Around The Big Ten – October 8

More on this week’s edition of “Big Ten Whip Around” — start listening to SiriusXM Big Ten Radio (Ch. 372) on the SiriusXM app now.

FOOTBALL

Offensive Player of the Week

Nico Iamaleava, UCLA

QB – So. – Long Beach, Calif. – Warren

·       Accounted for five touchdowns and 294 yards of total offense to lead UCLA to a 42-37 upset against No. 7 Penn State

·       Set single-game career highs in rushing yards and touchdowns and tied a program record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback

·       Led UCLA to the program’s first home win over a top 10 AP team since 2007, the most points allowed and rushing yards (269) by Penn State in a regular season game since 2022

·       Had a 52-yard scramble in the third quarter, a career-long rush and UCLA’s longest play of the season

·       Last UCLA Offensive Player of the Week: Ethan Garbers (Oct. 21, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week

DeShon Singleton, Nebraska

S – Sr. – Greensburg, La. – St. Helena

·       Led a Nebraska defense that produced three takeaways, including two interceptions by Singleton, in a win vs. Michigan State

·       Became the first Husker to record a pair of interceptions in a game since 2023

·       Added six tackles as Nebraska limited Michigan State to a total of 240 yards, including just 84 rushing yards

·       Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week honoree: JoJo Domann (Oct. 4, 2021)

 Special Teams Player of the Week

David Olano, Illinois

K – Jr. – Naperville, Ill. – Naperville North

·       Perfect 5-for-5 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points to account for 19 points in #22 Illinois’ 47-23 road win at Purdue

·       Most field goals made in a game by a Big Ten player this season and tied the Illinois record for field goals made in a game

·       Second Illini ever and the first since 1982 to make five field goals in a road game

·       Last Illinois Special Teams Players of the Week: David Olano (Sept. 29, 2025)

Freshman of the Week

Julian Sayin, Ohio State

QB – Carlsbad, Calif. – Carlsbad

·       Completed 23 of 27 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in Ohio State’s 42-3 win over Minnesota

·       He found Jeremiah Smith for touchdown scores of six and nine yards and Carnell Tate on a 44-yard play

·       He completed 14 of 17 passes for 237 yards and two scores in the first half as Ohio State built a 21-3 lead, and then he was even sharper in a 21-point second half with nine completions in 10 attempts

·       Leads the nation in completion percentage (80.2), is third in efficiency (196.99) and eighth in touchdown passes (13)

·       Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Julian Sayin (Sept. 8, 2025)

VOLLEYBALL

Player of the Week 
Kenna Wollard, Purdue 
Jr. – OH – Dunlap, Ill. 

• Led Purdue to a pair of top 25 road victories in a reverse sweep of No. 24 UCLA and a 3-0 win at No. 17 USC. Wollard averaged 6.13 kills per set on a combined .330 hitting efficiency
• Recorded 33 kills with a .369 hitting percentage at UCLA, adding nine digs and three blocks
• Became the first Boilermaker in the rally-scoring era to produce 33 kills in a match against a ranked opponent
• At No. 17 USC, Wollard tallied 16 kills on a .263 clip, adding one dig and a pair of blocks in the sweep
• Led the Big Ten with 49 total kills last week
• Purdue improves to 4-1 against ranked opponents this season
• Last Purdue Player of the Week: Kenna Wollard (Sept. 8, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Ryan McAleer, Purdue 
So. – L – Overland Park, Kan. 

• Anchored the Boilermakers at libero as Purdue picked up a pair of ranked road victories with a reverse sweep at No. 24 UCLA and a sweep at No. 17 USC
• Led the team with 16 digs at UCLA and added one ace and four assists
• Totaled 17 digs in just three sets at USC, including eight digs in the second set alone
• Her 17-dig performance was the most by a Big Ten player in a three-set match last week and helped hold USC to a season-low .167 hitting percentage
• Last Purdue Defensive Player of the Week: Ryan McAleer (Sept. 15, 2025)

Setter of the Week
Bergen Reilly, Nebraska  
Jr. – S – Sioux Falls, S.D. 

• Led the top-ranked Huskers to two more sweeps for a total of five in a row with a 3-0 win at No. 16 Penn State and a 3-0 win at Rutgers
• Set Nebraska to a .412 hitting percentage across the two matches, and defensively Reilly helped the Huskers limit opponents to a combined -.022 hitting percentage
• In the sweep at Penn State, Reilly tallied 26 assists, eight digs, three blocks, two kills and an ace as the Huskers hit a season-high .437
• At Rutgers on Saturday, Reilly played just 1.5 sets and had 15 assists, two digs, two blocks and a kill before sharing playing time with Campbell Flynn at setter. The Huskers went on to hit .390 in that match
• Last Nebraska Setter of the Week: Bergen Reilly (Aug. 26, 2025)

Freshman of the Week 
Teodora Kričković, Indiana 
S – Novi Sad, Serbia  

• Guided Indiana to back-to-back regular season ranked wins for the first time in school history with a 3-1 win at No. 17 USC and a 3-1 victory at No. 24 UCLA
• Against USC, tallied 33 assists, six digs and a career-high six kills, while guiding Indiana to a .252 hitting percentage
• At UCLA, recorded second-career double-double with 44 assists and 10 digs, adding three blocks while the Hoosiers hit .262 as a team
• Indiana is off to a 4-0 start in Big Ten play for the first time since 1985
• Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Jaidyn Jager (Sept. 8, 2025)

HOCKEY

First Star
Charlie Cerrato, Penn State
So. – F – Fallston, Md. — Youngstown (USHL)

• Played a role in six of 10 goals scored by No. 5/5 Penn State in a road sweep of No. 14/14 Arizona State
• Compiled two goals, four assists, a plus-four rating, and 12 shots on the weekend
• Tied a Penn State game record with five points in Friday’s 6-3 win, totaling two goals and three assists, including primary assists on the game-tying goal and the game winner
• The Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection earns his first-ever Star Award
• Last Penn State First Star: Arsenii Sergeev (Feb. 24, 2025)

Second Star
Michael Hage, Michigan
So. – F – Mississauga, Ont. – Chicago (USHL)

• Led the nation in scoring last week with seven points (two goals, five assists) in helping No. 12/12 Michigan to a sweep of Mercyhurst in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• All five of his assists were primary; won 65.4 percent of his faceoffs (17-for-26) during the series
• Opened the season Friday with a career-best five points on two goals and three assists
• The 2024 NHL First Round Draft pick collects a Star Award for the second time
• Last Michigan Star Award honoree: Logan Stein (Third Star, Feb. 18, 2025)

Third Star
Christian Fitzgerald, Wisconsin
Sr. – F – Coquitlam, B.C. – Minnesota State (CCHA)

• Had a hand in five goals as No. 20/19 Wisconsin swept Lindenwood on the road
• Netted four goals on eight shots, scoring game-winning goals on consecutive nights, while adding an assist
• Recorded a hat trick for the Badgers in a 7-2 win on Saturday
• The Academic All-Big Ten recipient secures his second career Star Award
• Last Wisconsin selection: Christian Fitzgerald (First Star, Jan. 28, 2025)