempts

Averaged 4.57 kills per set and hit .453 on the weekend, committing just three errors on 64 attempts

Added two aces, 0.57 assists per set, 1.43 digs per set, 0.43 blocks per set and averaged 5.07 points per set

Last Wisconsin Player of the Week: Sarah Franklin (Nov. 11, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Nalani Iosia, Michigan State
Sr. - L – Long Beach, Calif. - Major: Sociology

Helped Michigan State to a 2-0 week with a pair of wins over Michigan (3-1) and Iowa (3-0)

Recorded 23 digs vs. Michigan, averaging 5.75 digs/set, limiting the Wolverines to .134 hitting and added seven assists

Helped the Michigan State defense hold Iowa to a season-low –0.020 hitting percentage, the lowest opponent hitting percentage in a Big Ten match against Michigan State since 2014

Iosia tallied 12 digs, five assists and one ace against the Hawkeyes

Last Michigan State Defensive Player of the Week: Nalani Iosia (Sept. 9, 2024)

Setter of the Week
Bergen Reilly, Nebraska
So. – S – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Major: Business and Law

Led Nebraska to wins over No. 16 Minnesota and Indiana with 10.71 assists per set and 3.86 digs per set

In a 3-1 win over the Golden Gophers, Reilly has 40 assists and career-highs of 20 digs and six kills

Reilly became the first Husker setter to record at least 40 assists, 20 digs and five kills in a match in the rally scoring era (since 2001)

Capped the weekend with 35 assists and seven digs in a sweep of Indiana, guiding the Nebraska offense to .324 hitting

On the week, Reilly totaled 75 assists, 27 digs, eight kills, seven blocks and one ace

Last Nebraska Setter of the Week: Bergen Reilly (Oct. 14, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Charlie Fuerbringer, Wisconsin
S – Hermosa Beach, Calif. – Major: Real Estate

Helped the Badgers to a 2-0 weekend with wins over No. 23 USC and UCLA

Averaged 11.71 assists per set, including a match-high 47 in a 3-1 win over the Bruins

Fuerbringer guided the Wisconsin offense to a .402 hitting percentage vs. UCLA and a .333 hitting percentage against USC

Tallied 35 assists in a 3-0 win over the nationally ranked Trojans

Across the two matches, Fuerbringer combined for 82 assists (11.71/set), 17 digs (2.43/set), four aces and four blocks

Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Charlie Fuerbringer (Oct. 7, 2024)

Five Big Ten Volleyball Players Named AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalists

AVCA — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central Nov. 13-19

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Composite Schedule

Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Big Ten Record Book | AVCA Top 25 | Big Ten Weekly Release

Seven of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are mentioned in this week’s AVCA Coaches Poll, announced on Monday. The poll includes No. 2 Nebraska, No. 4 Penn State, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 8 Purdue, No. 11 Oregon, No. 16 Minnesota and No. 23 USC. Washington is receiving votes. The seven teams are the most of any conference this week.
NBC’s Wisconsin vs. Penn State coverage on Saturday averaged 672,000 viewers in the top-10 matchup. It became the most-watched Big Ten conference match this season on any network.
Oregon hosted Nebraska in front of a Matthew Knight Arena record crowd of 8,566 fans. Two days later, Washington announced a sold-out Alaska Airlines Arena, shattering the Washington volleyball attendance record as 9,768 fans watched the Huskies vs. the Huskers on Big Ten Network. The Saturday night match drew an average of 286,000 viewers on BTN.
Illinois’ Raina Terry surpassed 2,000 career kills in a 3-2 win over then-No. 20 USC on Friday. It was Illinois’ first win over a ranked opponent this season. On Nov. 1, Terry became the Fighting Illini’s all-time leader in aces, points and kills. Terry is one of just two Big Ten active players with over 2,000 kills, second to only Ohio State’s Emily Londot, who is second among all active Division I players with 2,129 kills. Terry’s 2,016 career kills are fourth among all active Division I players.
Nebraska has won 21 matches in a row, dating back to Sept. 3. Seventeen of the 21 wins have been sweeps. Nebraska is 9-0 against opponents ranked in the AVCA Top 25 at match time this season and a program-best 6-0 against opponents in the top 10.
Washington, who is receiving votes for the fifth straight week, topped 14th-ranked Minnesota last week for its first ranked road win since 2021. It was Washington’s second Top-20 win in three matches.
2,857 fans attended the Indiana vs. Purdue match on Nov. 8, setting an Indiana attendance record at Wilkinson Hall.
Three Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally in blocks per set. Wisconsin leads the nation, averaging 3.09 blocks per set, while USC is fourth (2.95) and Oregon is eighth (2.86).
Penn State leads the Big Ten and is fourth nationally, averaging 14.56 kills per set. Nebraska is seventh nationally in this category, averaging 14.28 kills per set, while Purdue is 15th with 14.07 kills/set and Wisconsin is 21st with 13.85 kills per set.
Three ranked matches are scheduled for this week, starting with #2 Nebraska vs. #16 Minnesota on Thursday on Big Ten Network, followed by #23 USC vs. #6 Wisconsin. It’s the Gophers third-straight opponent who is ranked or receiving votes. The Trojans welcome the Badgers for the two team’s first meeting since 2014. Looking to even the regular season series, USC will host No. 11 Oregon on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on B1G+.
The AVCA has revealed 14 semifinalists for the AVCA Division I Player of the Year award. Five from Big Ten institutions are among the 14 semifinalists. The 2024 AVCA Player of the Year will be announced on Friday, Dec. 20, in Louisville, KY, during the AVCA Convention.

Purdue, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Illinois Earn Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Co-Player of the Week
Eva Hudson, Purdue
Jr. - OH – Fort Wayne, Ind. – Major: Biomedical Health Sciences/Pre-Medicine

Led Purdue to a 2-0 week with wins over Indiana (3-1) and Michigan (3-0), averaging a conference-leading 6.43 kills per set and 7.29 points per set

Hudson recorded her eighth double-double of the season, tallying a season-high-tying 26 kills at Indiana behind a .373 hitting percentage with 10 digs and five blocks to tie her career-best. She finished the match with a season-high 29.5 points

Finished with 19 kills and a .350 clip to lead the Purdue offense to a 3-0 win over Michigan

Went perfect in receptions, making zero errors in the back row against the Wolverines

Last Purdue Player of the Week: Eva Hudson (Sept. 2, 2024)

Co-Player of the Week
Sarah Franklin, Wisconsin
Fifth-Year – OH – Lake Worth, Fla. – Major: Communications

Led the Wisconsin offense to a 2-0 weekend, including a 3-0 win over No. 3 Penn State and a 3-0 win vs. Iowa

Across the two matches, Franklin averaged 4.67 kills per set with a .431 hitting percentage with zero hitting errors (28-0-65)

Against the Nittany Lions, Franklin tallied 13 kills with a .419 hitting percentage and recorded eight digs

In the win over the Hawkeyes, Franklin recorded 15 kills (5.00 kills/set) with zero errors on 34 attempts to hit .441

Franklin has now hit above .400 six times this season and this weekend marked the first time in 2024 that she has hit above .400 in back-to-back matches

Last Wisconsin Player of the Week: Sarah Franklin (Sept. 23, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Lexi Rodriguez, Nebraska
Sr. - L – Sterling, Ill. - Major: Integrated Media Communications

Averaged 4.17 digs per set to help Nebraska to a pair of standout defensive performances in 3-0 wins over No. 12 Oregon and RV Washington

Rodriguez had 14 digs in the sweep at Oregon as the Huskers held Oregon to a .133 hitting percentage

Rodriguez had 11 digs and served two aces at Washington as Nebraska limited the Huskies to .158 hitting

Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Andi Jackson (Oct. 28, 2024)

Setter of the Week
Charlie Fuerbringer, Wisconsin
Fr. – S – Hermosa Beach, Calif. – Major: Real Estate

Helped the Badgers to a 2-0 week with a pair of 3-0 wins over No. 3 Penn State and Iowa

Fuerbringer recorded her sixth and seventh double-double of the season, tallying 32 assists and 12 digs vs. Iowa and 38 assists and 12 digs vs. Penn State

The freshman setter averaged 11.67 assists per set and 4.00 digs per set and chipped in defensively with 4.0 total blocks and four kills across the two matches

Fuerbringer cued a Wisconsin offense that hit .465 (50-3-101) against Penn State and .394 (42-5-94) against Iowa

Last Wisconsin Setter of the Week: Sydney Hilley (Nov. 22, 2021)

Freshman of the Week
Ashlyn Philpot, Illinois
MB – Greenville, N.C. – Major: Biology

Helped the Fighting Illini to a 2-0 week, including a 3-2 win over No. 20 USC and a 3-0 win over Ohio State

Against the Trojans, Philpot tallied a career-high 17 kills behind a .433 hitting percentage. Defensively, Philpot added four blocks and a dig. The middle blocker finished the day with a career-best 19 points

Philpot paced the Illinois defense with 11 kills and a .667 hitting percentage in the sweep of the Buckeyes. She also led the Illini defense with six blocks

Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Raina Terry (March 22, 2020)

USC, Purdue and Penn State Earn Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

Big Ten Conference — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Player of the Week
Ally Batenhorst, USC
Gr. - OH– Houston, Texas – Master’s: Digital Media Management

Produced her 6^th and 7^th double-doubles of the season (8^th and 9^th of her career)

Powered the USC offense with 16 kills and .536 hitting in a sweep of UCLA to go with 10 digs and two blocks for 17.5 points

Added 10 kills, 10 digs and three blocks in a four-set win over Washington

Ended the week with a combined .344 hitting percentage (26 kills, 61 attempts)

Received serve 35 times for the Trojans and had a .914 reception percentage

Batenhorst is the first USC player to be named Big Ten Player of the Week

Defensive Player of the Week
Ali Hornung, Purdue
Sr. - L – New Albany, Ind. - Major: Hospitality & Tourism Management

Helped Purdue to a 2-0 week with sweeps over Maryland and Rutgers, averaging 5.71 digs per set with 31 digs in six sets of action

Helped guide Purdue to a conference-leading 17.67 digs per set, posting 17 digs at Maryland and 14 at Rutgers

Hornung made zero reception errors in both matches, seeing 21 at Maryland and 20 at Rutgers

Helped the Boilermaker defense hold opponents to a .159 average opponent hitting percentage

Also tallied one ace in each of the wins

Last Purdue Defensive Player of the Week: Ali Hornung (Oct. 7, 2024)

Setter of the Week
Mia Tuaniga, USC
Sr. – S – Long Beach, Calif. – Major: Communication

Put up 40 and 37 assists, averaging 11.00 assists per set, guiding USC to its fifth and sixth matches over .300 hitting this season in a pair of wins over UCLA and Washington

Had eight digs against UCLA and 11 against Washington for her seventh double-double of the season

Served five aces against Washington for her 19^th career match with three or more aces and her fifth with five or more in the same match

Moved into 4^th place at USC in career service aces (146) and third overall in career assists (4,158)

Last USC Setter of the Week: Mia Tuaniga (Sept. 23, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Izzy Starck, Penn State
S – Viera, Fla. – Major: Undeclared

Averaged 10.71 assists per set while leading Penn State to .313 hitting and added 3.00 digs per set as the Nittany Lions improved to 12-0 in the Big Ten with wins over Michigan and Iowa at Rec Hall

Recorded her 10^th double-double of the season in a sweep of Michigan on Wednesday, finishing with 26 assists and 14 digs while helping the team hit .300

Piled up 49 assists and added seven digs and four blocks while guiding Penn State to .321 hitting in a four-set win over the Hawkeyes

Earns her sixth Freshman of the Week honor this season

Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Izzy Starck (Oct. 28, 2024)

Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central - Oct. 30 - Nov. 5

Big Ten Conference — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Volleyball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Composite Schedule

Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | Big Ten Record Book
AVCA Top 25 | Big Ten Weekly Release

Seven of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are mentioned in this week’s AVCA Coaches Poll, announced on Monday. The poll includes No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Penn State, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 10 Oregon, No. 11 Purdue, No. 15 Minnesota and No. 21 USC. Three teams are receiving votes, Michigan, UCLA and Washington.
Illinois’ Raina Terry became the program’s all-time points record holder on Sunday against Iowa. Terry paced the Illini attack with 18 kills and 22.5 points in the match. Terry also surpassed 200 career service aces, the first-ever Illinois player to reach 200 service aces in program history.
Wisconsin continued it’s climb among the AVCA’s Top-10, reaching No. 7 in this week’s poll after defeating then-No. 10 Purdue and Indiana. The Badgers own a nine-match win streak and prepare to host No. 2 Nebraska on Friday on BTN.
With Wisconsin’s win vs. Indiana last Thursday, Head Coach Kelly Sheffield became the winningest coach in program history with 306 Wisconsin career victories.
Penn State has a 16-match Big Ten regular season win streak, which is the longest active streak in the conference. Their last regular season loss in conference play came on Nov. 5, 2023. Penn State will host Michigan and Iowa this week, and will look to extend its 14 match win streak inside Rec Hall.
Michigan State earned its first ranked-win since Oct. 28, 2023 with a five-set reverse sweep over then-No. 16 USC on Thursday. It was the Spartans’ first Big Ten win of the 2024 season.
The Spartans’ Julia Bishop was named an AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship Recipient on Wednesday. Funded by AVCA members, the scholarship program was developed as a way to provide a head start to young coaches and recent college graduates who have interest in coaching volleyball. This year’s 18 Coaches 4 Coaches recipients join more than 165 program alums.
Saturday’s second NBC match of 2024 drew an average of 421,000 viewers for the Purdue vs. Wisconsin matchup. It was the second-most watched Big Ten conference matchup of the season.
BTN will carry a trio of doubleheaders this week, starting on Wednesday with Penn State vs. Michigan and Washington vs. Oregon. BTN’s volleyball coverage continues on Thursday with Ohio State vs. Iowa and UCLA vs. USC on Big Ten Network. Friday features Maryland vs. Purdue, followed by Wisconsin vs. Nebraska at 9 p.m. ET.
The second half of Big Ten play begins this week and Nebraska and Penn State remain undefeated in conference action (10-0).
The AVCA added 16 players to its 2024 National Player of the Year Watch List on Friday, Oct. 18. Added to the list from the Big Ten were Minnesota’s Julia Hanson, Nebraska’s Andi Jackson, Oregon’s Onye Ofoegbu, Penn State’s Izzy Starck and Taylor Trammell and USC’s Ally Batenhorst.
The NCAA committee announced its in-season top-16 rankings on Oct. 20. Seven Big Ten teams were among the top-16 including No. 1 Nebraska, No. 3 Penn State, No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 10 Oregon, No. 12 Purdue, No. 15 USC and No. 16 Minnesota.