University of Minnesota Athletics
VOLLEYBALL TEAM SET TO WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON
11/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Minnesota Volleyball is On The Air
There is no live radio or television coverage of either match this week. The Diet Coke Gopher Sports Hotline will be updated after every game of the Iowa and Ohio State matches. The phone number is (612) 626- STAT (7828) and choose option 2 (volleyball). The Gophers' regular- season finale against Ohio State has been added to the Big Ten television schedule. The match can be seen on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 11:30 a.m. on Midwest Sports Channel in the Twin Cities.
NCAA Tournament Information
The field for the 2000 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be announced Sunday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. 64 teams will be selected for the single-elimination tournament, with the top 16 teams seeded nationally. It is likely that the top 16 teams will host first-round and second-round matches on the first weekend. Play in the first weekend of the tournament will take place on two consecutive days between Thursday, Nov. 30, and Sunday, Dec. 3. Regional sites will be announced after the first weekend is completed, and the regionals will take place on two consecutive days between Thursday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 10. The national semifinals will take place Thursday, Dec. 14, and the final on Saturday, Dec. 16, in Richmond, Va.
Minnesota, Wisconsin Tied for Big Ten Lead
Minnesota and Wisconsin enter the final week of the conference season with identical 16-2 records in the Big Ten standings. If the two teams end the season tied, both teams would share the conference championship. The Badgers would get the Big Ten's automatic qualifying spot into the NCAA Tournament based on their two wins over the Gophers, but it is likely both teams will qualify for the postseason. Since the Big Ten went to the current double round-robin format in 1985, the conference champion has never had more than two losses in the conference season.
Minnesota Now Seventh in AVCA/USA Today Poll
Minnesota is ranked seventh in the Nov. 13 edition of the AVCA/USA Today poll, up one position from last week. In the Oct. 2 poll, the Golden Gophers were listed fifth, their highest ranking in school history. Minnesota has 1148 poll points, up from last week's 1099 poll points, but down from its school-record total of 1269 poll points in the Oct. 2 poll. Minnesota is one of four Big Ten teams in the USA Today poll. The others are No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 8 Penn State and No. 17 Ohio State.
Branagh Piles Up More Kills
Senior outside hitter Nicole Branagh is closing in on becoming the Big Ten's all-time leader in kills. She needs 23 kills for second place and 31 kills to become the Big Ten's all-time leader in kills, surpassing former Gopher All-American Katrien DeDecker. Branagh has averaged 7.09 kills per game over the last sixmatches to bring her totals to 532 kills for the season and 2,270 kills for her career. She has accumulated double-figure kills in 68 consecutive Big Ten matches.
Big Ten Conference All-Time Kill Leaders 1.Katrien DeDecker (Minnesota) 1993-96 2,300 2.Jenna Wrobel (Michigan State) 1995-98 2,292 3.Nicole Branagh (Minnesota) 1997-2000 2,270 4.Andrea Gonzalez (Minnesota) 1985-88 2,140 5.Debbie McDonald (Purdue) 1986-89 2,108 Branagh leads Minnesota with 5.62 kills per game overall and 5.98 kills per game in Big Ten play. In last week's stats, she led the Big Ten and was eighth nationally in kills per game. Branagh's .272 hitting percentage this season is better than her .264 hitting percentage in her first three years. She has 343 digs this season, giving her 1,163 for her career, good for fifth on Minnesota's career list. Branagh has never missed a match in her 129-match Minnesota career.
Minnesota All-Time Dig Leaders 1.Sharon Oesterling 1986-89 1,291 2.Chris Schaefer 1986-89 1,287 3.Sarah Pearman 1993, 95-97 1,198 4.Andrea Gonzalez 1985-88 1,188 5.Nicole Branagh 1997-2000 1,163 A Record-Setting Season in Progress
Minnesota is on pace to set school records for winning percentage in both overall and Big Ten matches for a season. The Gophers' current .931 winning percentage is above the overall school record of .832 set in 1974 and the NCAA-era record of .763 set in 1989. Minnesota is over the 25-win plateau for the fourth time in the NCAA era and reached 25 wins faster than any team in school history. It is the first time the Golden Gophers have posted back-to-back 25-win season in the NCAA era of volleyball (19 seasons).
Best Winning Percentage - Minnesota Volleyball Overall Record Pct. Big Ten Record Pct. 1. 2000 27-2 .931 1. 2000 16-2 .889 2. 1974 31-6-1 .832 2. 1999 15-5 .750 3. 1978 58-14 .806 3. 1989 13-5 .722 4. 1989 29-9 .763 4. 1993 13-5 .722 5. 1999 27-9 .750 5. 1996/99 14-6 .700 Gophers Set Attendance Records
The fans of the Minnesota volleyball program have been coming out in record numbers to support the 2000 Golden Gophers at the Sports Pavilion. 5,116 fans watched the Penn State match Nov. 4, the second- largest volleyball crowd in the seven-year history of the Sports Pavilion and the fourth-largest in program history. The Gophers have been involved in matches drawing the three largest crowds in the Big Ten this season, including two at the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota has drawn 35,980 fans for 14 matches this season, the first time the Gophers have drawn over 35,000 fans for a season. Minnesota ranks fourth nationally in volleyball attendance at 2,570 fans per match, an average that exceeds the school record of 2,136 fans set in 1997.
Minnesota Single-Match Records 1. 6,046 vs. Purdue (W) 9/28/90 2. 6,002 vs. Notre Dame (W) 12/10/93 3. 5,840 vs. Penn State 11/19/99 4. 5,116 vs. Penn State 11/4/00 5. 5,011 vs. Ohio State (W) 11/11/89 (W) - Match played at Williams Arena 2000 Big Ten Top Attendance Figures 1. 5,392 Minnesota at Wisconsin 10/28/00 2. 5,116 Penn State at Minnesota 11/4/00 3. 4,523 Wisconsin at Minnesota 10/6/00 4. 4,497 James Madison at Penn State 9/9/00 5. 3,577 Michigan at Wisconsin 10/14/00 Minnesota Extends Winning Streak to Six Matches
Minnesota started the weekend with a 16-14, 15-10, 15-13 win over Michigan on Friday night at the Sports Pavilion. Nicole Branagh led Minnesota with 16 kills and added 12 digs, while Stephanie Hagen added 14 kills. The Gophers completed the weekend with a 15-13, 10-15, 16-14, 15-8 win over Michigan State on Saturday at the Sports Pavilion. Lindsey Berg served a season-high seven aces, including six in the final two games of the match. Branagh had 28 kills, while Yvonne VanOort (Russelsheim, Germany/V.C. Wiesbaden) added a season-high 22 kills and led Minnesota with 20 digs. It was the second time in VanOort's career that she has posted a 20-20 match, meaning a minimum of 20 kills and 20 digs. Minnesota completed season sweeps against both schools, giving the Gophers a five-match winning streak against Michigan and a four-match winning streak against Michigan State.
Berg Continues to Lead Big Ten in Service Aces
Junior Lindsey Berg (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) was the first player ever to lead the Big Ten in service aces for two consecutive years and has a chance to do it for the third year in a row. She has 66 aces in 97 games this season, an average of 0.68 aces per game, including a season-high seven aces against Michigan State on Saturday. Berg led the Big Ten and is fifth nationally in aces per game last week, and will likely move into the top three nationally this week. She has 197 career service aces, good for seventh place on Minnesota's career list. Berg averages14.35 assists per game., which led the Big Ten and was eighth nationally last week. Berg went over the 4,000-assist mark for her career Nov. 3 against Indiana. She was named to the all-tournament team in all three of Minnesota's preseason tournaments, including MVP awards at the Georgia Tech Classic and the Diet Coke Classic.
Hagen Leads Gophers in Two Categories
Junior middle blocker Stephanie Hagen continues to lead Minnesota in two statistical categories. Hagen leads Minnesota with a .386 hitting percentage overall and a .371 hitting percentage in conference play. In last week's stats, she was third in the Big Ten (first in conference play) and 11th nationally in hitting percentage. She continues to be the Golden Gophers' all-time leader with a .358 career hitting percentage. Hagen leads the Golden Gophers with a 1.64 blocks per game average overall and a 1.67 blocks per game average in Big Ten play. Last week, she led the Big Ten and was eighth nationally in blocks per game. Earlier this season, Hagen was named the AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 2. She was also the Minnesota Women's Athletics Athlete of the Month in September, and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team Thursday.
Minnesota All-Time Single-Season Block Leaders 1. Charnette Fair 1999 175 2. Pam Miller 1985 169 3. Jill Halsted 1981 164 4. Martie Larsen 1983 162 5. Stephanie Hagen 2000 154 VanOort Provides Passing, Defense
Minnesota junior Yvonne VanOort has been a primary passer and defender for Minnesota this season. She set a career high with 27 digs against Penn State on Nov. 4, and has a career-high 323 digs this season. VanOort posted the second 20-20 match of her career Saturday against Michigan State with a season-high 22 kills and 20 digs. Her first such match was in a win against Wisconsin last season at the Sports Pavilion. VanOort is second on the team in digs (3.36/game), fourth in kills (2.34/game), and has more blocks (82) than any other Minnesota outside hitter. Her 82 blocks is a career high for a season, as is her 0.85 blocks per game average. VanOort ranked fifth in the Big Ten last week in digs per game.
Block Party
Minnesota set a school record for blocks in 1999, averaging 3.22 blocks per game. The Golden Gophers have had brilliant blocking numbers in the last six weeks, averaging 3.99 blocks per game in their last 12 matches. Minnesota moved its season blocking average up to 3.34 blocks per game and 3.70 blocks per game in Big Ten matches. Last week, the Golden Gophers ranked first in the Big Ten and fifth nationally in blocks per game.
Offensive Efficiency
The Gophers are hitting .273 for the season, ahead of last year's average and the school record for hitting percentage. Minnesota hit .261 as a team in 1999, the second-best percentage in school history. The Golden Gopher record for a season is .270, set by the 1996 team. Minnesota was first in the Big Ten and ninth nationally in team hitting percentage last week.
The Opponents
Iowa (13-13, 9-9) is the most improved team in the Big Ten this season by record, winning six more Big Ten matches than last season. The Hawkeyes must win both of their matches this week to be considred for the 2000 NCAA Tournament. Iowa's offense is led by Fabiana de Abreu (2.54 kills per game, 9.56 assists per game). Minnesota won the first matchup this season at the Sports Pavilion, sweeping Iowa, 15-8, 15-10, 15-6. Minnesota has won the last 10 meetings and leads the all-time series, 45-12. The Gophers have won the last four matches against Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
17th-ranked Ohio State (22-6, 12-6) will finish in fourth place in the Big Ten, unless Penn State loses twice and Ohio State wins twice to force a tie for third place. The Buckeyes are 1-4 in their last five matches, losing at home to Wisconsin, at Michigan, at Michigan State and at Penn State. Ohio State's offense has five players between 327 kills and 311 kills. Minnesota won the first meeting this season at the Sports Pavilion, defeating the Buckeyes in five games, 7-15, 15-7, 4- 15, 15-7, 15-9. Minnesota has won the last three meetings, but trails in the all-time series, 25-20. The Gophers have split their last four matches with Ohio State at St. John Arena.
What's Next
Minnesota will wait for the announcement of the 2000 NCAA Tournament field on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. Call the Diet Coke Gopher Sports Hotline at (612) 626-STAT (7828) on Sunday night to find out the Gophers' schedule for next week. Fans can pre-order tickets for potential first and second round NCAA matches at the Sports Pavilion by calling (612) 624-8080 during normal business hours.