MADISON, Wis. – Junior Tionna Williams and sophomore Molly Haggerty of the Wisconsin volleyball team were named to the 15-player Preseason All-Big Ten Conference team, the league office announced on Tuesday. In addition, the Badgers were picked to finish fifth in the 2017 conference race, according to a vote of league coaches.
 
Haggerty, a 6-1 outside hitter, is the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She led the Badgers and ranked seventh in the conference with 3.41 kills per set last season. The Glen Ellyn, Illinois, native recorded double-figure kills in 18 matches and 20-plus kills in five matches. Haggerty had nine double-doubles on the season as she averaged 2.44 digs per set. Haggerty earned third-team All-America honors by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and second-team honors by Volleyball Magazine.  She was named the AVCA Northeast Region Freshman of the Year and was a five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week in 2016.
 
A 6-2 middle blocker, Williams led the Badgers and ranked sixth in the Big Ten with 1.27 blocks per set as a sophomore. She also ranked second on the team with a .326 hitting percentage, ranking 11^th in the conference. Williams added 2.27 kills per game, which ranked fourth in the squad. A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Williams was a third-team AVCA All-American and a member of the 2016 All-Big Ten team. She was also a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week in 2016.
 
Wisconsin was picked fifth in the preseason coaches' poll. Penn State was picked to win the 2017 Big Ten title followed by Nebraska, Minnesota and Michigan State, respectively.  
 
 
2017 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL TEAM*
 

Name	School	Yr.	Position
Ali Bastianelli	Illinois	Jr.	MB
Jordyn Poulter	Illinois	Jr.	S
Claire Kieffer-Wright	Michigan	Sr.	MB
Alyssa Garvelink	Michigan State	Sr.	MB
Alexis Hart	Minnesota	So.	OH
Molly Lohman	Minnesota	Sr.	MB
SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON	Minnesota	Jr.	S
MIKAELA FOECKE	Nebraska	Jr.	OH
Kelly Hunter	Nebraska	Sr.	S
Ali Frantti	Penn State	Sr.	OH
Simone Lee	Penn State	Sr.	OH
Haleigh Washington	Penn State	Sr.	MB
Danielle Cuttino	Purdue	Sr.	OH
Molly Haggerty	Wisconsin	So.	OH
Tionna Williams	Wisconsin	Jr.	MB

 
*Additional honorees due to ties
 
UNANIMOUS SELECTIONS IN CAPS
 
2017 BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL

1. Penn State
2. Nebraska
3. Minnesota
4. Michigan State
5. Wisconsin
6. Purdue
7. Michigan
8. Ohio State
9. Illinois
10. Iowa
11. Maryland
12. Northwestern
13. Indiana
14. Rutgers