Big Ten boasts top competition

The Big Ten's volleyball programs have ascended to top tier status usually reserved for basketball and football. The conference has long been noted for providing some of the most competitive and spirited clashes in sports and over the past decade, volleyball has earned its spot as one of the Big Ten's power sports. \nLast season, eight Big Ten teams received bids to compete in the NCAA Tournament: IU, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. Currently four teams from the conference are ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Poll with two others receiving votes: No. 12 Penn State, No. 14 Michigan State, No. 18 Minnesota, No. 23 Wisconsin with Northwestern and Ohio State receiving 10 and four votes respectively. \nDefending conference champion Minnesota has been tabbed as the unanimous preseason favorite in the 2003 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll. The Golden Gophers return five starters from their 2002 lineup and brought home the university's first ever volleyball conference title. Minnesota finished last year with a 32-6 record going 17-3 in Big Ten play, and the Gophers advanced to the Regional Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.\nPenn State, the 2002 Big Ten runner-up, was picked to finish in the second spot. The Nittany Lions also bring back five starters from last year's squad that went 25-8, with a 14-6 conference record. \n"Minnesota, the last couple years they have been very strong. They are very physical," IU coach Katie Weismiller said. "Penn Sate has tradition there. They're always strong and make few unforced errors. There are quite a few teams in the Big Ten that you can look at and say that they have the potential to win the Big Ten championship, and I would include IU in that group."\nLast year the Hoosiers finished with a 20-13 record, compiling a 10-10 record in conference play. The team lost only one player from last year's squad so the outlook for the upcoming season seems brighter than the predicted fifth place finish, Weismiller said. \n"We have a lot of returning players, and they understand what it takes," he said. "This team doesn't do anything mediocre. This is the year they want to prove that they can do it in the Big Ten and be a top team. They don't want to be a middle of the pack. They want to be better."\nAn item unique to the Big Ten is that the conference schedules two matches on back-to-back nights against different opponents. For instance, this weekend the Hoosiers will play host to Minnesota on Friday and then square off against Iowa on Saturday.\n"The Big Ten is hard because it is one of the most competitive conferences in the country," junior Victoria Zimmerman said. "Every weekend Friday and Saturday night you have a huge match, just an all out battle. So after Friday night, you're exhausted from playing 110 percent, but then you have another match on Saturday when you're hurting, so its tough every week."\nWith the Big Ten season opening this weekend, all 11 teams in the conference have a winning record and many of the schools have won preseason tournaments, including IU, which won last weekend's IU Credit Union Invitational. \n"Every weekend is tough," senior Melissa Brewer said. "Every team brings its own thing to the table. Every team is big. They're mostly offensive teams that you don't see too much of around the country. It's just great competition."\n-- Contact staff writer Matt Glenesk at mglenesk@indiana.edu