Big Ten 2022 - News

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Defending champions Wisconsin and Ohio State will play for honours this week

The Big Ten Volleyball Conference regular season ends this weekend and you can watch the key matches in the race for the title on Volleyball TV.

One of three teams still playing for the Big Ten title and an automatic spot in the NCAA National Championships, third-placed Ohio State will face Minnesota on Friday at 6:00 PM ET, in a match that will be broadcast on Volleyball TV without any territorial restrictions.

After dropping both of their matches last week, the Buckeyes are currently ranked third in the Big Ten with 15 wins and three losses. They need to defeat the Golden Gophers, who are fourth with 13 wins and five losses, in front of their home fans, to maintain their chances of finishing first in the conference.

To do that, the Buckeyes will need big performances from senior libero Kylie Murr, senior setter Mac Podraza and junior opposite Emily Londot, who have been among the team’s top players this season.

Defending champions Wisconsin, who sit at the top of the standings with 17 victories and one loss and are currently on a 16-match winning streak, need just one win from their two matches this week to secure the conference title and become just the second Big Ten programme to claim the title four times in a row. In so doing, they would join Penn State, who had a similar run from 1996 to 1999 and won eight titles consecutively from 2003 to 2010.

The Badgers face Nebraska on the road on Friday at 8:00 PM ET, and Ohio State, also as visitors, on Saturday at 7:00 PM ET. Both matches will be available on Volleyball TV for subscribers outside specific North and Central America locations.

Fifth-year middle blocker Danielle Hart and sophomore outside hitters Sarah Franklin and Julia Orzol have been among Nebraska’s most productive players in their campaign this season.

Nebraska, who are second in the Big Ten with 16 wins and two losses, also maintain their hopes of winning the Big Ten conference. They will play Minnesota on Saturday, at 9:00 PM ET, in another match that will be streamed for subscribers of Volleyball TV outside North and Central America.

Senior outside hitter Madi Kubik, who was the Big Ten Player of the Week last week, sophomore outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein and freshman middle blocker Bekka Allick have been responsible for a significant portion of Nebraska’s success this season.

A fifth Big Ten match, involving Michigan State and Iowa, will also be available on Volleyball TV without any territorial restrictions on Sunday. The duel is set to start at 2:00 PM ET.

Big Ten Conference matches on Volleyball TV - This week's schedule

Friday, November 25

Ohio State vs. Minnesota (6:00 PM ET)*

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin (8:00 PM ET)**

Saturday, November 26

Michigan State vs. Iowa (2:00 PM ET)*

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (7:00 PM ET)**

Nebraska vs. Minnesota (9:00 PM ET)**

*Matches available internationally

**Matches available outside the USA, Anguilla, Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Curacao, DR-Hato Mayor, DR-Higuey, DR-St. Maarten, Granada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Nevis, Puerto Rico, Saba, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, Tortola, Tortuga, Turks, Caicos, U.S. Virgin Islands.