Oct. 11, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Faces of the Big Ten
Anna Szerszen, Ohio State
Sr. OH, Conflans Ste Hne, France
A fifth-year senior, Anna has played with the French National Team. She came back from surgery in 2008 to continue playing for the Buckeyes. An Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and an Academic All-Big Ten selection, Anna is working toward a bachelor of science in business administration and a master of business administration degree. A Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award winner, she was honored by the Fisher College Of Business with the Pace Setters' Jack W. Stephenson Award, presented each year to students with outstanding scholastic leadership and athletic accomplishments.
First Serve
An exciting weekend of Big Ten volleyball action ended with three teams at the top of the standings and two teams trailing by just one game as one-fourth of the conference season is in the books. No. 8 Illinois, No. 15 Michigan and No. 20 Northwestern are tied at the top of the standings at 5-1, while No. 19 Minnesota and Purdue boast 4-2 marks. Six Big Ten matches will be produced for a national audience this week, including one on ESPN2 and one on the Big Ten Network. This week, Big Ten leaders Illinois and Michigan will host a pair of matches this week, while Northwestern faces the Wolverines on Friday.
Where We Rank
Seven Big Ten teams were mentioned in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll, including five that in the top 20. Illinois and Penn State remain in the top 10, with the Illini checking in at No. 8, and the Nittany Lions appearing at No. 9. Michigan moved up three spots from last week and is now ranked 15th. Minnesota and Northwestern round out the ranked conference contingent at Nos. 19 and No. 20, respectively. Purdue and Indiana also are receiving votes this week.
CLASS-y Group
Three Big Ten volleyball student-athletes were named finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for volleyball. The award is given annually to outstanding seniors who have demonstrated excellence in four areas - community, classroom, character and competition. Illinois' Laura DeBruler, Minnesota's Lauren Gibbemeyer and Penn State's Arielle Wilson are among this year's finalists. Fans can log on to www.seniorclassaward.com and vote once a day through Nov. 23, as one-third of fans' votes will be used, along with votes from national media and coaches, to determine this year's winner, which will be announced during the 2010 NCAA Championship.
This and That
Michigan is off to its best Big Ten start under coach Mark Rosen at 5-1, tied for the best start in program history (1997) ... Northwestern's 15-2 start is the best in program history, bettering the 14-3 mark set by the 1987 squad ... Purdue's win over No. 4 Penn State on Friday was the program's first over at top 5 opponent.
Got You Covered
This season, Big Ten women's volleyball will enjoy extensive television coverage, with 25 matches being broadcast nationally. The Big Ten Network is televising 22 conference volleyball matchups, while ESPN2 will showcase three contests this season. Additionally, the Big Ten Network will stream numerous matches online at www.bigtennetwork.com.
Also, for up to the minute news and notes on Big Ten volleyball, log on to the Big Ten Volleyball Blog at http://www.bigten.org/blog/volleyball/ or follow on Twitter at @BigTenDan.
