In the rough-and-tumble Big Ten, it is somewhat hard to predict who will be left standing as the 2002 Big Ten volleyball champions.
Over the past few years, the Big Ten has become one of the most competitive conferences in the country for volleyball, and this year should be no different. Look forward to some intense battles between teams and some exciting upsets down the line.
No. 13 Wisconsin
The Badgers (9-2) come into the Big Ten season riding two consecutive Big Ten conference titles from 2000 and 2001.
Throughout the preseason, UW has looked impressive, winning its own Inntowner Invitational and Badger Invitational while tweaking the line-up and replacing All-Americans Lizzy Fitzgerald and Sherisa Livingston.
Senior tri-captain Erin Byrd, the Badgers’ only preseason All-Big Ten selection, has led the team from her position at outside hitter, putting down 3.69 kills per game and contributing 2.80 digs per game.
Junior Lisa Zukowski and senior tri-captain Lori Rittenhouse, Byrd’s partners in crime, have tallied 3.03 and 3.25 kills per game respectively, while also averaging 2.06 and 2.50 digs.
Guiding the team from the setter position is red-shirt junior and third team captain Morgan Shields who, after Sept. 15, was ranked second in the nation in assists per game with 13.96, a number which has actually gone up to 14.11 after this past weekend’s competition.
Providing the Badgers with a strong blocking presence at the net are senior Amy Hultgren and freshman Lauren Ford. Meanwhile, freshman Beth Haberli fills in for the two middle blockers in the back row as she plays the new libero position.
UW was picked to finish second in the Big Ten, but don’t be surprised if the Badgers take home their third-consecutive Big Ten title.
No. 8 Minnesota
So far this season, Minnesota (13-2) has become the surprise team in the nation. In the preseason Big Ten coaches’ poll, the Gophers were picked to finish a mediocre sixth place, but to the surprise of many, the Gophers have risen in the polls and are going into the Big Ten season ranked an amazing No. 8 in the country.
However, the Gophers are no strangers to success, as they finished second in the Big Ten in 1999 and 2000.
So far the team has beaten four ranked opponents, then-No. 19 Santa Clara, No. 20 UNC, No. 8 UCLA and No. 8 Pepperdine.
Minnesota brings to the court two preseason Big Ten selections in junior outside hitter Cassie Busse and junior middle blocker Bethany Brafford.
Busse, an extremely talented player, leads the team with 4.28 kills per game and also chips in 2.0 digs and 1.19 blocks per game.
Sophomore setter Lindsey VanderWell dishes out 12.52 assists per game, a number that is good enough for being ranked 30th in the country in assists.
Holding down the libero position for the Gophers is Paula Gentil, who is averaging 4.70 digs per game.
Look for the Minnesota team to scratch and crawl its way to a second-place finish in the Big Ten.
No. 9 Penn. State
The Nittany Lions (10-1), like the Gophers, have definitely been another overachieving team thus far this season. Picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten, the team has catapulted itself to No. 9 in the nation with its strong play this preseason.
PS has lost two-time All-American Katie Schumacher but is returning 10 talented letter-winners.
Senior outside hitter Mishka Levy and junior middle blocker Cara Smith are the team’s two representatives on the preseason all-Big-Ten team.
Both are averaging 1.17 blocks per game, and Levy is also scoring 4.35 kills per game. The two are major factors in the team’s national lead in hitting percentage as of Sept. 15.
Freshman Sam Tortorello, the team’s setter, averages 10.55 assists per game while Hillary Sexton, a senior libero, tallies 2.94 digs per game.
No. 11 Ohio State
OSU (6-3) was picked to finish first in the Big Ten, but that is doubtful now due to a multitude of injuries that has plagued the team. Throughout the preseason, the team suffered five severe injuries, including a stress fracture in a foot, a concussion, a dislocated elbow, a knee sprain and a hand fracture.
Senior setter Katie Virtue, the victim of the hand fracture, looks to be out for a considerable amount of time; junior Heather Whalen will replace her.
Virtue, along with sophomore outside hitter Stacey Gordon and senior middle blocker Suzie Stiling were the Buckeyes’ three preseason all-Big-Ten selections.
Gordon, last year’s Big Ten and AVCA national freshman of the year, is averaging an impressive 6.03 kills per game along with 3.91 digs and looks to be a dominate player in the conference this year.
The Buckeyes will still be a dangerous team but will be somewhat handicapped until later in the season.
No. 21 Michigan State
The Spartans (7-2), picked to finish third in the Big Ten, have not looked as powerful this year as some had expected.
Preseason all-Big-Ten selections Nikki Colson and Angela Morley look to be the primary leaders on the team.
Morley, a senior middle blocker, is on pace to become MSU’s all-time leader in total blocks, while Colson, a junior setter, is closing in on 2,000 assists.
The trio of outside hitters, Sara Villwock, Kyla Smith and Kim Schram, is averaging 4.0, 3.12 and 3.86 kills per game respectively.
MSU has the capability of surprising teams and could pull a few of those exciting upsets throughout the season.
Illinois
Illinois (6-3), which finished fourth in the Big Ten last year, is a feisty team that has been preparing for the upcoming season by playing a difficult preseason filled with ranked teams.
Junior middle blocker Lisa Argabright looks to be the Fighting Illini’s bright spot this year, as she was the team’s lone preseason all-Big-Ten selection. Argabright trained with Badger Erin Byrd this summer in the A-2 National’s program and has come out averaging 2.97 kills and 1.3 blocks per game.
Setting the team is Betsy Eiserman, who has been pushed by red-shirt freshman Erin Virtue, whose sister sets for OSU.
Michigan
The Wolverines (6-4) are picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten, and that is probably an accurate prediction.
Junior middle blocker Erin Moore is the team’s first preseason all-Big-Ten selection since 1997.
Moore and Jennifer Gandolph lead the team in kills, with 3.16 and 3.84 respectively.
Setter Lisa Gamalski runs the offense and is handing out 12.65 assists per game.
Northwestern
Another mediocre Big Ten team, the Wildcats, will most definitely finish somewhere around the middle of the pack this year.
Their only preseason all-Big-Ten selection is Erika Lange, a junior middle blocker. Iwona Lodzik joins Lange as a leader in kills, with 4.19 and 3.21 respectively.
Sophomore setter Drew Robinson averages 11.48 assists per game.
An interesting fact about Northwestern is that the Badgers’ defensive specialist Korie Gardner has a younger sister who plays for the Wildcats and is one of only two players to play in all 42 games.
Indiana
The Hoosiers (10-2) finished 9th in the Big Ten last year, and barring some break-out play from one of its newcomers, the team will finish there again.
In the off-season the team lost three-year starter setter Lorie Garner, who is actually Korie’s older sister, to No. 23 Colorado.
With no all-Big-Ten selections, the team will look to sophomore outside hitter Christina Archibald and sophomore middle blocker Katie Pollom for leadership on the court.
Iowa
With 11 of the 14 Iowa (6-4) players having only one year of Hawkeye experience or fewer, the team is not focusing on winning the Big Ten title.
Instead, the team’s goal this year is to gain some respect in the conference and win some games.
Junior setter Jitka Stehnova, one of the few upperclassmen on the team, looks to lead the team on offense and so far this year has been contributing 11.48 assists per game.
Freshman outside hitter Echaka Agba is leading the attack with 3.67 kills per game, while sophomore defensive specialist Pam Kavadas leads the team on defense with 3.55 digs.
Purdue
The Boilermakers have shown early already in this season that they will not be providing many of the teams in the Big Ten with much competition. Purdue has lost to teams such as Western Kentucky and Southeastern Missouri State, teams not known as any type of powerhouse.
With the start of the new season, the 2002 team gave itself the motto, “A new team, a new dream.”
Sophomore middle hitter Kim McConaha, who averages 3.66 kills per game, and junior middle hitter Joanna Lowry, who digs 3.16 balls per game, hope to lead the team to some upsets here and there.
