Aug. 28, 2006
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Big Ten Enjoys Near-Perfect Beginning
Of the 26 matches played last weekend, Big Ten teams were victorious in 24 of them, winning 92 percent of the contests. Conference teams also managed a 74-17 (.813) record in the 91 games played.
Gophers and Wildcats Open Seasons This Week
No. 22 Minnesota and Northwestern will begin their 2006 campaigns this week as the Wildcats host Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday, while the Golden Gophers travel to St. Louis, Mo., for tournament action.
Spartans' Ianni Posts Big Ten's First Triple-Double
Michigan State senior setter Allison Ianni captured the conference's first triple-double over the weekend as she recorded 11 kills, 10 digs and 55 assists against IPFW on Friday. The feat was her second career triple-double and the first Spartan triple-double since 2000. Ianni's efforts helped MSU to its 10th-consecutive season opening win.
Buckeye Blocks into Big Ten Record Books
Ohio State freshman Kristen Dozier posted 13 block assists last week in the Buckeyes' win at Houston, which tied her for eighth all-time on the conference's single-game charts. Dozier is the 14th Big Ten student-athlete to record 13 block assists and the first since Northwestern's Erika Lange on Oct. 16, 2001.
Five Schools Ranked in Nation's Top 25
Five Big Ten volleyball teams have been selected to the CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced August 8. Penn State, which garnered 17 first-place votes, leads the Big Ten contingent at No. 2, followed by No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 16 Purdue, No. 22 Minnesota and No. 23 Ohio State. Northwestern will enter 2006 ranked outside the top 25, but is receiving votes from the panel of coaches.
The Big Ten's five teams are second only to the Pac-10, which placed six teams in the poll.
Illini Standout Stars in Big Ten Campaign
Beth Vrdsky, a senior specialist on the Illinois squad, is one of 11 selected student-athletes that will be the face of the Big Ten Conference this year as it celebrates its 25th Anniversary of Women's Championships. Vrdsky has been featured in a 30-second public service announcement "sharing her story" about her dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. To learn more about Vrdsky, as well as the conference's year-long campaign, log on to bigten.org.
Big Ten Boasts 14 Televised Matches in 2006
The Big Ten office recently announced a 14-match television lineup for the upcoming 2006 volleyball season. Three Big Ten contests each will be televised nationally on ESPN2 and CSTV, while the remaining eight matches have been selected for regional coverage on Comcast SportsNet Chicago (CSN Chicago). The 2006 television schedule will feature each conference school in action at least once during the season.
