Big Ten Conference play officially tipped off Thursday night, and teams immediately served notice across the league. From an upset in Champaign to a ranked matchup in Madison, there was no shortage of action leading into a weekend packed with big games.
Illinois Opens B1G Play with a Bang
No team generated a bigger splash on Big Ten opening night than Illinois, knocking off No. 15 Minnesota in Champaign. In their fifth consecutive victory, the Fighting Illini defeated the Gophers in four sets (25-22, 14-25, 25-18, 25-22) to secure their first ranked win of the season.
Illinois was led by junior Paityn Chapman, who had a team-high 15 kills alongside nine digs, three blocks, and an ace; she was joined by Taylor de Boer (11 kills and a block) and Kristina Starostenko (eight kills and four blocks).
The Illini hit the ground running, jumping out to an early 5-2 advantage in set one. Though Minnesota rallied to pull even twice, a 5-2 closing run handed Illinois the early frame. Minnesota responded by seizing the second set to knot the match, but the rest of the night belonged to the home squad. Illinois swept the final two frames to seal the top-15 upset. More from the Illini.
Badgers Storm Back to Defeat Ducks
In Madison, No. 6 Wisconsin stormed back to defeat No. 20 Oregon in four sets (24-26, 25-19, 26-24, 25-14) to kick off its Big Ten campaign. After dropping the first set, the Badgers rattled off three straight in the night’s only ranked matchup.
Audrey Flanagan shined again, tallying a career-high 19 kills, while Decelise Champion notched 16 kills and 10 digs. They were joined by Charlie Fuerbringer, who had a match-high 50 assists.
“You got to hang in there mentally and you got to hang in there together to give yourself a chance,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. “And we were able to hang together, we were able to kind of play clean when our backs were against the wall."
Hear more from the Badgers.
On the weekend docket
The momentum builds this weekend, headlined by two ranked showdowns.
Top-10 Matchup: Badgers, Boilermakers Battle in West Lafayette
Big Ten action rolls on with a top-10 heavyweight clash in West Lafayette, as No. 6 Wisconsin travels south to take on No. 10 Purdue. With both programs eyeing early positioning atop the conference standings, Sunday’s showdown guarantees a resume-building win for the victor.
Both squads enter 1-0 in league play following Thursday night victories — Wisconsin knocked off No. 20 Oregon, while Purdue upended Maryland. The Badgers bring serious firepower to the net in scoring duo Audrey Flanagan (134.5 points) and Eva Travis (121 points). They will be tested by a stout Boilermaker defense that is holding opponents under a .200 hitting percentage on the season.
Purdue counters with a surging offense led by Addy Tindall, whose 153.5 points rank in the conference's top 10. The Boilermakers feature a balanced attack operating in the upper tier of the Big Ten in hitting percentage, kills per set, assists per set, and blocks per set.
First serve is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network as two of the nation's premier volleyball programs battle for conference position.
Ducks, Gophers go for Marquee Win
No. 20 Oregon continues its Midwest road swing against No. 15 Minnesota, who will play its first conference home game of the season.
The matchup features two of the Big Ten’s most lethal scoring threats: Minnesota’s Mckenna Wucherer (first in the B1G with 196 points) and Oregon’s Valentina Vaulet (sixth with 161points). Whether the Ducks emerge victorious or the Gophers prevail in front of their fans, one team will leave with a hard-fought win.
First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. ET Saturday on B1G+ at Maturi Pavilion.
Those matchups headline a packed weekend slate with conference play officially open:
The excitement is just getting started as conference play heats up. View the complete Big Ten schedule here.
Photo credit: fightingillini.com.