University of Minnesota Athletics
VOLLEYBALL TEAM BEGINS REGULAR SEASON IN RENO
8/28/2000 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Strong Beginnings
Minnesota has been very successful in non-conference play during Mike Hebert's first four years in the Twin Cities. The Golden Gophers are 38-9 (.809) with seven tournament titles before the beginning of Big Ten play. A year-by-year breakdown:
1996: 9-4, won Boston College Eagle Classic 1997: 10-1, won Las Cruces Hilton Classic, Georgia Tech Classic, UNC-Charlotte Tourney 1998: 10-1, won Navy Trident Classic, Nike Invitational 1999: 9-3, won Nike Invitational, Diet Coke Classic The Polls
Minnesota achieved its best-ever preseason rankings in volleyball polls earlier this month. The Golden Gophers were ranked 10th in the Volleyball Magazine preseason poll and 11th in the USA Today/AVCA preseason poll. Minnesota, which finished the 1999 season in the 16th position in the USA Today poll, has only been ranked higher for two weeks in the program's history. The Gophers were ranked ninth in the NCAA polls of Oct. 3 and Oct. 10, 1989. Minnesota is one of six Big Ten teams in the USA Today poll. The next poll will be the first regular season USA Today ranking, which will be released Tuesday, Sept. 5.
Volleyball Magazine Preseason Top 20 1. UCLA 2. Long Beach State 3. Penn State 4. Southern California 5. Hawaii 6. Stanford 7. Arizona 8. Pacific 9. Pepperdine 10. Minnesota 11. Nebraska 12. Michigan State 13. Brigham Young 14. Colorado State 15. Texas 16. Florida 17. Wisconsin 18. UC Santa Barbara 19. Ohio State 20. Kansas State USA Today/AVCA Preseason Poll Rank School (1st-Place Votes) Points '99 Record Last 1. UCLA (23) 1399 28-4 7 2. Penn State (10) 1317 36-1 1 3. Stanford (9) 1309 31-3 2 4. Long Beach State (13) 1304 31-4 4 5. Hawai'i (2) 1224 29-2 8 6. Nebraska (1) 1055 27-6 11 7. USC (1) 1019 21-9 17 8. Pepperdine 1013 26-4 10 9. Florida 946 33-3 5 10. Arizona 906 21-11 14 11. Minnesota 892 27-9 16 12. Pacific (1) 878 32-3 3 13. Colorado State 857 30-3 12 14. UC Santa Barbara 749 29-6 6 15. BYU 722 28-5 13 16. Wisconsin 516 22-10 23 17. Kansas State 462 21-9 19 18. Texas 433 22-8 18 19. Texas A&M 432 28-6 9 20. Michigan State 334 21-13 NR 21. Baylor 254 26-9 20 22. Northern Iowa 208 30-1 15 23. Loyola Marymount 165 20-11 NR 24. Michigan 164 16-15 NR 25. Ohio State 150 17-12 NR 2000 Minnesota Volleyball Outlook
The University of Minnesota volleyball program took a significant step back to national prominence with a very successful 1999 season. The Golden Gophers won 27 matches in a season for the first time since 1989 and were among the final 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993. With five returning starters, including three All-Big Ten and all-district players, the 2000 Minnesota volleyball team will try to improve upon its 1999 record, contend for a Big Ten title and continue to make a mark on the national volleyball scene.
Mike Hebert returns to the bench for his fifth season as Minnesota's head coach and his 25th season as a collegiate volleyball head coach. He believes the Golden Gophers can use the momentum of a successful 1999 season to help launch the 2000 season. "Last year's season can only help our confidence level," said Hebert. "It was a breakthrough season for the Gophers. Our players know they can compete at a high level in the Big Ten. Don't forget we went 7-3 on the road in the conference last year. That is the most significant number of all."
The Gophers won 15 matches in the Big Ten Conference in 1999, a school record for league wins in a season, and placed second in the conference. Minnesota won seven of its 10 road matches in the Big Ten, including wins at Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Illinois. Those four teams all advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The success on the road, along with all of the other achievements of the 1999 season, have heightened expectations for the 2000 team.
"Expectations come with the territory, whether they come from within or from outside the program," said Hebert. "Once you declare that your goal is to win a championship - and I made this declaration when I accepted the job in 1996 - these expectations constantly bubble to the surface and people will want to claim ownership of the team when it achieves high-level success. This is what you want to happen as a player and as a coach. Certainly there is added pressure, but there is the downside. These same people will express frustration and displeasure when the team does not perform up to expectations. This is the chance you take when you want to be a champion."
One of those expectations is that Minnesota will contend for a Big Ten championship, a prize that has never been ensnared by the Golden Gophers. Penn State is the defending Big Ten and NCAA champion, but the Nittany Lions lost three key starters, including two first-team All-Americans. Penn State is still the choice of the Big Ten coaches to repeat, but Minnesota was selected as a solid second behind the Nittany Lions.
Hebert believes the Big Ten race will be very competitive. "Penn State lost their senior nucleus and will not outdistance the rest of the pack like they did last year," said Hebert. "They still have the best collection of athletes, however, and are favored to win the title again. But it's going to be a battle. Overall, the conference will be as strong or stronger than last year. I don't know if the Big Ten will send eight of the 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament again. But I do know that night in and night out, the matches will be all-out wars. Every team will be good. The difference between second and seventh place will be an eyelash."
Minnesota made a major jump from 1998 to 1999. The Golden Gophers increased their win total from 17 to 27, their Big Ten win total from seven matches to 15, and went from missing the postseason party to a "Sweet 16" finish. Hebert attributes the improvement to several reasons. "First, the cumulative effect of the experience gained by a young team getting roughed up by conference foes during the 1998 season," said Hebert. "Next, we had better offensive balance and efficiency, and a dramatically improved blocking game as a result of the return of Linda Shudlick from injury, the recruitment of Charnette Fair, and the improved blocking skills of Stephanie Hagen and Nicole Branagh. Finally, we had a consistent passing game enhanced by the recruitment of Lisa Axel, and the competitive leadership and consistent setting of Lindsey Berg to make us a better team."
According to Hebert, the Gophers have a couple of points they will emphasize in order to become one of the nation's elite teams. "We must continue to cut down on our unforced errors, primarily hitting errors," said Hebert. "Second, we have to dig a higher percentage of balls. These two items will be our focus during preseason camp."
Minnesota will try to have the same success it had with one of its goals during the 1999 preseason. The Golden Gophers wanted to be a better blocking team, and succeeded in becoming the best blocking team in Big Ten play and the 11th best in the country.
Head Coach Mike Hebert
The Minnesota head coach is entering his 25th season as a collegiate volleyball head coach and his fifth at the helm of the Golden Gophers. In his four previous years at Minnesota, Hebert has a record of 91-44 (.674) while guiding the Golden Gophers to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1996, 1997 and 1999. Last season, he piloted Minnesota to second place in the Big Ten and the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. Hebert earned the 1999 Big Ten Coach of the Year and AVCA District 2 Coach of the Year awards. Overall, he owns a career mark of 663-301 (.688).
The Assistant Coaches
Brian Heffernan and Janet Cobbs Mulholland enter the Minnesota program as new assistant coaches for the 2000 season. Heffernan, a Penn State graduate, has experience as an assistant coach for the Pepperdine men's volleyball team, while Cobbs Mulholland will draw on her five years of experience with the United States National Volleyball Team.
Gophers Picked to Finish Second in Big Ten
The Minnesota volleyball team is picked to finish in second place in the Big Ten Conference in a preseason poll of conference coaches. The Golden Gophers, who finished in second place in 1999, were picked to finish behind Penn State, the defending Big Ten and NCAA champion.
The Big Ten sent an NCAA-record eight teams to the 1999 NCAA Tournament, with all eight teams winning at least one match. Penn State and Minnesota advanced to the regional semifinals, with the Nittany Lions winning the conference's first-ever national championship. After Penn State and Minnesota, Wisconsin was picked to finish third and Michigan State was voted in the fourth position.
2000 Big Ten Pre-Season Volleyball Poll
(as voted by Conference coaches) School Points School Points 1. Penn State 117 7. Illinois 63 2. Minnesota 109 8. Indiana 46 3. Wisconsin 96 9. Purdue 32 4. Michigan State 91 10. Iowa 24 5. Michigan 67 11. Northwestern 16 6. Ohio State 65 Gophers Put Two on Preseason All-Big Ten Team
The Golden Gophers placed two members on the 2000 Pre- Season All-Big Ten Volleyball Team. Senior outside hitter Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte), a two- time All-Big Ten selection and a 1999 AVCA Second Team All-American, was one of three players to be named unanimously to the team. Junior setter Lindsey Berg (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou), an All-Big Ten and AVCA All- District selection in 1999, was also named to the team.< P> Penn State and Michigan State led the 13-member squad with three selections, while Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin each had two representatives. Junior outside hitter Katie Schumacher of Penn State and senior middle blocker Betsy Spicer of Illinois joined Branagh as unanimous selections on the team, which included seven members of the 1999 All-Big Ten team.
Branagh Bits
Senior outside hitter Nicole Branagh begins her final season as one of the most highly touted outside hitters in the nation. For the last two years, she has finished in the top two in the Big Ten and the top nine in the NCAA in kills per game. Branagh has totaled 1,736 kills in her first three years at Minnesota and is within reach of topping both the Minnesota and Big Ten lists in career kills before her season is over. The lists:
Minnesota All-Time Kill Leaders 1. Katrien DeDecker 1993-96 2,300 2. Andrea Gonzalez 1985-88 2,140 3. Chris Schaefer 1986-89 1,896 4. Nicole Branagh 1997-99 1,736 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. Andrea Gonzalez (Minnesota) 1985-88 2,140 4. Debbie McDonald (Purdue) 1986-89 2,108 5. Veronica Morales (Michigan St.) 1994-97 2,006 6. Chris Schaefer (Minnesota) 1986-89 1,896 7. Terri Zemaitis (Penn State) 1994-97 1,842 8. Holly O'Leary (Ohio State) 1987-90 1,802 9. Jennifer Webb (Iowa) 1993-96 1,777 10. Mary Eggers (Illinois) 1985-88 1,761 11. Lauren Caccimani (Penn State) 1996-99 1,751 12. Barb Willis (Iowa) 1987-90 1,743 13. Nicole Branagh (Minnesota) 1997-99 1,736 The Opponents
Kent State returns five starters from its 14-17 team in 1999. Junior setter Stephanie Doran runs the offense, averaging 12.85 assists/game in 1999. Her two leading hitters are senior outside hitter Carrie McEnery (3.68 kills/game, .176 hitting percentage in 1999) and junior middle blocker Sarah Kutschinski (2.10 kills/game, 0.79 blocks/game in 1999). Head coach Mora Kanim enters her fourth season with a record of 45-50.
California was 13-15 under first-year head coach Rich Feller in 1999. The Golden Bears finished in a tie for sixth place with a 7-11 record in the Pacific-10 Conference and are picked to finish sixth in 2000. California returns four starters, including senior outside hitter Alicia Perry (3.72 kills/game, 2.39 digs/ game in 1999) and junior setter Candace McNamee (8.89 assists/game, 1.99 digs/game in 1999).
Nevada returns all six starters from a 17-11 team in 1999. The Wolf Pack were second in the Eastern Division of the Big West Conference Eastern Division with a 10-6 record, trailing Utah State by one match. Nevada's players to watch are junior middle blocker Kellie LaBossiere (.243, 3.62 kills/game in 1999), sophomore middle blocker Michelle More (.230, 2.41 kills/game), and junior setter Jennifer Harris (11.26 assists/game).
Up Next for the Gophers
Minnesota continues its travels next week with a four- match road trip to Atlanta. The Golden Gophers play at Georgia State on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. before beginning play in the Georgia Tech Classic. The tournament is a four-team, round-robin tournament. Minnesota will play Coastal Carolina on Friday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m., Georgia Tech on Friday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m., and No. 12 Pacific on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 11 a.m. The Golden Gophers return to the state of Minnesota for their next six matches, beginning with the Border Battle match against No. 22 Northern Iowa at Century High School in Rochester, Minn., on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.
