Six Big Ten Teams Set for Home Matches on Week 2

Courtesy: Big Ten Conference

All 14 Big Ten programs are in action this weekend with Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin playing at home.

• Seven Big Ten schools earned spots in the latest AVCA poll, with four teams ranked in the top 10. Minnesota checks in at No. 3 and Nebraska is No. 5, while Penn State and Wisconsin take the sixth and eighth places, respectively. Illinois is ranked No. 11, Purdue stands at No. 20 and Michigan claims the 23rd spot. Michigan State and Ohio State are receiving votes.

• Six Big Ten volleyball matches will be televised live on ESPNU this fall, including five that will air as part of the network’s Sunday afternoon volleyball package. The 2018 Big Ten volleyball television schedule features 39 live broadcasts, with 33 on BTN, highlighted by eight doubleheader broadcasts.

• Ohio State sophomore Lauren Witte earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors after leading OSU to a 3-0 opening weekend, with a career-high 19 kills and five digs against Albany and a career-high .846 hitting percentage with 11 kills against Ohio. Her single-match hitting percentage ranks No. 2 in the nation this season and her overall hitting percentage (.636) is tied for second.

• Purdue’s Sherridan Atkinson earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week accolades after averaging leading Purdue to a perfect 3-0 opening weekend record.

• Michigan’s Jenna Lerg leads the nation in digs per set at 8.67. The senior helped Michigan to back-to-back sweeps last weekend and was named MVP of the War Eagle Invitational.

•  Michigan’s MacKenzi Welsh ranks No. 14 in the country in assists per set with 12.17, and Ohio State’s Olivia Dailey immediately follows at No. 15 with 12.1.

• Northwestern’s Kiara McNulty was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after helping the Wildcats to a 3-0 record by averaging 11.5 assists and 4.0 digs per set. She was the only Big Ten setter to log three double-doubles during the season-opening weekend and to register 40-plus assists in all three matches.

• Three active Big Ten coaches have recorded at least 600 career wins: Penn State’s Russ Rose (1,249), Nebraska’s John Cook (693) and Michigan State’s Cathy George (623). Rose ranks first among active Division I coaches in career victories, while Cook and George rank 10th and 15th, respectively. Michigan’s Mark Rosen is closing in on the milestone, ranked 18th with 595 career victories.