Stivrins, Sun Named to Preseason All-Big Ten Team

Nebraska volleyball seniors Lauren Stivrins and Lexi Sun were voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team by the league’s 14 head coaches on Wednesday. The coaches also tabbed the Huskers as the No. 3 team in the Big Ten Preseason Poll behind Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Stivrins is a two-time AVCA All-American and two-time All-Big Ten First-Team selection. She posted 2.55 kills per set, 1.07 blocks per set and a team-best .374 hitting percentage in 2019. The senior middle blocker led the Huskers to a .152 opponent hitting percentage as a junior, which ranked eighth in the nation. The Scottsdale, Arizona native also served nine aces and was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection a year ago. She led the Huskers to an eighth straight NCAA Regional Final appearance and became the 32nd Husker all-time to earn multiple AVCA All-America honors in a career. 

Sun earned her first ever All-America accolade in 2019 after leading the Huskers with 3.57 kills per set with 2.45 digs per set and 25 service aces. The native of Encinitas, California posted double-digit kills in 18 of 20 Big Ten matches and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection for the first time. She had 10 double-doubles as a junior, second-most on the team. Sun, a senior outside hitter, received AVCA All-America honorable mention as a freshman at Texas in 2017 before transferring to Nebraska. 

Defending Big Ten champion and NCAA runner-up Wisconsin was the unanimous choice by the coaches as the top team in the Big Ten Preseason Poll. Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State and Purdue rounded out the top five teams.

2020-21 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM

Erika Pritchard, Sr., OH, Maryland

Paige Jones, Jr., OH, Michigan

Regan Pittman, Sr., MB, Minnesota

Stephanie Samedy, Sr., OPP, Minnesota

Lauren Stivrins, Sr., MB, Nebraska

Lexi Sun, Sr., OH, Nebraska

Serena Gray, Jr., M, Penn State

Kaitlyn Hord, Jr., M, Penn State

Jonni Parker. Jr., OH, Penn State

Grace Cleveland, Jr., OPP/M, Purdue

Caitlyn Newton, Sr., OH, Purdue

Molly Haggerty, Sr., OH, Wisconsin

SYDNEY HILLEY, SR., S, WISCONSIN

DANA RETTKE, SR., MB, WISCONSIN

 

2020-21 BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL

1. WISCONSIN

2. Minnesota

3. Nebraska

4. Penn State

5. Purdue

6. Michigan

7. Ohio State

8. Illinois

9. Michigan State

10. Northwestern

11. Indiana

12. Maryland

13. Iowa

14. Rutgers

 

All caps indicates unanimous selection