These are the squads that will fight for the Conference title in 2023
Published 03:25, 24 Aug 2023
Ohio State were fourth in the Big Ten Conference last year
The Big Ten women’s volleyball season is underway and in 2023, for a second-straight year, several non-conference and conference matches will be streamed live on VBTV.
As many as 14 teams will compete for the title this season and competition is expected to get even more intense in 2024 when four new members (University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Southern California (USC), University of Oregon and University of Washington) will start competing in the conference.
Here’s all the information you need about the 14 programs that will fight for the Big Ten title in 2023:
The Badgers won the Big Ten Conference title for a fourth-straight and ninth overall time last season and followed it up with three playoff victories before falling to Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals and missing the NCAA Final Four for the first time since 2018. Wisconsin had a 19-1 record in conference matches and got 28 wins and just four losses in the entire season.
Head coach Kelly Sheffield will nave nearly the entirety of last year’s roster back in 2023, including the team’s top scorer, redshirt junior outside hitter Sarah Franklin, senior middle blocker/opposite Devyn Robinson, graduate setter Izzy Ashburn and Turkish sophomore libero Gülce Güçtekin. The Badgers also managed to add two very interesting pieces via transfer, getting sophomore middle Carter Booth from Minnesota and graduate outside hitter Temi Thomas-Aliara from Northwestern.
The Cornhuskers were the second-best team in the Big Ten Conference last season, getting 16 victories in their 20 matches, and produced a 26-6 win record for the season. Three-time Big Ten champions Nebraska succeeded in the first two rounds of the playoffs in the NCAA National Championship, but were knocked out by Oregon in the third round.
Assisted by Tokyo Olympic champion and Most Valuable Player Jordan Larson, head coach John Cook lost some important starters who graduated, such as outside hitters Madison Kubik and Whitney Lauenstein and setter Nicklin Hames, but will have some important returning pieces, including junior outside hitter Ally Batenhorst and junior libero Lexi Rodriguez. Nebraska also have six players from the USA national team that took bronze at the 2021 FIVB U18 World Championship, most notably outside hitter Harper Murray, one of the most coveted freshman in the country.
The Golden Gophers ranked third in the Big Ten Conference last season, collecting 15 victories in 20 matches – considering the entire season, the team had 22 wins and nine losses. Their National Championship run had back-to-back wins in the first round of the playoffs before a loss to Big Ten foes Ohio State in round three. Minnesota have three Big Ten titles under their name.
First-year head coach Keegan Cook will have most of last season’s starters back, most notably outside hitters Taylor Landfair (redshirt junior), who was awarded as the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2022, and McKenna Wucherer (sophomore) and senior setter Melani Shaffmaster. The Golden Gophers lost middle Carter Booth to Wisconsin and libero CC McGraw to graduation, but are well-covered on the backcourt with the arrival of last season’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, fifth-year libero Kylie Murr, from Ohio State.
The Buckeyes finished their Big Ten Conference calendar in fourth place with a 15-5 win record – their overall season campaign indicated 22 victories and ten upsets. Ohio State won three straight playoff matches in the National Championship, eliminating Minnesota in one of them, but fell to eventual champions Texas in the quarterfinals. They have three Big Ten titles won over the years.
Head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg, who has Olympic champion Michelle Bartsch-Hackley and world champion Nicole Fawcett on her staff, will have a tough job after missing setter Mac Podraza, libero Kylie Murr and outside hitter Gabby Gonzales. Senior opposite/outside hitter Emily Londot will be a big part of the Buckeyes’ game alongside senior middle Rylee Rader. Ohio State added two promising freshmen in middle Eloise Brandewie, a bronze medalist at the 2021 FIVB U18 World Championship, and outside hitter Lauren Murphy.
The Nittany Lions were the fifth-best team in the Big Ten Conference last season, producing 13 wins in their 20 matches – their season record was 26-8. A 17-time Big Ten winner, Penn State got to win a pair of playoff matches in the National Championship before crossing Wisconsin’s path in the third round.
Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley will have the challenge of replacing the team’s last year’s top scorer, outside hitter Kashauna Williams, but will have strong offensive options to rely on, including senior middles Allie Holland and Zoe Weatherington – while senior libero Maddy Bilinovic gets the job done on defense. The Nittany Lions were also able to add two interesting pieces through transfers within the Conference, getting last season’s Big Ten Setter of the Year Mac Podraza (graduate student) from Ohio State and senior outside hitter Jess Mruzik from Michigan.
The Boilermakers got a sixth-place finish in the Big Ten Conference last season, with a positive record of 11 wins and nine losses – they had 21 victories and just 11 defeats in the entire season. Purdue’s playoff run at the National Championship lasted two matches as they topped Tennessee in round one, but fell to Louisville in round two.
The team’s top scorer in her first season, Big Ten Freshman of the Year Eva Hudson returns to lead the offense of the team coached by Dave Shondell alongside junior middle blocker Raven Colvin. The team’s staring libero last year, graduate student Maddie Schermerhorn is also back. Purdue also got a pair of promising freshmen in outside hitter Chloe Chicoine, a bronze medalist at the 2021 FIVB U18 World Championship, and setter Taylor Anderson, who could help fill the void left by the graduation of Grace Balensiefer.
Ranked seventh in the Big Ten Conference last year with a campaign of ten wins and ten losses, the Fighting Illini were also even in their season record, getting 15 victories and 15 defeats. The program has secured four Conference titles, all of them between 1986 and 1992.
Head coach Chris Tamas will be able to count on the offensive power of senior outside hitter Raina Terry, the team’s top scorer in 2022, again, while also maintaining graduate middle blocker Kennedy Collins, junior outside hitter/opposite Kayla Burbage and redshirt sophomore setter Brooke Mosher. Setter Diana Brown and middle blocker Rylee Hinton, who both graduated, will be the most noticed absences for Illinois.
The Hoosiers displayed great progress in the Big Ten Conference last season, going from 11th in 2021 to eighth, with nine wins and 11 losses. Their overall season record was even, with 16 positive results and 16 upsets.
Head coach Steve Aird will have Canadian junior outside hitter Mady Saris as the focal point of the team’s offense again, with senior outside hitter Morgan Geddes and Spanish sophomore outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles also playing important roles in the system run by junior setter Camryn Haworth. The Hoosiers, who lost Puerto Rican libero Paula Cerame to graduation, have another international prospect in the squad in sophomore Turkish opposite Melisa Ilter.
The Wolverines went down one spot from 2021, finishing ninth in the Big Ten Conference with eight wins and 12 losses against their direct opponents. The winners of two Big Ten titles, Michigan had 17 victories and 13 defeats in their entire season in 2022.
Recently-hired head coach Erin Virtue will need to build a new team this season after losing the team’s three main scorers and the starting setter from last year’s campaign. Redshirt senior libero Hannah Grant will be back to anchor the team’s backline while junior middle Jacque Boney and senior outside hitter Kendall Murray will need to have larger roles offensively with the help of senior setter Scottee Johnson. One of the new faces for the Wolverines in 2023, freshman opposite Valentina Vaulet represented Argentina at the 2021 FIVB U18 World Championship.
The Wildcats repeated their finish from 2021 last season, getting tenth place in the Big Ten Conference with a campaign of seven wins and 13 losses. The winners of back-to-back Big Ten titles in 1983 and 1984, Northwestern completed their match schedule in 2022 with 18 victories and 14 losses.
The team’s leading scorer last year, outside hitter Temi Thomas-Aliara left for Wisconsin, creating a tricky situation for head coach Shane Davis to handle. Sophomore outside hitter Kathryn Randorf had a strong freshman season and indicated she can help carry the team’s offensive load with help from senior middle Leilani Dodson. The Wildcats will have their starting setter back in senior Alexa Rosseau and added three graduate transfers in middle Ellie Husemann and outside hitters Maddy Chinn and Julia Sangiacomo.
The Terrapins ranked 11th in the Big Ten Conference in 2022, completing their 20-match conference schedule with seven victories and 13 losses – their overall season record had 16 wins and 16 losses.
The team’s three main scorers last season, senior outside hitter Sam Csire, sophomore outside hitter Laila Ivey and redshirt senior middle blocker Anastasia Russ will all be back, as well as senior setter Sydney Dowler, providing the foundations for the Terrapins to evolve. Middle blocker Rainelle Jones, who graduated, and libero Milan Gomillion, who transferred to Virginia, will need replacements in the playing system of head coach Adam Hughes.
The Spartans won four of their 20 Big Ten Conference matches last year and ranked 12th – their season campaign had 13 wins and 18 losses. Michigan State won a pair of Big Ten titles in 1995 and 1996.
In her second year with the team, head coach Leah Johnson will count on outside hitters Aliyah Moore (junior) and Maradith O’Gorman (sophomore) to lead the offense and on senior libero Nalani Iosia to command the backcourt. The Spartans have two freshmen from Poland – outside hitter Karolina Stanieszewska and middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig – and two sophomores from Türkiye – outside hitter Selin Aslayan and middle blocker Nil Okur – in their roster.
The Hawkeyes were 13th in the Big Ten Conference for a second-straight season, getting four wins and 16 losses in their campaign last season. During the entire season, Iowa managed to win ten of their 31 matches.
Head coach Jim Barnes will be looking to build the team around junior outside hitter Michelle Urquhart, senior middle blocker Delaney McSweeney and senior setter Bailey Ortega, who were among the Hawkeyes’ best players in 2022.
The Scarlet Knights had another season at the bottom of the Big Ten standings in 2022 – their ninth in ten seasons in the conference. Rutgers managed to get two wins in 20 matches in their last campaign, improving their record to 8-24 when the entire season is considered.
Outside hitters Alissa Kinkela (an Australian redshirt sophomore) and Taylor Humphrey (sophomore) were important pieces in the team coached by Caitlin Schweihofer last season and will be back, as well as senior libero Madyson Chitty. Serbian senior middle blocker Kristina Grkovic is another international player in the squad.
