12 Matches Set to Air on BIG 10 Network

All 14 Big Ten volleyball teams continue conference play this week with 12 matches set to air on either BTN or BTN Plus.

• Nebraska reclaimed the top spot in the latest AVCA Volleyball Coaches Poll. Eight additional Big Ten programs appear among the top 25: No. 3 Minnesota, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 9 Penn State, No. 11 Michigan State, No. 16 Michigan, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 22 Illinois and No. 24 Purdue.

• Eleven Big Ten volleyball teams are rated among the top 55 of the NCAA RPI: No.1 Wisconsin, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 4 Minnesota, No. 9 Michigan State, No. 10 Michigan, No. 12 Purdue, No. 19 Penn State, No. 29 Ohio State, No. 50 Illinois, No. 51 Indiana and No. 53 Iowa .

• Based on average attendance, the Big Ten has seven of the nation’s top 10 teams. Nebraska leads the nation in attendance, averaging 8,167 fans per contest, while Wisconsin is third with 5,942 and Minnesota is fourth with 4,175. Penn State checks in at No. 5 with 3,631 patrons per match, while Michigan State ranks seventh with 2,753 and Illinois is eighth with 2,656 fans per contest. Purdue rounds out Big Ten programs in the top 10 at ninth, averaging 2,636 fans per match.

• Penn State has posted a .314 hitting percentage this season, which ranks second in the nation. Nebraska ranks third, hitting at a clip of .309, while Minnesota is seventh with a hitting percentage of .301.

• Penn State has limited its opponents to the lowest hitting percentage in the nation, only allowing opposing teams to hit at a clip of just .110. Nebraska is seventh, allowing an opponents’ hitting percentage of .146.

• Minnesota’s Samantha Seliger-Swenson ranks sixth nationally with 11.69 assists per set.

• Illinois’ Ali Bastianelli leads the nation with 1.84 blocks per set, while Maryland’s Ashlyn MacGregor is eighth with 1.53 blocks per set.

• Based on past opponents’ winning percentage, Purdue has played the second-toughest schedule in the nation, while Minnesota has played the third-toughest schedule. Wisconsin is fourth on the list, Michigan ranks seventh and Michigan State is eighth.

Courtesy of The BIG 10.