“The margin for error in our conference is as thin as it has ever been.” Michigan head coach Mark Rosen made that statement heading into last Saturday night, a night that may have represented a first in Big Ten women’s volleyball. All 12 teams were in action, and at the end of the evening, all but two would play nerve-racking 5-set matches.

Check out all the big kills, spikes and digs from Big Ten volleyball teams this past week. We’ll do the same thing every week, so come back each Tuesday for all the best highlights.

Conversations with Big Ten coaches have had one common theme heading into the start of conference play: No one has any idea where his/her team, or any of their fellow members, will end up in the title race come the end of November. The Big Ten has been the strongest conference in the nation over the past few seasons, but in a year that has witnessed the league set a new NCAA record for teams in the Top 25 (9), the Big Ten’s coaches are hesitant to make any predictions.

Defending Big Ten champion Penn State was chosen as the conference favorite for the 2013 season, as voted on by the Big Ten coaches, it was announced Friday. Earning the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Championship last season, the Nittany Lions top the poll for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.

CHICAGO – BTN will provide extensive coverage of the 2013 Big Ten volleyball season, with more than 70 matches set to air on BTN, BTN2Go and the Big Ten Digital Network (BTDN). BTN’s volleyball lineup will feature a match on most Wednesday and Friday evenings through the beginning of November. All games will also be available on BTN2Go.