Dec. 2, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Six Big Ten teams will play in the 2009 NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship, beginning on Thursday, including four national seeds. Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State will all host first- and second-round action this week, while Minnesota will host regional competition next weekend.
BIG TEN. BIG NEWS.
Sweet Six Teams
With six teams selected to the NCAA Championship, The Big Ten tied with the Big 12 for the second-highest representation among all conferences, behind only the Pac-10's eight teams. The Big Ten stands alone in second with four teams earning national seeds, behind the Pac-10's five. the Big Ten has sent six or more teams to the tournament in 12 of the last 13 years and has sent five or more squads in each of the last 17 seasons, since 1993.
This Looks Familiar
Penn State is making its 29th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship, joining Stanford to become the only two schools to participate in the tournament every year since its inception.
Home Sweet Home
Four Big Ten teams -- Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State -- will host first and second rounds of NCAA play, while Minnesota will host regional action. The Big Ten's four first-round hosts combined to go 51-8 (.864) at home during the regular season, while the Golden Gophers posted a 12-1 mark in Minneapolis this year.
Everybody Loves Three
Penn State is the only Big Ten team with an NCAA title to its name, owning three overall, including each of the last two. The Nittany Lions are looking to become the first program in Division I volleyball history to win three consecutive national crowns. Penn State won the Big Ten's first national volleyball title in 1999.
A Winning Tradition
Big Ten teams have combined to win 10 or more NCAA matches in each of the past six years, amounting to a 73-36 (.670) record during that span. The Big Ten has gone .500 or better in NCAA play every year since 1991, spanning the last 18 years. Big Ten teams have posted winning percentages of .600 or better in each of the last two years, including a conference-record .765 (13-4) mark last season.
Leaders of the Pack
Big Ten teams and individuals head in to NCAA play leading the nation in several statistical categories. Illinois' Johannah Bangert leads the country in blocks, averaging 1.58 per set, and looks to become the NCAA's stat champion in that category for the second straight year. Right behind her is Penn State's Arielle Wilson, ranking second with 1.55 bps. Wilson ranks first in hitting percentage with a .533 mark, 23 points higher than the next-closest player. Wilson is on pace to become the second consecutive Nittany Lion to lead the nation in hitting and the first player since 2004 to finish with a hitting percentage over .500. Wilson's current mark would break the NCAA record, which currently stands at .504 in the 30-point format and .519 overall. Led by Wilson, Penn State ranks first in hitting as a team with a .392 mark, which is 57 points higher than the second-ranked squad.
Follow Along
For daily updates on Big Ten volleyball, head to the Big Ten Volleyball Blog at: http://www.bigten.org/blog/volleyball/. Follow along in real time by logging on to Twitter and searching @BigTenConf and @BigTenVal. Also, the Twitter list @BigTenVal/bigten-volleyball is a composite listing of every official Big Ten volleyball Twitter account. Finally, for more information, become an online fan of the Big Ten by searching "Big Ten Conference" from your Facebook page.
