• All 14 Big Ten volleyball teams are in action this weekend, with Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin playing at home. Conference teams will take on a pair of ranked opponents.
• Eight Big Ten programs earned spots in the latest AVCA coaches poll, with four teams ranked among the top 10: No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Penn State, No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 10 Nebraska, No. 15 Purdue, No. 21 Michigan, No. 23 Michigan State and No. 25 Ohio State.
• Since the 2012 season, four Big Ten schools have been ranked No. 1 in the AVCA coaches poll a total of 42 weeks: Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin. During that span, the Nittany Lions have earned the top spot 21 times.
• In the first three of weeks non-conference of play, the Big Ten has amassed a 95-20 combined record, a winning percentage of .826.
• Big Ten teams currently occupy five of the top 10 positions on the national team hitting percentage list, including the top four spots. Purdue leads the country with a .354 hitting percentage, followed by Wisconsin (.352) in second, Penn State (.340) in third and Illinois (.329) in fourth. Minnesota rounds out the list at ninth in the NCAA, boasting a .307 percentage.
• Penn State’s Abby Detering is one of four standouts in the NCAA this season to record a triple-double. In the Nittany Lions’ 3-1 victory over then top-ranked Stanford on Sept. 1, Detering dished out 23 assists, while adding 11 kills and 10 digs.
• Michigan State head coach Cathy George earned her 600th career win as the Spartans defeated San Diego State in straight sets on Sept. 1. George becomes the third Big Ten head coach to amass 600 wins, along with Penn State’s Russ Rose (1,220) and Nebraska’s John Cook (634). George ranks 19th among active Division I coaches in career victories.
• Big Ten students currently occupy five of the top 10 spots nationally in hitting percentage, including three of the top five. Illinois’ Ali Bastianelli leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally with a .531 hitting percentage, while Wisconsin’s Dana Rettke ranks third, hitting a clip of .526. Penn State’s Haleigh Washington ranks fourth (.505), Maryland’s Hailey Murray is sixth (.484), and Wisconsin’s Tionna Williams rounds out the list at ninth nationally with a mark of .475.
• Based on average attendance, the Big Ten currently has five of the nation’s top 15 teams. Nebraska leads the nation, averaging 8,030 fans per contest, Wisconsin is third with 5,841, Minnesota is fifth at 4,695, Purdue is No. 12 with 1,868, while Michigan State checks in at No. 15 with 1,667 patrons per contest.
• The 2017 Big Ten volleyball television package features 36 contests, with 31 of those matches airing live on BTN, and highlighted by 10 doubleheaders. Five other matches will be carried live on ESPN network, including a Sept. 24 doubleheader on ESPN when Michigan State visits Minnesota (1 p.m. ET) and Michigan travels to Wisconsin (3 p.m. ET).
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