Top 4 Big Ten Takeaways, Including A Tie For First

A lot happened last week in Big Ten volleyball, but one thing that didn't change was the tie for first place in the conference.

Oct 23, 2017 by Megan Kaplon

Top 4 Big Ten Takeaways, Including A Tie For First

We're halfway through conference play, and competition in the Big Ten is only getting more heated as the postseason comes into view.

In the past week, there were no major upsets, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to report. Here are our top four takeaways from the week of Big Ten volleyball that was.

1. Nebraska and Penn State both went 2-0 this weekend and remain tied for first.

With Nebraska escaping Illinois in four sets, and Penn State dodging Purdue in four as well, the two most storied programs in the Big Ten conference remain in a deadlock for first place in the standings.

If both teams finish out the season without losing a match, it would be Nebraska who snags the automatic NCAA tournament bid, thanks to its 3-0 victory over Penn State on September 22 (the first and only time these two teams face each other in the 2017 conference season).

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2. Haleigh Washington surpassed 1,000 career kills.

Much of Penn State's success so far this season -- a No. 1 national ranking, best hitting percentage in the Big Ten, tied for No. 1 in the conference standings -- can be traced back to a dominant group of seniors.

Two of those seniors, Ali Frantti and Simone Lee, surpassed the 1,000 career kills mark earlier this season, and on Saturday Haleigh Washington joined the pair in the 1K kill club.

Penn State is now the only team in the country with three active players boasting over 1,000 career kills.

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3. Minnesota earned a season sweep over Wisconsin.

Minnesota and Wisconsin faced off for the second time this season on Saturday night. Minnesota won the first meeting between the two teams, a back-and-forth five-setter in Madison.

In the rematch, Wisconsin came out hot, winning the first set 25-21 behind a .341 team hitting percentage, but the roles reversed in set two, with Minnesota hitting .344 and running off a 25-18 set victory to tie things up.

The Badgers never regained their hold on the match, and Minnesota earned the season sweep in four sets; however, Wisconsin's freshman middle Dana Rettke had a great night, hitting .674 with 22 kills and zero errors.

On the Gopher side of the net, it was sophomore outside hitter Alexis Hart, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, continuing her offensive dominance with a match-high 23 kills.

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4. Indiana got its first conference win of the season.

The Indiana Hoosiers went 11-1 in preseason but have struggled since the start of the Big Ten season. Last week, Indiana finally got its first conference victory of the year: a five-setter over Rutgers on Friday night.

The following evening, Indiana hosted Penn State, the No. 1 team in the country. In the first set, the Hoosiers put up a good fight, leading by as much as four points early on in the match, before eventually losing in three sets.