Big Ten Conference Coaches Name Penn State As Preseason Favorites

After a 24-10 season in 2016 and no starters lost to graduation, the Big Ten Conference coaches voted for Penn State as their preseason favorite.  In addition to the preseason nod, they also earned a #6 ranking in the AVCA Preseason Poll for 2017.

Defending Big Ten Champ Nebraska was voted to finish second, followed by Minnesota, Michigan State and Wisconsin to round out the top five.

Part of the voting process includes voting on the Preseason All-Conference Team, which included unanimously chosen Samantha Seliger-Swenson of Minnesota and Mikaela Foecke of Nebraska. Ali Frantti and Haleigh Washington of Penn State each earned the placement for the third consecutive year, and Jordyn Poulter of Illinois was voted to this team for the second time.

The Preseason All-Big Ten Team has fifteen members, seven of which were named AVCA All-Americans in 2016, including the above-mentioned Seliger-Swenson, Foecke, Washington, and Poulter. The other 2016 All-Americans on the 2017 preseason list are Simone Lee of Penn State, Alyssa Garvelink of Michigan State, Kelly Hunter of Nebraska and Molly Haggerty and Tionna Williams of Wisconsin.  Additionally, Alexis Hart and Molly Lohman of Minnesota and Nebraska’s Foecke were honorable mention AVCA All-Americans.

The Academic All-American team included Washington (PSU), Poulter (ILL), Garvelink (MSU), Seliger-Swenson (MINN), Foecke and Hunter (NEB).  An additional Academic All-American that was voted as Preseason Big-Ten All-Conference was Ali Bastianelli of Illinois.

Volleymob had their own team placement predictions in the article listed here.

2017 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL TEAM

• Ali Bastianelli, Illinois
• Jordyn Poulter, Illinois
• Claire Kieffer-Wright, Michigan
• Alyssa Garvelink, Michigan State
• Alexis Hart, Minnesota
• Molly Lohman, Minnesota
• Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Minnesota ***unanimous***
• Mikaela Foecke, Nebraska ***unanimous***
• Kelly Hunter, Nebraska
• Ali Frantti, Penn State
• Simone Lee, Penn State
• Haleigh Washington, Penn State
• Danielle Cuttino, Purdue
• Molly Haggerty, Wisconsin
• Tionna Williams, Wisconsin

2017 BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL

1. Penn State
2. Nebraska
3. Minnesota
4. Michigan State
5. Wisconsin
6. Purdue
7. Michigan
8. Ohio State
9. Illinois
10. Iowa
11. Maryland
12. Northwestern
13. Indiana
14. Rutgers