Wisconsin Badgers News: Women’s Volleyball unanimous pick to win 2021 Big Ten title

Three Badgers named preseason All-Big Ten

MADISON, Wis. – The second-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team was selected as the unanimous pick to win the 2021 Big Ten Conference title, the conference office announced on Monday.

In addition, three Badgers – Sydney Hilley, Dana Rettke and Devyn Robinson – were named to the 14-player Preseason All-Big Ten team with Hilley and Rettke earning unanimous selection.

Wisconsin is the two-time reigning Big Ten champions, winning the 2020-21 title with a perfect 15-0 mark. Nebraska, which finished third in 2020-21 with a 14-2 record, is picked to finish second in 2021 followed by Penn State (9-5 in 2020-21) and Minnesota (15-2).

Hilley is the two-time reigning Big Ten Setter of the Year while Rettke was named the 2019 Big Ten Player of the Year. Robinson made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2020-21, earning All-Big Ten honors as well as third-team All-America honors. 

Wisconsin opens the 2021 season this weekend when it hosts the Big Ten-Big 12 Challenge in the UW Field House. The No. 2 Badgers take on TCU on Friday at 6 p.m. while seventh-ranked Minnesota faces No. 10 Baylor at 8:30 p.m. The teams switch opponents on Saturday with UW taking on the Bears and the Golden Gophers facing TCU at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., respectively. Both matches on Saturday air live on the Big Ten Network.

2021 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL

1.            WISCONSIN

2.            Nebraska

3.            Penn State

4.            Minnesota

5.            Purdue

6.            Ohio State

7.            Illinois

8.            Michigan

9.            Northwestern

10.          Michigan State

11.          Rutgers

12.          Iowa

13.          (tie) Indiana

                (tie) Maryland

2021 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

Taylor Landfair, So., OH, Minnesota

STEPHANIE SAMEDY, Sr., OPP, Minnesota

Nicklin Hames, Sr., S, Nebraska

Lexi Sun, Sr., OH, Nebraska

Temi Thomas-Ailara, Jr., OH, Northwestern

EMILY LONDOT, So., OPP, Ohio State

Kaitlyn Hord, Sr., MB, Penn State

Jonni Parker, Sr., RS/S, Penn State

Erika Pritchard, Grad., OH, Penn State

Hayley Bush, Sr., S, Purdue

GRACE CLEVELAND, Sr., OH, Purdue

SYDNEY HILLEY, Grad., S, Wisconsin

DANA RETTKE, Grad., MB, Wisconsin

Devyn Robinson, So., MB/RS, Wisconsin

Unanimous selections listed in ALL CAPS

UWBadgers.com

COURTESY WISCONSIN ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS