Big Ten volleyball media days: 7 things to know

The media event is Monday and Tuesday at the Big Ten’s headquarters. Here are seven things to know.

For the third year in a row, the Big Ten Conference and Big Ten Network are teaming up to host media days for volleyball at the Big Ten Network headquarters in downtown Chicago on Monday and Tuesday.

Volleyball in the Big Ten is a big deal, and it’s believed to be the only conference to host an in-person media day. Two players and a coach from each school spend about four hours making their way through various media stations, which often include ESPN, NCAA.com, a news conference and various live and taped interviews for BTN to use throughout the season. Special and unique to this college sports media days is a reception on Monday evening when all of the teams convene in the same room for a few hours — logistics usually keep such an event from happening at media days for football and basketball. In previous years, a player and the Big Ten Commissioner have given speeches at the reception.

Nebraska — which is ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten preseason coaches’ poll — will make the rounds at media days on Tuesday morning, represented by senior outside hitter Lindsay Krause, senior setter/serving specialist Kennedi Orr and coach John Cook. Nebraska’s two senior All-Americans, Lexi Rodriguez and Merritt Beason, each attended last year, and most schools have opted to bring a new group of players to Chicago each season.

Each of the four schools joining the Big Ten this season are featured on Tuesday — UCLA, Southern California, Oregon and Washington. USC will be represented by Ally Batenhorst, just a few months after the Nebraska graduate transfer joined the program.

Big Ten Network will have coverage from the event from 12 p.m. to 4 on Monday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The Huskers will be on BTN at approximately 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

While the start of official practice is usually the week after media days, Nebraska’s first practice is Monday afternoon. All college volleyball teams are getting five more days of practice this year, and Nebraska is playing a few days earlier than most teams during the AVCA First Serve Showcase on Aug. 27 against Kentucky in Louisville, Kentucky. Nebraska will likely start the season ranked No. 2 in the AVCA poll, behind Texas.

The Olympic women’s volleyball tournament will be going on during the event and will be felt, most evident by two of the head coaches not being in attendance because they’re still in Paris as assistant coaches for the U.S. women’s team (Michigan’s Erin Virtue and UCLA’s Alfee Reft). Illinois coach Chris Tamas and Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield each attended the early days of the Olympics to watch former players. Eight of the 12 players on the U.S. team are alums of Big Ten programs

The Big Ten has the reigning national player of the year in Wisconsin outside hitter Sarah Franklin, and she’ll be there for Monday’s interviews. She had double-digit kills in 28 matches last season and helped the Badgers reach the national semifinals.