Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Central Nov. 27 - Nov. 30

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• Seven of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are mentioned in this week’s AVCA Coaches Poll, announced on Monday. The poll includes No. 2 Nebraska, No. 4 Penn State, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 8 Purdue, No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Minnesota and No. 21 USC. Washington is receiving votes. The Big Ten has had seven teams ranked in the AVCA Top 25 for seven consecutive weeks. Throughout the regular season, the Big Ten peaked with eight teams in the Top 25 in three separate weeks, with seven teams ranked in every other regular season week.
• In this week’s NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings, three Big Ten schools are in the top 10, six in the top 25 and nine in the top 40 of the NCAA RPI report through games as of Nov. 24. RPI rankings through games of Nov. 24: Nebraska 1, Penn State 4, Wisconsin 7, Purdue 15, Oregon 16, USC 21, Minnesota 29, Illinois 32, Washington 38.
• The Big Ten Conference continues to be the most popular conference in the country in terms of attendance, placing a remarkable 12 schools among the top 30 in the latest NCAA attendance rankings released Monday, Nov. 25. Nebraska leads the country at 8,713  fans per match, just ahead of Wisconsin (2nd; 7,873), with Minnesota fourth (4,896) and Purdue sixth (4,332). Washington is next at No. 10 (3,638), followed by No. 12 Ohio State (3,518), No. 14 Michigan State (3,386), No. 19 Oregon (3,146), No. 20 Illinois (3,130), No. 22 Penn State (3,051), No. 28 USC (2,466) and No. 30 Northwestern (2,209). In comparison, no other conference has more than two schools in the top 15 of the NCAA attendance rankings this week, with the Big Ten owning seven of the top-15 spots.
• The Nebraska vs. Wisconsin match on Nov. 23 on Big Ten Network delivered 591,000 viewers, making it the most-watched volleyball match on BTN this season and the second-most watched in network history.
• Penn State and Nebraska are the only two Big Ten teams who are still in contention for a Big Ten Championship. Nebraska looks to capture the title for the second consecutive year, while Penn State seeks its first Championship since 2017. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten with 17 Big Ten titles, including consecutive first-place finishes from 2003-10. 
• Penn State Head Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley reached 200 career wins with a 3-0 win over Purdue on Nov. 21. Seventy-five of those victories have come as the coach of Penn State, where she holds a .798 winning percentage.
• The final week of the regular season features a trio of doubleheaders on BTN, starting on Wednesday with #6 Wisconsin vs. Ohio State at 8:30 p.m. ET, followed by #9 Purdue vs. #13 Oregon at 10:30 p.m. ET. Coverage continues on Friday with No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 2 Nebraska at Rec Hall at 5 p.m. ET, followed by RV Washington vs. #9 Purdue at 7:30 p.m. ET. The regular season concludes on Saturday with Maryland hosting No. 2 Nebraska at 7 p.m. ET, followed by No. 8 Wisconsin vs. Michigan State at 9 p.m. ET. 
• Sixteen players from the Big Ten Conference were chosen in the 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) Draft. The 16 selections led all conferences, and Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin led the way with three selections each. Nebraska opposite Merritt Beason was the first overall pick to the Atlanta Vibe, leading the Big Ten’s four selections in the first round.
• The NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship bracket will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Big Ten Champion will be the conference’s automatic qualifier for the 2024 Tournament, which features 64 teams (32 AQ’s, 32 at-large). The national semifinals and final will be held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 19 (semifinals) and Dec. 22 (final).