NCAA Girls
August 6, 2024
CHICAGO — The largest storyline of the 2024 Huge Ten season wasn’t even within the constructing on Monday because the convention had the primary of two media days.
On the third annual Huge Ten Volleyball Media Days, a lot of the coaches have been requested concerning the 4 newcomers to the league: Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington. Their addition stretches the convention to each coasts of the nation and complicates schedules and journey.
These 4 new colleges will meet the media right here on Tuesday.
“It’s going to be new for everybody. It’s the primary 12 months, so there’s going to be a studying curve,” Rutgers coach Caitlin Schweihofer mentioned.
Every Huge Ten faculty will play every West Coast group as soon as this 12 months. Central and Japanese Time Zone colleges will both journey to play Oregon and Washington or spend a weekend in Los Angeles taking up UCLA and USC. They are going to host the 2 colleges they don’t journey to.
Michigan State coach Leah Johnson doesn’t view the journey as an impediment however as simply one other street journey. As a result of the Spartans haven’t performed the brand new members earlier than, they are going to deal with these matches extra like nonconference opponents and study their totally different kinds.
“We’ll play that recreation in that second in that point zone in that metropolis in that state, after which we’ll do it once more,” she mentioned. “If we are able to preserve issues regular like that — and don’t get me flawed, we’re going to go sightsee a bit of bit and we’re going to benefit from it as a result of that’s what we do in our program.”
Schweihofer mentioned she isn’t nervous concerning the further journey regardless of being on the other coast. She has by no means been to Oregon so she talked to a buddy that coaches at Oregon State about journey tricks to the Pacific Northwest. With Rugers’s proximity to the Newark airport flights shouldn’t be too taxing.
“I believe our gamers are enthusiastic about it,” she mentioned. “Clearly, USC and UCLA are coming and taking part in in New Jersey, in order that’s going to be their problem. Huge Ten journey is hard each time. Oregon may be simpler to get to than Lincoln, Nebraska, or who is aware of. However we’ll discover out this 12 months.”
The newcomers will current loads of challenges on the court docket too. UCLA, USC and Washington have gained a mixed eight nationwide championships and Oregon has certified for 16 of the final 18 NCAA tournaments.
Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield mentioned he’s wanting ahead to taking part in at UCLA.
“There’s not too many locations in my profession I’ve not competed at. That’s one in all them,” he mentioned. “I’m excited to return to these different three packages as a result of they’re awfully gifted with some actually good younger coaches main the way in which.”
Illinois coach Chris Tamas mentioned the onerous half concerning the new schedule is the dearth of double performs. This season, every faculty solely performs three groups twice. The timing of the matches may matter extra as groups develop their id and take care of accidents and different types of adversity.
Tamas mentioned he isn’t nervous concerning the journey regardless of the longer flights. The tougher half is including much more high quality groups right into a deep convention.
“A few journeys may be a bit of bit harder than the opposite ones, nevertheless it’s going to be comparatively the identical,” he mentioned. “Through the season you’re all the time attempting to determine, how a lot can I follow, how a lot do we have to relaxation, how a lot do we have to get well to prepare for the following big-time matches.”
The 2 Los Angeles colleges will journey to Maryland this 12 months and Terps coach Adam Hughes invited them to take a tour of close by Washington, D.C., which many groups have executed if they’ve an off-day earlier than taking part in Maryland.
“They need to all do a full-day tour exterior within the solar, exterior all day strolling round,” he mentioned. “There’s been a historical past of groups which have executed that after which misplaced to us. We’d ask all of them to return in right here and do a tour of D.C.”
Huge Ten options 83 nationwide TV matches
The convention introduced its nationwide tv schedule with a brand new excessive of 83 matches on 4 networks. The standard channels of Huge Ten Community, FOX and FS1 will carry a big portion of the schedule, however this 12 months matches can even be aired on NBC and Peacock for the primary time.
NBC will air three matches on Saturday afternoons beginning with Nebraska at Ohio State on Oct. 19. The opposite two matches might be Purdue internet hosting Wisconsin on Oct. 26 at Mackey Enviornment, whereas Penn State at Wisconsin on Nov. 9. All of the video games will begin at 3:30 p.m. Japanese.
The Badgers can even characteristic on the opposite two community video games as a part of the School Volleyball Showcase. UW will play Texas on Sept. 1 and Stanford the next day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Minnesota can even play within the occasion and play the groups on reverse days with each matches carried on FS1.
BTN will carry 68 matches with all 18 colleges making at the least one look. The TV schedule kicks off with newcomer Oregon internet hosting Pittsburgh on Aug. 30. The Oregon at UCLA match on Nov. 29 might be streamed on Peacock.
9 groups Monday, 9 extra Tuesday
Listed below are highlights and prime quotes from the 9 groups that met with the media on Monday:
Iowa
2023 file, end: 8-24, 0-20, 14th place
Coach Jim Barnes (472-390, 18-45 at Iowa), senior center blocker Anna Davis McSweeney, senior exterior hitter Michelle Urquart
“A part of it was bringing in and altering — once you’re constructing a home you don’t all the time see the restoration on the within from the sidewalk. The within is what we have been actually restoring, and I introduced these two gamers with us to assist educate folks how you can come to work day-after-day, have an amazing perspective, and deal with one another very well. That restoration has been occurring for 2 years, and I believe you’re actually going to see a few of what our group is de facto about this 12 months. I believe we’ve put issues in place,” Barnes on the challenges he’s confronted rebuilding Iowa in his three years on the faculty.
“I’m not going to lie, I am going week by week by the itinerary that will get despatched out. So I’m not even positive the place we journey to apart from Puerto Rico that’s developing (to start out the season). I’m going to be utterly trustworthy. But when we play Ohio State this 12 months, I like their area. Theirs might be the perfect one to play in,” Urquart on what fitness center she is wanting ahead to taking part in on this 12 months.
Northwestern
2023 file, end: 15-15, Sept. 11, tied for eighth place
Coach Tim Nollan (120-92 profession file, first 12 months at Northwestern), graduate setter Alexa Rousseau, junior center blocker Kennedy Hill
“Purple is becoming. Sarcastically my center youngster mentioned we might solely change if we obtained to remain purple, so it labored out,” Nollan on if Northwestern’s faculty colours was one of many causes he determined to go away Grand Canyon College.
“I dedicated to this college in 2017, so I’ve been an element and purchased into this program and desirous to rebuild it and make the event since then, and I believe each single 12 months we’ve come a bit of bit nearer since my freshman 12 months,” Rousseau on coping with expectations throughout a training transition.
Michigan
2023 file, end: 7-22, 5-15, twelfth place
Affiliate Head Coach Benavia Jenkins; (Head coach Erin Advantage is in Paris as an assistant on the USA ladies’s group on the Olympics), graduate exterior hitter Allison Jacobs; junior center blocker Serena Nyambio
“Hungry. We clearly didn’t have the season that we needed final 12 months, however we constructed a very nice basis within the spring, and I believe we’re actually hungry and excited to see how that interprets into the autumn,” Jacobs on one phrase to explain Michigan volleyball.
Illinois
2023 file, end: 16-14, 11-9, tied for sixth place
Coach Chris Tamas (131-81 general and at Illinois), graduate exterior hitter Raina Terry; senior libero Caroline Barnes
“Final night time, and many espresso and high quality,” Tamas on when he returned from watching volleyball on the Paris Olympics and the way he’s feeling.
“A nasty float serve goes to be tougher than anything in my view. You by no means know the place it’s going. It has loads of motion. We’ve got loads of gamers in our convention who — Raina included — who’ve honed that ability quite a bit. Positively loads of stress,” Barnes on the hardest serve to deal with.
Wisconsin
2023 file, end: 30-4, 17-3, second place
Coach Kelly Sheffield 537-169 general, 264-57 at Wisconsin), graduate exterior hitter Sarah Franklin, senior center blocker/proper facet Devyn Robinson
“Seeing Dana within the Olympic jersey is de facto inspiring to me as a result of I’ve appeared as much as right here ever since earlier than I even dedicated to Wisconsin. She’s an enormous motive why I got here right here, and to see her residing out her desires is simply including gasoline to my fireplace to really feel like I performed together with her, I do know what she did to get to the spot that she’s at, and I can do these issues, too,” Robinson on watching former Badger Dana Rettke within the Olympics.
“Each participant sort of brings their very own expertise, their very own musical instrument, if you’ll, to the social gathering, however you’ve obtained to be taking part in the identical music. Although all people has a special instrument. We’ve not all the time been taking part in the identical music. When the margins are so skinny, like they’re in an elite convention like this, and it’s about able to get gnarlier with these 4 West Coast groups coming in, you’d higher deal with adversity, and also you’d higher be singing the identical music,” Sheffield on elements that may decide success this 12 months.
Rutgers
2023 file, end:10-29, 2-18, thirteenth place
Coach Caitlin Schweihofer (105-187 profession file, 32-79 at Rutgers), junior setter Aly Borellis, sophomore center blocker Zora Hardison
“If we are able to get gamers in a Rutgers volleyball jersey a lot earlier on than their junior 12 months of highschool, that curiosity goes to solely develop this system. I’m enthusiastic about simply — for first time ever I used to be strolling by means of the mall and I noticed somebody in a Rutgers Volleyball shirt, and I requested to take their image,” Schweihofer on rising Rutgers volleyball within the Northeast.
“It simply got here all the way down to household setting, got here all the way down to the folks, and I believe New Jersey is a very excellent spot to simply have a school expertise and simply develop up there and sort of study new issues. As a result of it’s undoubtedly totally different from the place I’m from. However general it’s only a actually nice expertise, and the folks is what makes it for me…And on my go to my dad made her write out an entire little sheet of every part that I needed. Shout out to my dad,” Borellis on her resolution to switch to Rutgers from Ole Miss.
Michigan State
2023 file, end: 17-14, Sept. 11, tied for eighth place
Coach Leah Johnson Smith (214-183, 30-32), junior exterior hitter Evie Doezema, junior exterior hitter Taylor Preston
“That match has a particular place in our coronary heart simply because it was such a well-fought battle on either side. To come back out on prime in opposition to a ranked group like that as we’re constructing our program again up, it was surreal, and it simply confirmed the quantity of effort and work we’ve actually put into this group and the way far more we are able to accomplish this 12 months. We’re hoping to do it 1,000,000 occasions over once more,” Doezema on beating Penn State final 12 months 18-16 within the fifth set.
“It’s particular to have the ability to be a dad or mum and a coach. And there’s many, women and men alike, proper, who’re mother and father and who present up day-after-day carrying a number of hats of their capability.
“However there’s something totally different about going by means of a being pregnant and going by means of a supply and going by means of breastfeeding and going by means of sleepless nights as a mom. That has made this an exceptionally totally different sort of problem as a dad or mum as a result of my time isn’t my very own in these circumstances.
“But I nonetheless needed to develop a program for maternity go away, I nonetheless needed to develop a program whereas my child is in NICU or I’m within the hospital for eight days as a result of I’ve an emergency C-section. Nobody is aware of that. Nobody cares. However right here’s the factor: they do once you acknowledge who issues.
“So that they care, and that made me need to present up. So once I communicate to younger ladies who aspire to educate, it’s a must to give attention to who your circle is. The circle isn’t somebody on the market who thinks, oh, nicely, she gained’t have time to do that, she’ll be distracted. Or additionally once you’re hiring assistants, nicely, they’re in all probability of their childbearing years in order that might be an obstacle.
“Nobody is saying it out loud however they’re considering it. What I might say to younger ladies, proceed to persist. Persist and persist, as a result of it’s onerous and attainable. It’s onerous and thrilling. It’s onerous and a bonus. It’s not or. We’ve got to take or out of the choices. It’s and and and and and, and these are some world class ladies who’re going to go do enormous issues of their line of labor whether or not it’s teaching or not,” Johnson on her message to females who need to get into the teaching world.
Penn State
2023 file, end: 23-9, 15-5, tied for third place
Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley (174-163 profession file, 49-17 at Penn State), graduate exterior hitter Camryn Hannah, graduate exterior hitter Jess Mruzik
“Jess has a smorgasbord of various instruments in her device package, so I believe studying from her, with the ability to watch her do issues, I’m like, how does she do this, after which I ask her and she or he’ll inform me. It doesn’t must be a contest on a regular basis. We are able to study from one another, and that’s the perfect setting to be in,” Hannah on what she admires about Mruzik.
“Izzy is an outstanding participant and I believe she’s going to do nice. However it’s all the time studying. It’s all the time a studying curve. Whether or not you’re a freshman or a senior, I believe these guys are nonetheless studying some new issues concerning the recreation. I assumed she had an amazing spring. She did a very good job within the weight room this summer time. I’m wanting ahead to seeing what she goes to do,” Schumacher-Cawley on freshman setter Izzy Starck.
Maryland
2023 file, end: 16-16, 7-13, tied for tenth place
Coach Adam Hughes, (88-92 profession file and at Maryland), senior setter Zoe Huang, graduate Samantha Schnitta
“I’ve obtained three daughters and I’ve discovered you possibly can’t have a finest daughter. You could have a daughter for this, a daughter for that, a daughter for this,” Hughes mentioned when requested who his finest participant is.
“Being a 5-foot-3 setter, it’s actually onerous for me to play at an excellent excessive aggressive degree. To be trustworthy, being within the Huge Ten, with the ability to compete at this degree and see among the finest gamers within the nation might be my greatest achievement,” Huang on her greatest athletic accomplishment.