UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Three Penn State players were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday. Juniors Serena Gray, Kaitlyn Hord and Jonni Parker all earned the honor, which was determined by a vote from the league's 14 head coaches.
The Lions were picked to finish fourth in the conference, coming in behind Wisconsin, Nebraska and Minnesota. Those top four teams are all ranked in the top 10 nationally in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll.
Hord and Parker each made the Preseason All-Big Ten Team for the second-straight year. Neither disappointed last season as both went on to be unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selections at the end of the season. Hord added a first-team All-America nod to her resume as a middle blocker, while Parker was an honorable mention from her spot at right side.
Gray earned her first Preseason All-Big Ten honor. She picked up her second honorable-mention All-America honor last season. Gray ended the year on a high note, landing a spot on the Stanford Regional All-Tournament Team after hitting .636 with 21 kills while not committing a single error on her 33 swings.
No. 9 Penn State opens the season with two matches at No. 24 Michigan this weekend. The teams will play at 6 p.m. on Friday, and then again at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Both matches will be streamed on Big Ten Network+. The Lions home opener is against Ohio State on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. That match will air on Big Ten Network.
2020-21 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Erika Pritchard, Sr., OH, Maryland
Paige Jones, Jr., OH, Michigan
Regan Pittman, Sr., MB, Minnesota
Stephanie Samedy, Sr., OPP, Minnesota
Lauren Stivrins, Sr., MB, Nebraska
Lexi Sun, Sr., OH, Nebraska
Serena Gray, Jr., M, Penn State
Kaitlyn Hord, Jr., M, Penn State
Jonni Parker. Jr., OH, Penn State
Grace Cleveland, Jr., OPP/M, Purdue
Caitlyn Newton, Sr., OH, Purdue
Molly Haggerty, Sr., OH, Wisconsin
SYDNEY HILLEY, SR., S, WISCONSIN
DANA RETTKE, SR., MB, WISCONSIN
2020-21 PRESEASON POLL
1. WISCONSIN
2. Minnesota
3. Nebraska
4. Penn State
5. Purdue
6. Michigan
7. Ohio State
8. Illinois
9. Michigan State
10. Northwestern
11. Indiana
12. Maryland
13. Iowa
14. Rutgers
ALL CAPS INDICATES UNANIMOUS SELECTION
