Big Ten Conference women's volleyball is made up of the women's volleyball programs from the Big Ten Conference's 18 member universities. Through 2024, the Big Ten has earned a combined 40 NCAA national semifinal appearances by eight different teams. In 1987, Illinois became the first Big Ten program to make an appearance in the national semifinal. In 1999 Penn State won the conference's first national championship, and they have won eight overall, including a record four consecutive titles from 2007 to 2010. The Big Ten conference claims eleven women's volleyball national championships overall with Penn State having won eight, Nebraska having won two, and Wisconsin having won one. Penn State (eleven times), Nebraska (four times), Wisconsin (four times), Minnesota (one time), and Illinois (one time) have each made national championship game appearances as members of the Big Ten.
In 2011, former Big 12 member Nebraska joined the Big Ten. The Cornhuskers have won five national championships, with two of these coming since the school joined the Big Ten. Rutgers University and the University of Maryland joined the Big Ten in July 2014, and on August 2, 2024, the Big Ten Conference announced the formal admission of the University of Oregon, the University of Washington, UCLA, and USC from the recently dissolved Pac-12 Conference.
Teams School Head coach Big Ten titles† National semifinal appearances Best NCAA finishPenn StateKatie Schumacher-Cawley18 (1992, 1993, 1996–99,2003–10, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2024)14 (1993, 1994, 1997–99, 2007–10, 2012–14, 2017, 2024)Champions (1999, 2007–10, 2013, 2014, 2024)NebraskaDani Busboom Kelly6 (2011, 2016, 2017, 2023-2025)18 (1986*, 1989*, 1990*, 1995*, 1996*, 1998*, 2000*, 2001*, 2005*, 2006*, 2008*, 2015–18, 2021, 2023-24)Champions (1995*, 2000*, 2006*, 2015, 2017)WisconsinKelly Sheffield9 (1990, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2014, 2019–22)6 (2000, 2013, 2019–21, 2023)Champions (2021)IllinoisChris Tamas4 (1986–88, 1992)4 (1987, 1988, 2011, 2018)Runner-up (2011)Ohio State Jen Flynn Oldenburg3 (1989, 1991, 1994)2 (1991, 1994)National semifinal (1991, 1994)Michigan StateKristen Kelsay2 (1995, 1996)1 (1995)National semifinal (1995)MinnesotaKeegan Cook3 (2002, 2015, 2018)6 (2003, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2019)Runner-up (2004)PurdueDave Shondell1 (1985)Regional final (2010, 2020, 2021)MichiganErin Virtue1 (2012)National semifinal (2012)Iowa Jim BarnesFirst Round (1989)NorthwesternTim NollanRegional semifinal (1981)IndianaSteve AirdRegional semifinal (2010, 2025)MarylandAdam HughesSecond Round (1996)RutgersCaitlin SchweihoferQualifying round (1982)OregonTrent Kersten1 (2012^)Runner-up (2012^)UCLAAlfredo Reft12 (1981^, 1983^, 1984^, 1985^, 1988^, 1989^, 1990^, 1991^, 1992^, 1994^, 2006^, 2011^)Champions (1984^, 1990^, 1991^, 2011^)USCBrad Keller10 (1981^, 1982^, 1985^, 2000^, 2002^, 2003^, 2004^, 2007^, 2010^, 2011^)Champions (1981^, 2002^, 2003^)WashingtonLeslie Gabriel5 (2004^, 2005^, 2006^, 2013^, 2020^)Champions (2005^) † Since 1985, when double round-robin play was introduced * As a member of the Big 12 ^ As a member of the Pac-12
Conference awards
Year Coach of the Year (media) School 1988 Mike Hebert Illinois 1989 Jim Stone Ohio State 1990 Steve Lowe Wisconsin 1991 Jim Stone Ohio State 19921993 Russ Rose Penn State 1994 Jim Stone Ohio State 1995 Chuck Erbe Michigan State 1996 Russ Rose Penn State 1997 John Cook Russ Rose WisconsinPenn State 1998 Russ Rose Penn State 1999 Mike Hebert Minnesota 20002001 Pete Waite Wisconsin 2002 Mike Hebert Minnesota 2003 Don HardinRuss Rose IllinoisPenn State 2004 Jim Stone Ohio State 200520062007200820092010 Russ Rose Penn State 2011 Dave Shondell Purdue 20122013 Russ Rose Penn State 2014 Kelly Sheffield Wisconsin 2015 Hugh McCutcheon Minnesota 2016 John Cook Nebraska 2017 John CookRuss Rose NebraskaPenn State 2018 Hugh McCutcheon Minnesota 2019 Russ Rose Penn State 2020 Jen Flynn Oldenburg Ohio State 2021 Dave Shondell Purdue 2022 Kelly Sheffield Wisconsin 2023 John Cook Nebraska 2024 Katie Schumacher-Cawley Penn State 2025 Dani Busboom Kelly Nebraska
Year Player of the Year School 1983 Martie Larsen Minnesota 19841985 Marianne Smith Purdue 1986 Mary Eggers Illinois 1987 Mary EggersNancy Brookhart IllinoisIllinois 1988 Mary Eggers Illinois 1989 Holly O'Leary Ohio State 1990 Lisa Boyd Wisconsin 1991 Lelsa Wissler Ohio State 1992 Leanne Kling Penn State 1993 Salima Davidson Penn State 1994 Laura Davis Ohio State 1995 Terri Zemaitis Penn State 1996 Vanessa Wouters Ohio State 19971998 Bonnie Bremner Penn State 1999 Lauren Cacciamani Penn State 2000 Nicole BranaghSherisa Livingston MinnesotaWisconsin 2001 Lizzy Fitzgerald Wisconsin 2002 Stacey Gordon Ohio State 2003 Cassie Busse Minnesota 2004 Stacey Gordon Ohio State 2005 Sam Tortorello Penn State 2006 Megan Hodge Penn State 2007 Christa Harmotto Penn State 2008 Nicole Fawcett Penn State 2009 Megan Hodge Penn State 2010 Blair Brown Penn State 2011 Ariel Turner Purdue 2012 Ariel Scott Penn State 2013 Kelsey Robinson Nebraska 2014 Lauren Carlini Wisconsin2015 Daly Santana Minnesota2016 Sarah Wilhite Minnesota 2017 Simone Lee Penn State 2018 Samantha Seliger-Swenson Minnesota 2019 Dana Rettke Wisconsin 20202021 Stephanie Samedy Minnesota 2022 Taylor Landfair Minnesota 20232024 Sarah Franklin Wisconsin 2025 Bergen Reilly Nebraska
Year Freshman of the Year School 1983 Kathy Greishelm Iowa 1984 Karen Dunham Indiana 1985 Mary Eggers Illinois 1986 Debbie McDonald Purdue 1987 Dawn Thompson Minnesota 1988 Lelsa Wissler Ohio State 1989 Sheri Stout Indiana 1990 Kristin Henriksen Illinois 1991 Laura Davis Ohio State 1992 Jenny Jackson Ohio State 1993 Katrien DeDecker Minnesota 1994 Erin Borske Illinois 1995 Jenna Wrobel Michigan State 1996 Bonnie Bremner Penn State 1997 Dana Stearns Ohio State 1998 Sherisa Livingston Wisconsin 1999 Katie Virtue Ohio State 2000 Claudia Rodriguez Wisconsin 2001 Stacey Gordon Ohio State 2002 Sam Tortorello Penn State 2003 Cassy Salyer Penn State 2004 Kate Price Penn State 2005 Nicole Fawcett Penn State 2006 Megan Hodge Penn State 2007 Arielle Wilson Penn State 2008 Michelle Bartsch Illinois 2009 Darcy Dorton Penn State 2010 Deja McClendon Penn State 2011 Micha Hancock Penn State 2012 Megan Courtney Penn State 2013 Lauren Carlini Wisconsin 2014 Haleigh Washington Penn State 2015 Samantha Seliger-Swenson Minnesota 2016 Molly Haggerty Wisconsin 2017 Dana Rettke Wisconsin 2018 Jonni Parker Penn State 2019 Madi Kubik Nebraska 2020 Emily Londot Ohio State 2021 Julia Orzol Wisconsin 2022 Eva Hudson Purdue 2023 Harper Murray Nebraska 2024 Izzy Starck Penn State 2025 Alanah Clemente Oregon
Year Setter of the Year School 20122013 Micha Hancock Penn State 20142015 Lauren Carlini Wisconsin 2016 Samantha Seliger-Swenson Minnesota 2017 Kelly Hunter Nebraska 2018 Jordyn Poulter Samantha Seliger-Swenson IllinoisMinnesota 201920202021 Sydney Hilley Wisconsin 2022 Mac Podraza Ohio State 202320242025 Bergen Reilly Nebraska
Year Defensive Player of the Year School 2001 Shaddia Haddad Illinois 200220032004 Paula Gentil Minnesota 2005 Kaleena Walters Penn State 2006 Malama Peniata Minnesota 2007 Stesha Selsky Michigan 2008 Christine Tan Minnesota 2009 Kate Nobilio Northwestern 2010 Jessica Granquist Minnesota 2011 Katie Slay Penn State 20122013 Kori Moster Michigan State 2014 Taylor Morey Wisconsin 20152016 Justine Wong-Orantes Nebraska 2017 Haleigh Washington Penn State 20182019 Kendall White Penn State 2020 Jena Otec Purdue 2021 Lexi Rodriguez Nebraska 2022 Kylie Murr Ohio State 20232024 Lexi Rodriguez Nebraska 2025 Gillian Grimes Penn State
Big Ten volleyball in the AVCA The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) annually awards National Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year. Since 2025, they also recognized positional national player of the year awards. The following lists coaches and players from the Big Ten who have received these awards.
National Coach of the Year 1985 – Mike Hebert, Illinois 1990 – Russ Rose, Penn State 1995 – Chuck Erbe, Michigan State 1997 – Russ Rose, Penn State 2007 – Russ Rose, Penn State 2008 – Russ Rose, Penn State 2013 – Russ Rose, Penn State 2015 – Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota 2023 – John Cook, Nebraska
National Player of the Year 1994 – Laura Davis, Ohio State 1999 – Lauren Cacciamani, Penn State 2004 – Stacey Gordon, Ohio State 2008 – Nicole Fawcett, Penn State 2009 – Megan Hodge, Penn State 2014 – Micha Hancock, Penn State 2016 – Sarah Wilhite, Minnesota 2021 – Dana Rettke, Wisconsin 2023 – Sarah Franklin, Wisconsin
National Freshman of the Year 2001 – Stacey Gordon, Ohio State 2005 – Nicole Fawcett, Penn State 2006 – Megan Hodge, Penn State 2010 – Deja McClendon, Penn State 2014 – Ali Frantti, Penn State 2017 – Dana Rettke, Wisconsin 2020 – Emily Londot, Ohio State 2021 – Lexi Rodriguez, Nebraska 2024 – Izzy Starck, Penn State
Positional Awards In 2025, the AVCA announced they will begin awarding positional awards in addition to the historical National Freshman, Coach, and Player of the Year Awards. The following players have received these awards from the Big Ten Conference:
Outside Hitter of the Year 2025 – Mimi Coyler, Wisconsin
Setter of the Year 2025 – Bergen Reilly, Nebraska
Middle Blocker of the Year
2025 – Andi Jackson, Nebraska
References
External links