Nicole Shanahan named to Big Ten Foreign volleyball tour
May 09, 2019 | Volleyball
Conference team will travel to Japan in June
MADISON, Wis. – Nicole Shanahan, a junior-to-be on the Wisconsin volleyball team, will be traveling overseas with other Big Ten Conference student-athletes as the league announced its foreign tour to Japan on Thursday. The team will travel to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo from June 14-26.
In addition to competition on the court, the student-athletes will have the opportunity to explore Japanese landmarks, study foreign languages and culture with local students, and visit some of Japan's most historic sites, including Mt. Fuji, the Gion district, the Fushimi Inari Shrine, the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the Philosopher's Walk.
Iowa's Bond Shymansky will serve as the head coach while Michigan's Mark Rosen will serve as the assistant coach. Penn State's Virginia Pham will do the duties as the director of operations and Kelly Moriarty of Michigan State will serve as the athletic trainer. Big Ten representatives, Grace Bonoma, Assistant Director of Sport Administration, and Shannon Malone, Assistant Director of Communications, will also travel with the team.
"It will be a great honor and privilege for me to be able to travel to Japan and represent the Big Ten as the head coach for this team," Shymansky said. "We are excited to take in new and different cultures and to compete against a different style of volleyball teams in our competitions."
A 6-2 middle blocker, Shanahan has played in eight matches, including two starts, as a Badger. The Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, native had a career-high two kills and six blocks in her first career start against Marquette on Sept. 14, 2017. For her career, Shanahan has averaged 0.47 kills and 0.87 blocks per set.
The complete Big Ten Foreign Tour roster can be found below. A full schedule will be announced at a later date.
In addition to competition on the court, the student-athletes will have the opportunity to explore Japanese landmarks, study foreign languages and culture with local students, and visit some of Japan's most historic sites, including Mt. Fuji, the Gion district, the Fushimi Inari Shrine, the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the Philosopher's Walk.
Iowa's Bond Shymansky will serve as the head coach while Michigan's Mark Rosen will serve as the assistant coach. Penn State's Virginia Pham will do the duties as the director of operations and Kelly Moriarty of Michigan State will serve as the athletic trainer. Big Ten representatives, Grace Bonoma, Assistant Director of Sport Administration, and Shannon Malone, Assistant Director of Communications, will also travel with the team.
"It will be a great honor and privilege for me to be able to travel to Japan and represent the Big Ten as the head coach for this team," Shymansky said. "We are excited to take in new and different cultures and to compete against a different style of volleyball teams in our competitions."
A 6-2 middle blocker, Shanahan has played in eight matches, including two starts, as a Badger. The Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, native had a career-high two kills and six blocks in her first career start against Marquette on Sept. 14, 2017. For her career, Shanahan has averaged 0.47 kills and 0.87 blocks per set.
The complete Big Ten Foreign Tour roster can be found below. A full schedule will be announced at a later date.
| School | Name | Position |
| Illinois | Rylee Hinton | Middle Blocker/Utility |
| Indiana | Breanna Edwards | Outside Hitter |
| Iowa | Brie Orr | Setter |
| Maryland | Jada Gardner | Outside Hitter/Opposite |
| Maryland | Erika Pritchard | Outside Hitter |
| Michigan | Natalie Smith | Libero |
| Michigan State | Naya Gros | Middle Blocker |
| Northwestern | Nia Robinson | Outside Hitter |
| Penn State | Jenna Hampton | Middle Blocker |
| Purdue | Haley Bush | Setter |
| Wisconsin | Nicole Shanahan | Middle Blocker |
| Rutgers | Vitalia 'Tali' Marmen | Outside Hitter |
| School/Affiliation | Name | Position |
| Iowa | Bond Shymansky | Head Coach |
| Michigan | Mark Rosen | Assistant Coach |
| Penn State | Virginia Pham | Director of Operations |
| Michigan State | Kelly Moriarty | Athletic Trainer |
| Big Ten Conference | Grace Bonoma | Administrator |
| Big Ten Conference | Shannon Malone | Communications & Stats |
Players Mentioned
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