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Wisconsin Picked to Win Big Ten Volleyball

They’ll sure have to prove that over the course of the Big Ten season

By BVBmerry
NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Semifinals
Kendall White of Penn State is a unanamous pick for a preseason all Big Ten
Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

The Big Ten coaches picked Wisconsin as conference champs this season. While this pick is solid, so too are the next four teams in the poll. So, throw the top five teams in the air and see where they land...that is the Big Ten champ. This is a season that has to be played. With the top 5 so close at the outset of the season, a preseason poll means nothing once these teams start playing this weekend.

2019 Big Ten Preseason Poll

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

What Wisconsin does have compared to the other top Big Ten teams is a junior setter that has started at setter for two years, along with a middle with US National Team experience in 6’8’’ middle Dana Rettke. Nobody else has these two assets.

Setters will be the big difference maker for the next four teams. Minnesota, Penn State and Illinois each will play someone new at setter. While not necessarily rookies, no matter the year they are setters in a new the system require time to make a connection with their hitters under game conditions. Meanwhile, Nebraska’s sophomore setter Nicklin Hames is darn good. We all know a year makes a difference especially when you have the luxury of talented coaches that know how to move players forward. This may set the Huskers apart, along with Wisconsin, from the rest of the contenders

2019 Preseason All-Big Ten Volleyball Team

  • JACQUELINE QUADE, Sr., OH, Illinois
  • Erika Pritchard, Jr., OH, Maryland
  • Alexis Hart, Sr., OH, Minnesota
  • Taylor Morgan, Sr., MB, Minnesota
  • Stephanie Samedy, Jr., OPP, Minnesota
  • Nicklin Hames, So., S, Nebraska
  • Lauren Stivrins, Jr., MB, Nebraska
  • Lexi Sun, Jr., OH, Nebraska
  • Kaitlyn Hord, So., MB, Penn State
  • Jonni Parker, So., RS, Penn State
  • KENDALL WHITE, Sr., DS, Penn State
  • Blake Mohler, Sr., MB, Purdue
  • Sydney Hilley, Jr., S, Wisconsin
  • DANA RETTKE, Jr., MB, Wisconsin

Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS

Briefly, this list tells you all you need to know about the conference this season. Purdue and Maryland have one player on the list each, but the rest of the All Conference Team is dominated by our top 5 programs.

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