COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Big Ten Conference released its preseason poll and All-Big Ten Team on Monday prior to the start of the inaugural Big Ten women’s volleyball media days. The Buckeyes were selected to finish fourth in the conference, while junior opposite hitter Emily Londot, senior setter Mac Podraza and junior middle blocker Rylee Rader were all selected to the preseason all-conference team.
Ohio State returned to NCAA regional semifinals for the second-consecutive season in the fall of 2021 after hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Columbus for the first time since 2015 and the first time ever in the Covelli Center. The Buckeyes earned a 27-6 record and a 15-5 mark in Big Ten matches, earning five ranked wins and concluding the regular season on a seven-match win streak. Ohio State spent 14-consecutive weeks in the AVCA top-10, which is a program record, with the previous record being 10-straight weeks in the top-10 in 2004. The Buckeyes also topped out at third in the AVCA weekly polls, the highest ranking in program history.
The defending national champion Wisconsin Badgers was selected to repeat as the Big Ten Champions in 2022. Last fall, the Badgers finished with a 31-3 overall record and went 17-3 in Big Ten matches. Wisconsin finished the season on an 11-match win streak, defeating Nebraska in five sets in the national championship match, hosted at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. The Huskers were selected as the 2022 Big Ten runner-up after finishing as the national runner-up in 2021. Nebraska, a 10-seed, upset No. 2 Texas in the NCAA regional finals to advance to the Final Four and defeated No. 3 Pittsburgh to reach the national championship. The Huskers finished the season 26-8 overall and 15-4 in conference matches.
2022 Big Ten Preseason Poll
- Wisconsin
- Nebraska
- Minnesota
- Ohio State
- Penn State
- Illinois & Michigan (tie)
- Purdue
- Northwestern
- Maryland
- Michigan State
- Iowa
- Indiana
- Rutgers
Londot, Podraza and Rader were all selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team following successful 2021 campaigns. All three earned AVCA All-American recognition with Rader on the second team, Podraza on the third team and Londot an honorable mention. The trio made the AVCA’s All-Region team in the fall after receiving all-conference nods from the Big Ten as well. Podraza is currently on the 2022 Women’s Collegiate National Team. This is Londot’s second-consecutive All-Big Ten Preseason Team appearance.
In 2021, Rader…
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