Aug. 30, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Faces of the Big Ten
Sabel Moffett, Sr., Northwestern
Temecula, Calif.
Sabel came into her own as one of the top players in the Big Ten in 2009, earning All-Big Ten honors. But Moffett has been just as successful off the court. She has been involved in Northwestern's Autism Awareness Day and Field Day, Read Across America and the Special Olympics. Moffett has also served as the Wildcats' representative at the NCAA Apple Conference, aimed at promoting student-athlete health and wellness. Moffett earned her bachelors degree in psychology in June, and is currently pursuing her master's degree in sport administration at Northwestern.
First Serve
The Big Ten enjoyed a successful opening weekend of action, combining for a 30-2 mark over the first three days of competition. Eight Big Ten teams opened the season with perfect 3-0 records, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin, while another, Northwestern, wrapped the weekend with a 2-0 mark.
Champions!
Big Ten teams took part in 11 invitationals during the first weekend of action, taking home the title in nine of them. Illinois claimed the Illini Classic, Indiana won the Georgia Tech Classic, Iowa was victorious in the Hawkeye Challenge, Michigan State captured the Michigan State Showcase, Minnesota finished as the Gopher Invitational champion, Northwestern won the Chicagoland Classic, Ohio State was victorious at the Sports Imports Classic, Penn State clinched the Carolina Classic crown, and Wisconsin claimed the Tribe Invitational.
Where We Rank
Seven Big Ten teams were represented in the weekly AVCA Division I Coaches Poll. Four teams ranked among the top 25, including Penn State, who once again occupied the top spot. Illinois and Minnesota each ranked in the top 10, with the Illini at No. 5 and the Gophers at No. 8. Michigan rounded out the ranked Big Ten squads at No. 19, while Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin also received votes in this week's poll.
CLASS-y Group
Five Big Ten volleyball student-athletes were named candidates for the inaugural 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for volleyball, it was announced today. The award will be given annually to outstanding seniors who have demonstrated excellence in four areas - community, classroom, character and competition.
Big Ten candidates include Illinois' Laura DeBruler, Michigan's Lexi Zimmerman, Minnesota's Lauren Gibbemeyer, Northwestern's Sabel Moffett and Penn State's Arielle Wilson. In total, 30 volleyball student-athletes were selected to the list, which will be narrowed to 10 midway through the season. The final group will be placed on the official ballot that will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans.
