Why it’s ‘no surprise’ the U.S. women’s volleyball roster has so many Big Ten players

CHICAGO — A college volleyball coach might only get one chance to watch a former player compete in the Olympics.

Just 12 players make the team, and it’s only once every four years.

With that in mind this summer, Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield and Illinois coach Chris Tamas each traveled to Paris to attend a few matches of the Olympic women’s volleyball tournament.

Wisconsin has setter Lauren Carlini and Dana Rettke on the U.S. team. Illinois has Jordyn Poulter. She’s the setter who helped lead Illinois to the NCAA Final Four in 2018 when the Illini played Nebraska in the national semifinals just two years after Tamas was an assistant coach at Nebraska.

Tamas went straight from Paris to Chicago without returning home to attend Big Ten media days on Monday.

He got in on Sunday night and then had several rounds of interviews on Monday.

“Lots of coffee, and fine,” said Tamas of how he was feeling.

In addition to Poulter, Tamas coached U.S. libero Justine Wong-Orantes when she was at Nebraska. And Tamas’ wife, Jen, played with the national team when Jordan Larson was beginning her national team career.

“You’ve got so many players that are from the Big Ten that are there competing,” Tamas said. “It’s no surprise to us that are in this conference because we’re used to those environments, and in those arenas, it was 10,000, 11,000-plus each night, and it’s much like we face in the Big Ten. It’s great to see all the Big Ten that’s represented.”

Eight of the 12 players on the U.S. roster are from current Big Ten programs.

Sheffield attended the Olympics for the first time.

“First time I’ve ever had an Olympian, and we’ve got two there,” Sheffield said. “It was cool. It was emotional. It was awesome. There were so many of their former teammates that also made the trip over.”

Sheffield and his family attended two women’s volleyball matches, and two matches for the U.S. men’s team.

“We saw USA Beach under the Eiffel Tower at night when the sunset was going and the glistening of the Eiffel Tower, and we saw a day of gymnastics where there wasn’t a single American there, and it didn’t really matter,” he said.

“The pride and the joy that is just around for everybody, it was just such a great vibe. I’m fired up for it to get to Los Angeles in four years. Hopefully, we’ll have some players, but if not, I can guarantee you me and my family will be there.”

For Nebraska coach John Cook, having three alums on the Olympic team shows him that they’re doing a good job of preparing players for the challenges of reaching the highest level in the sport.

“People really don’t understand how hard it is to make an Olympic team because it’s 12 players that get selected and it’s a very tough process to go through and very competitive,” Cook said.

Just like it was previously with Kenzie Maloney, Wong-Orantes and Kayla Banwarth, it’s time for Nebraska fans to make sure and appreciate the final season for Nebraska’s three-time All-American libero, Lexi Rodriguez.

Sheffield, the Wisconsin coach, says the opposing libero may not always be a major talking point when you’re preparing for a match. But it is when you’re playing Nebraska.

“(You rarely talk about an opponent’s libero), but if you want to find the floor, you might want to go to other areas of the court rather than left-back when you’re playing the Huskers,” Sheffield said.

Rodriguez was good in her first college season and has kept getting better.

“She steadies the passing, she can defend her area of the court, she has range,” Sheffield said. “Her serving is good, and has continued to get better. Her out-of-system setting — nothing probably improved more in her game the last year than that part. She’s really good at that. She’s in control.”

It will be another season where Nebraska has a great collection of talent at the outside hitter position with Lindsay Krause, Taylor Landfair, Harper Murray and Skyler Pierce.

During a match, if a starting outside hitter has a low hitting percentage after a few sets, Cook may be able to go to the bench and bring in an All-American.

Cook is excited to coach Landfair for the first time.

“She’s an unusual player because she’s 6-foot-4, she’s physical, she hits the ball really high and hard. It’s hard to train that,” Cook said.

Special and unique to volleyball 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. Each year, one player gives a short speech. This year Southern California setter Mia Tuaniga was chosen. Big Ten and Big Ten Network staff are there.

While it is now a coast-to-coast conference, many of the 36 players in attendance have known each other for more than 10 years while playing against each other in club volleyball, and with each other on the U.S. junior national teams. Many of the players were once on the same lists of top recruits in the nation.

This year the reception was at Navy Pier, with a wide view of Lake Michigan.

“I thought it was beautiful,” Nebraska senior Kennedi Orr said. “I was talking to Coach a little bit on the rooftop and I was like, ‘I’ll probably never get to be on this rooftop again. This is a really cool experience.’

“It was a lot of fun and I’m just really grateful for the Big Ten for putting it together, because I did get to see so many girls I played USA volleyball with.”

“I’m in the tank a little bit because Jordan (Larson) laid into me last week because I didn’t go to Paris, and I’m like, ‘Jordan, I’m the grand marshal at the Burwell Rodeo. I cannot go to Paris.” – Cook.

“We’re the most motivated team in the country right now.” — Krause, after Nebraska lost 3-0 against Texas in the national championship match.

“I remember getting subbed into my first (college) game, and I couldn’t feel my legs.” – Northwestern setter Alexa Rousseau on being nervous.

“I don’t think anybody is going to go undefeated (in Big Ten play), let’s put it that way. And if they do, they’re going to deserve coach of the century and team of the century.” — Cook. 

“The physicality of the Big Ten, you have to recruit towards that. So it’s changed my way of how I’m recruiting a little bit or who I’m going after. I’ve always been someone who has been going after a lot of maybe some smaller players that are really quick twitch fast; explosive. Now I’ve mixed and blended it with more physical, bigger volleyball players as well.” – Southern California coach Brad Keller.

“Big Ten travel is tough whenever. Oregon might be easier to get to than Lincoln, Nebraska, or who knows. But we’ll find out this year.” – Rutgers coach Caitlin Schweihofer.