Defending NCAA champions Wisconsin will be one of the teams featured on Volleyball TV as the Big Ten enters its ninth week of play this weekend, with 14 matches set to take place from Friday to Sunday.
Big Ten 2022
Watch reigning NCAA champions Wisconsin live on VBTV
The Badgers face Rutgers on Friday; Illinois and Iowa set to clash on Saturday
Published 08:00, 16 Nov 2022
Junior outside hitter Jade Demps in action for Wisconsin
The Badgers will play twice on the second-to-last week of the regular season and their first match of the weekend, a Friday road encounter with Rutgers set to start at 7 PM ET, will be available on Volleyball TV without any territorial restrictions.
Undefeated in their last 14 matches, Wisconsin, who lead the Big Ten with 15 wins and one loss, will enter the match as the undisputed favourites against a Rutgers team that sits at the bottom of the conference with two wins and 14 losses. The teams played each other last Friday and Wisconsin secured a three-set victory.
Despite the graduation of several seniors following last season's title, including USA national team middle blocker Dana Rettke, the Badgers continue to be a force in the Big Ten. Sophomore outside Sarah Franklin has led the team's scoring with 349 points so far, while fifth-year middle Danielle Hart has been a standout blocker with 120 stops.
Rutgers, who have lost their last three matches, have freshman outside hitter Alissa Kinkela as their top scorer with 291 points. Junior setter Lauren DeLo, who tallied 624 assists so far this season, is another solid contributor for the Scarlet Knights.
Wisconsin's second match of the weekend, a Saturday road duel with Penn State at 8 PM, will also be available on Volleyball TV, but only for subscribers outside specific North and Central America locations.
A second match will be available on Volleyball TV this weekend without any territorial restrictions, featuring Illinois and Iowa, who will play each other on Sunday at 2 PM.
Playing at home, Illinois will attempt to secure their third consecutive victory and continue to climb the Big Ten standings - the Fighting Illini are currently seventh with eight wins and eight losses.
In order to keep winning, Illinois will count on a solid performance from junior outside hitter Raina Terry, their top scorer in the season with 462 points. Senior setter Diana Brown will likely reach an important milestone this weekend as she has already registered 985 assists for the season and is on pace to reach 1,000 in one of the team's two matches.
Iowa are in a less comfortable position, ranked 13th in the Big Ten with two wins and 14 losses, but enter the weekend coming from their second victory in the season, a 3-0 win over Rutgers on Sunday. The Hawkeyes had dropped their nine matches prior to that success.
Sophomore outside hitter Michelle Urquhart, who had 11 kills and nine digs in that match, and senior middle blocker Amiya Jones, who had nine kills and seven blocks, were the team's top performers last weekend.
Big Ten Conference matches on Volleyball TV - This week's schedule
November 18
Rutgers vs. Wisconsin (7:00 PM ET)*
Penn State vs. Minnesota (8:30 PM ET)**
November 19
Penn State vs. Wisconsin (8:00 PM ET)**
November 20
Nebraska vs. Purdue (1:00 PM ET)**
Illinois vs. Iowa (2:00 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.
