- The Big Ten advanced two programs to the NCAA national semifinals, No. 3-seed Illinois and No. 7-seed Nebraska. Illinois and Nebraska’s national semifinal berths mark the 16th-straight year that the Big Ten has had at least one team in the national semifinals. Since 1981, at least one conference team has reached the national semifinals 20 times and two teams have appeared a total of 11 times. Nebraska advanced to its fourth straight NCAA women’s volleyball national championship match, while Illinois reached its first NCAA national semifinals since 2011. For more, click here.
- Seventeen Big Ten volleyball students were selected as AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) All-Americans, as announced by the AVCA. The total ties the Big Ten record of honorees. A Big Ten-record nine Big Ten students are first-team All-America selections. Represented on the first team are Illinois’ Jordyn Poulter and Jacqueline Quade, Minnesota’s Stephanie Samedy and Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Nebraska’s Mikaela Foecke and Lauren Stivrins, Penn State’s Kendall White, Purdue’s Sherridan Atkinson and Wisconsin’s Dana Rettke. For more, click here.
- Nebraska outside hitter Mikaela Foecke was selected as the 2018 Senior CLASS Award® winner in NCAA® Division I women’s volleyball. The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I volleyball coaches, national volleyball media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I volleyball. For more, click here.
- Two Big Ten students were named to the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Google Cloud Academic All-America Division I Volleyball teams as announced by CoSIDA. Iowa senior libero Molly Kelly was selected as the Google Cloud Academic All-America® of the Year for Division I women’s volleyball and given first team honors. Michigan State junior defensive specialist Samantha McLean earned third team recognition. For more, click here.
- Thirty-one Big Ten volleyball players and two Big Ten coaches were honored with American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region honors as announced by the organization. In addition, Minnesota’s Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Illinois’ Jordyn Poulter garnered AVCA North and Northeast Region Player of the Year honors, respectively. Minnesota’s Adanna Rollins and Penn State’s Jonni Parker were named AVCA North and Northeast Region Freshman of the Year, respectively. Minnesota head coach Hugh McCutcheon was named the AVCA North Region Coach of the Year and Illinois’ Chris Tamas collected AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year honors. For more, click here.
- The Big Ten announced its individual award winners, with standouts from Illinois, Minnesota and Penn State earning recognition. The Gophers’ Samantha Seliger-Swenson was named the Big Ten Player of the Year by a vote of the conference’s coaches. Penn State’s Kendall White was tabbed the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year while Illinois’ Jordyn Poulter and Minnesota’s Seliger-Swenson earned Co-Setter of the Year honors. Penn State’s Jonni Parker earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, while Minnesota head coach Hugh McCutcheon was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by the conference’s coaches and media contingent. For more, click here.
- Four active Big Ten coaches have recorded at least 600 career wins: Penn State’s Russ Rose (1,272), Nebraska’s John Cook (721), Michigan State’s Cathy George (638) and Michigan’s Mark Rosen (617). Rose ranks first among active Division I coaches in career victories, while Cook ranks 10th, George is 15th and Rosen is No. 18.
- Eight Big Ten volleyball standouts were named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District® Volleyball Team, as announced by CoSIDA. Illinois’ Ali Bastianelli and Jordyn Poulter, Iowa’s Molly Kelly, Michigan’s Madeleine Abbott, Jenna Lerg and Carly Skjodt, Michigan State’s Samantha McLean, and Nebraska’s Mikaela Foecke were all named to their respective Academic All-District teams. For more, click here.
- Seven Big Ten programs earned spots in the final AVCA coaches poll, with five teams ranked among the top 10: No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Illinois, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Minnesota, No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 12 Michigan and No. 17 Purdue.
- Based on average attendance, the Big Ten finished the 2018 season with ten of the nation’s top 25 teams, including three of the top five. Nebraska led the nation, averaging 8,205 fans per contest, Wisconsin is second with 6,595, Minnesota is fourth at 5,318, Penn State is seventh with 3,346, while Michigan State finished at No. 8 with 3,069 patrons per contest. Illinois (2,856) finished 10th in the nation, while Purdue (2,213) came in at No. 17. Ohio State (2,089) finished 20th, Iowa (2,025) is 21st and Michigan rounded out the top 25 with 1,860 fans per game.
