- Following a strong start to the 2022 season, all 14 Big Ten Conference programs enter week two of non-conference play starting Wednesday night with a top-five showdown as No. 4 Minnesota visits top-ranked Texas (8 p.m. ET on the Longhorn Network). It’s the first of seven Top 25 matchups involving Big Ten teams during the next week, including three on Sunday afternoon — Minnesota hosting No. 13 Florida (1:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network), No. 8 Ohio State visiting No. 3 Louisville in the Cardinal Classic (2 p.m. ET on ACC Network) and No. 19 Illinois taking on No. 14 Washington at the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge in Boulder, Colo. (1 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Insider).
- Big Ten schools went a combined 31-7 (.816) during the opening week of the 2022 season, with eight teams going unbeaten. Among that success were 20 victories via three-set sweeps, with both Nebraska and Northwestern winning all three of their matches last week in 3-0 fashion (Northwestern pulling off that feat to open a season for the first time since 2015).
- Rutgers also opened its season with three consecutive victories at the College of Charleston Classic, starting 3-0 for the first time since 1998. The last time the Scarlet Knights began with four or more consecutive wins was two years earlier in 1996, when they debuted 8-0 en route to a 20-win season.
- Northwestern posted a .500 hitting percentage in its Aug. 27 win over Northeastern at Welsh-Ryan Arena to cap off the Wildcats Classic. It was the fourth-highest hitting percentage in program history (highest under the current rally-scoring format) and Northwestern’s best since logging a program-best .689 mark in a win over Towson nearly 24 years ago (Sept. 18, 1998).
- Purdue freshman outside hitter Eva Hudson was chosen as both the Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Week on Monday. She is the second rookie in conference history to earn both honors following the opening weekend of her freshman season, joining Minnesota’s Stephanie Samedy, who began her career by earning both awards to start the 2017 campaign. Hudson was named the MVP of the Tennessee Classic last weekend in Knoxville, Tenn., averaging 4.70 kills and 5.10 points per set with a .343 hitting percentage in leading the…
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