Nov. 2, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
For daily updates on Big Ten volleyball, head over to the Big Ten Volleyball Blog at: http://www.bigten.org/blog/volley_blog.html
FACES OF THE BIG TEN
Karlee Bruck, Michigan
So., Elyria, Ohio
Going away to college can be a life-altering experience for many. For Michigan sophomore Karlee Bruck it was a life-changing first year in Ann Arbor. Upon arriving to campus, Bruck began workouts with the team in preparations for the 2007 season, her first as a collegian. Over the course of a few weeks, Bruck felt increasingly tired and was losing weight. Athletic trainers at Michigan became worried when symptoms did not improve, causing Bruck to go through a battery of tests that eventually led to the diagnosis of Type-2 Diabetes. Bruck, who sat out that season with a medical redshirt, rebounded last season to the tune of 30 starting assignments and 103 blocks in the middle of the U-M lineup. The Elyria, Ohio, native now plays and practices with a diabetic pump under her uniform, a constant reminder of just how far she has come in her time with the Maize and Blue.
Big Ten Polling Place
Penn State once again comes in at No. 1 in the latest edition of the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 poll, followed for the second time this year by another Big Ten team in the top five. Illinois is up one spot from last week in a tie for fifth, marking the program’s highest spot since Sept. 22, 1992. Minnesota comes in at No. 12, while Michigan follows at No. 15, giving the Big Ten four top-15 teams, which ranks second among all conferences. Michigan State and Ohio State are each receiving votes outside the top 25. So far this year, nine conference teams have been ranked or have received votes at some point during the season.
Ripping Up the RPI
The Big Ten once again leads all conferences with four teams in the top 10 of the latest NCAA RPI report. Penn State leads the conference at No. 2, followed by No. 4 Illinois, No. 6 Minnesota and No. 10 Michigan. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are tied with six teams each in the top 25 as Michigan State comes in at No. 23 and Ohio State follows at No. 25. The Big Ten and the Pac-10 are the only two conferences in the nation to boast all of their teams within the RPI’s top 80.
Making Their Mark
Penn State’s win over Minnesota on Saturday marked the team’s 88th consecutive victory, tying the Nittany Lions with the 1971-74 UCLA men’s basketball teams for fourth on the NCAA’s list of all-time winning streaks across all sports. A victory at Wisconsin on Friday would tie Penn State with the 2003-07 Stanford women’s tennis teams for third on the list. The Miami (Fla.) men’s tennis team holds the all-time record with 137 straight wins from 1957-64, followed by the 1990-94 North Carolina women’s soccer teams, who won 92 consecutive contests.
Movin’ On Up
Ohio State’s win over then-No. 7 Minnesota on Saturday marked the first in 19 attempts for the Buckeyes under second-year head coach Geoff Carlston. Following the victory, Ohio State received votes in the coaches poll for the first time since Sept. 24, 2007.
Going Streaking
Illinois picked up its ninth straight Big Ten win on Saturday against Purdue, marking the program’s longest conference winning streak since 1992, when Illinois won 18 straight en route to the program’s most recent Big Ten title. That year also marked Illinois’ last appearance in the AVCA top five, prior to this week.
Full Coverage
Big Ten volleyball is enjoying vast coverage during the 2009 season with 23 matches broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network, ESPN2 and ESPNU. In addition, 21 more matches are being streamed on www.BigTenNetwork.com. The complete broadcast schedule can be found on Page 5 of this release.
Daily doses of Big Ten volleyball news can be found on the Big Ten Volleyball Blog, at http://www.bigten.org/blog/volley_blog.html. Keep track of Big Ten volleyball in real-time by logging on to Twitter and following @BigTenConf and @BigTenVal.
