Sept. 4, 2006
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Big Ten Dominant in First Two Weeks
Of the 58 matches played in the opening two weeks, Big Ten teams were victorious in 52 of them, winning 90 percent of the contests. Conference teams also managed a 163-40 (.803) record in the 203 games played.
Off to Quick Starts...
At 7-0, Michigan boasts its best start to a season since the Wolverines opened 8-0 in 2004 and this marks the second-straight year Purdue has opened 7-0. With its 6-0 mark, Michigan State is enjoying its best start since 2001. Illinois, Ohio State and Penn State have also posted 6-0 records to begin the 2006 season.
Illinois' Brown and OSU's Stevens Post Top Clips
This past weekend, Illinois junior Vicki Brown and Ohio State junior Ami Stevens each posted the conference's top hitting percentage of the season at .667. On Sept. 1, Stevens recorded 14 kills and no errors on 21 attempts against Iona, while Brown had 18 kills and a pair of errors on 24 attempts.
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.
