CalThe Minnesota volleyball team received four awards as the Big Ten Conference honored the best of the 1999 volleyball season. Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif./ Miramonte), Lindsey Berg (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou), and Stephanie Hagen (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) were named to the All-Big Ten volleyball team, while head coach Mike Hebert was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year by the Big Ten coaches and the conference's media.

Branagh won her second consecutive All-Big Ten award after leading the conference in kills (610) and kills per game (5.35). Berg earned her first all-conference selection, as she led the Big Ten in service aces (66) and aces per game (0.62) for the second straight season. Hagen also won her first All-Big Ten award, placing second in the conference with a .361 hitting percentage and sixth with 1.30 blocks per game.

Hebert won his third Big Ten Coach of the Year award after leading the Golden Gophers to a 15-5 Conference record and a second-place Big Ten finish. The team's overall record of 25-8 is the second-best in school history, and the squad's 15 Conference wins was also a new standard. He was named Coach of the Year by both the Big Ten coaches and selected media. Minnesota has been ranked in the national poll for seven straight weeks.

Minnesota (25-8) will face Sacramento State (22-9) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 7 p.m. (CST) in Los Angeles.

1999 All-Big Ten Volleyball Team Bonnie Bremner, S, Penn State* Lauren Cacciamani, MB, Penn State* Nicole Branagh, OH, Minnesota Sherisa Livingston, MB, Wisconsin Betsy Spicer, MB, Illinois Lindsey Berg, S, Minnesota Jenny Maastricht, OH, Wisconsin Stephanie Hagen, MB, Minnesota Sarah Gustin, OH, Michigan State Jessica Sanborn, MB, Michigan State Jen Flynn, OH, Ohio State Katie Schumacher, OH, Penn State Kelly Kennedy, MB, Wisconsin * Unanimous Selection (Note: Because of ties there are 13 members to the 1999 All-Big Ten Team) Honorable Mention: Ryann Connors, OH, Indiana; Rosie Snow, OH, Ohio State; Amanda Rome, OH, Penn State; Carrie Schonveld, OH, Penn State; Aneska Arosarena, OH, Purdue. 1999 Big Ten All-Freshman Team Katie Virtue, S, Ohio State Angela Morley, MB, Michigan State Mishka Levy, MB, Penn State Laurie Gardner, S, Indiana Erin Byrd, OH, Wisconsin Suzie Stiling, MB, Ohio State BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lauren Cacciamani, MB, Penn State BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Katie Virtue, S, Ohio State BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike Hebert, Minnesota (Coaches and Media)