With eight matches remaining in the 2002 Big Ten volleyball season, the Minnesota Gophers have taken a commanding lead over the conference standings. The Gophers (24-3, 11-1) are atop the Big Ten with a three-game lead over Penn State (18-5, 8-4), Wisconsin (17-6, 8-4) and Michigan (14-8, 8-4).
The Gophers maintained the No. 7 position in the USA Today/Coaches Poll after sweeping their Big Ten opponents for the fifth time this season. Last weekend’s victory over Illinois avenged the Golden Gophers’ only loss of the season and represents the first time the team has beaten every school in the conference since it expanded to 11 teams in 1991.
The Michigan Wolverines moved into the three-way tie for second place after two key victories last weekend. The Wolverines defeated in-state rival Michigan State, sweeping the season series for the first time in 10 years and handing the Spartans their first home loss of the season.
They followed up this impressive feat by beating then-second-place Penn State and extending their winning streak to four matches. The Wolverines travel to Ohio State and Indiana this weekend before returning to Ann Arbor in hopes of retaining their perfection at home (9-0) against top-ranked Minnesota.
After starting the season 8-1 in conference play and tied for first place, the Penn State Nittany Lions have dropped their last three matches to Wisconsin, Michigan State and Michigan. The Lions are now tied for second and trying desperately to stave off two teams that are having their biggest momentum surges of the season.
The Wisconsin volleyball team is riding a three-game winning streak as it takes on Iowa and Minnesota this weekend. Along with the Wolverines, the Badgers have had a major revival in the last two weeks and now sit in a tie for second in the Big Ten. They have also moved up to the No. 13 ranking nationally.
The Badgers will take on a Hawkeye team that is bountiful with youth. Iowa is led by freshman outside hitter Echaka Agba, who averages 2.89 kills per game, and sophomore Laura Simpson, who averages 2.75 kills per game.
The real challenge of the weekend will come against Minnesota. The Gophers are on a six-game winning streak and are led by junior right side hitter Cassie Busse. The Badgers are looking to avenge the five-game heartbreaking loss they suffered at the hands of the Gophers in early October.
After last weekend’s victory against Indiana, it was apparent that the Badgers had come full circle since their early season miscues. Erin Byrd leads the Badger attack, averaging 4.16 kills per game, while setter Morgan Shields is third in the nation, averaging 14.08 assists per game.
“We’ve matured and grown a lot since that match,” head coach Pete Waite said. “I think sometimes you take some of those matches and get kicked in the teeth a little bit, and you get hurt and you start fighting back, and that’s the thing this team is starting to do. They’re starting to claw back and fight for what they want.”
Two Big Ten juniors followed in the footsteps of Wisconsin senior Erin Byrd this past week, as they recorded their career 1,000th kills. Last Friday Joanna Lowry recorded the milestone against Iowa, while Northwestern middle blocker Erika Lange achieved the feat Saturday against Indiana.
