2011 Opponents • The Big Ten has recorded 10 or more wins in the last eight NCAA Championships, including 2010, finishing with a 18-7 record. Overall, Big Ten squads have combined for 10 or more NCAA wins on 13 occasions, including each of the last eight seasons. • Including 2010, six different Big Ten schools have combined to reach the national semifinals 17 times, including three schools making nine total appearances in the championship match. Of the eight squads selected to the 2010 bracket, Penn State and Minnesota have combined to reach the national semifinals on nine occasions with eight championship match appearances. • The Penn State/Michigan matchup in the 2007 NCAA Regional semifinal marked the 12th occasion in which two Big Ten teams faced each other in NCAA Championship play. Of the nine teams that have been presented with the matchup over the years, Penn State holds the best record of intraconference NCAA play at 5-1, followed by Illinois (2-1), Wisconsin (2-1), Minnesota (1-1), Ohio State (2-4), Iowa (0-1), Michigan (0-1), Michigan State (0-1) and Purdue (0-1). No Big Ten Schools have met in the last three NCAA Tournaments. • Six Big Ten volleyball teams finished ranked in the Top 25 of the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll in 2010. Penn State led the Big Ten contingent at No. 1, followed by No. 9 Illinois, No. 10 Minnesota, No. 11 Purdue, No. 19 Ohio State and No. 23 Indiana. • Nine Big Ten student-athletes earned NCAA Regional All-Tournament honors in 2010. In the University Park Regional, Penn State’s Arielle Wilson, Kristin Carpenter and Blair Brown, who was the Most Outstanding Player, were selected to the All-Tournament team. Purdue’s Jaclyn Hart and Ariel Turn and Illinois’ Jazmine Orozco were named to the All-Tournament team at the Texas Regional. Lauren Gibbemeyer of Minnesota earned a spot on the Seattle Regional’s All-Tournament team, while Ohio State’s Katie Dull and Indiana’s Ashley Benson were honored at the Dayton Regional. • Seven league schools placed among the Top 30 in the country in volleyball attendance in 2010. Wisconsin ranked third with an average of 3,737, Penn State sat fifth with an average of 3,274, Minneota ranked eighth with an average of 2,621, Illinois was 16th with an average of 2,043, Purdue sat 17th with an average of 1,988, Michigan ranked 21st with an average of 1,504 and Iowa ranked 27th with an average of 1,289. • The Big Ten placed seven teams in the Top 30 of the NCAA’s final RPI report, including three in the top 10. Penn State led at No. 1, followed by No. 7 Illinois and No. 9 Minnesota. Joining those three in the top 30 were No; 11 Purdue, No. 24 Indiana, No. 25 Northwestern and No. 29 Ohio State. With seven teams in the top 30, the Big Ten had the largest representation of any conference. The Pacific-10 ranked second with five teams. • Eleven Big Ten players earned AVCA All-America honors for the 2010 season, including three First Team selections. Penn State led the way with two first team honorees in Blair Brown and Arielle Wilson. They were joined by Indiana’s Ashley Benson. Four Big Ten players earned Second Team laurels, including Nittany Lion Deja McClendon, Northwestern’s Sabel Moffett, Illinois’ Colleen Ward and Michigan’s Lexi Zimmerman. Four others were selected to the Third Team, including Michelle Bartsch and Hillary Haen of Illinois, Purdue’s Jaclyn Hart and Alex Hunt of Michigan. In addition, two Big Ten players earned AVCA Honorable Mention accolades, including Minnesota’s Jessica Granquist and Northwestern’s Naomi Johnson. • Since the NCAA started sponsoring volleyball in 1981, only two teams in the country have appeared in all 30 tournaments. Penn State joins Stanford as the elite programs to accomplish the feat. The Nittany Lions have compiled an overall record of 72-25 (.725) in the NCAA Tournament, including 14 trips to the NCAA Regional Final, nine trips to the NCAA Semifinals (1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) and five national championships (1999, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010). • Nine Big Ten student-athletes were named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced. Penn State’s Alyssa D’Errico (Second Team), along with Ohio State’s Katie Dull (Second Team) and Anna Szerszen (Second Team), Michigan State’s Jenilee Rathje (Third Team), Purdue’s Kristen Arthurs (First Team), Illinois’ Johannah Bangert (First Team), Wisconsin’s Janelle Gabrielsen (Second Team), Minnesota’s Lauren Gibbemeyer (Second Team) and Northwestern’s Sabel Moffett (Second Team). Bangert went on to earn First Team Academic All-America Honors.
Series vs. Conference Foes Penn State Trails Nebraska, 6-11 Penn State Leads Iowa, 40-0 Penn State Leads Wisconsin, 37-6 Penn State Leads Minnesota, 35-8 Penn State Leads Northwestern, 40-8 Penn State Leads Illinois, 37-7 Penn State Leads Purdue, 44-6 Penn State Leads Indiana, 41-1 Penn State Leads Ohio State, 36-14 Penn State Leads Michigan, 40-3 Penn State Leads Michigan State, 35-6
14-Time Big Ten Champions ‘92, ‘93, ‘96, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99, ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ‘10 • GoPSUsports.com • PENN STATE 2011–12
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