B5Q Blogopean Union: it’s an all-Big Ten affair in the volleyball national title match

Good morning! This is going to be a daily(ish) post that discusses the goings on of the rest of the Big Ten Conference, and the country as needed. Much like the European Union, the Big Ten is a loosely confederated group of entities that sometimes have the same goals (like free movement of people between countries or not winning national titles in football or basketball) and sometimes accept new members that they later regret (Estonia or Nebraska).

We hope that you will use this post to comment on things happening around the conference and also as a sort of daily open thread to discuss breaking news or argue about Spotted Cow (which we NO LONGER DO).

• Sorry we’ve been a bit MIA with this post this week, but football recruiting and the volleyball team has been taking up all of our time. Presumably you all understand!
• Attacking the weekend with this clip on repeat.

• <3 u forever, Rafa.

• After the season is over we’ll have to find all of the All-America teams that Leo Chenal was named to, because it is a friggin’ ton.

• Tarek Baker was named Big Ten Second Star of the Week for his showing against Penn State last weekend.

• The women’s hockey team remains No. 1 in the country heading into the exam/Christmas break.

• Vitto Brown is just dropping the hammer on dudes over in Spain. Love to see it.

• Daryl Watts was named WCHA Forward of the Week and Nicole LaMantia won Defender of the Week.

• Nine Badgers are ranked in the InterMat rankings this week and the team sits at No. 16 in both polls.

• Excited to see if Jordyn Bloomer gets drafted this weekend.

• MSU star RB Kenneth Walker III won’t play in the Peach Bowl and will be preparing for the NFL Draft.
• Penn State at VCU men’s hoops is cancelled this weekend due to COVID. So is the big time Ohio State and Kentucky matchup. This is trending in the wrong direction.
• Purdue men’s hoops received a verbal commitment from a top-40 2023 PG.
• Who is Northwestern football looking at for QB in the transfer portal?
• Michigan football had a really good recruiting class this year.
• How did Bret Bielema do in his first recruiting cycle at Illinois?
• Indiana football came, kind of out of nowhere, to ink a top-20 recruiting class.
• The Gophers men’s hoops team keeps winning.
• Oh, Nebraska volleyball! Fancy seeing you in the national championship match!! The Huskers upset Pitt in the Final Four and will play the Badgers on Saturday night for all the marbles.