University of Minnesota Athletics
#9 GOPHERS DEFEAT SETON HALL, EARN 10-0 START
9/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Minnesota had a 52-38 edge in kills and a .308-.139 advantage in hitting percentage. Nicole Branagh led the Gophers with 11 kills in two games and hit .733, a career high. Cassie Busse added eight kills and Lisa Axel contributed a career-high seven kills, and led Minnesota with a career-high 10 digs.
Minnesota scored the first four points of the match on Lindsey Berg's serve. Charnette Fair had two kills in the first four points. The Golden Gophers did not trail for the remainder of the game. Minnesota had an 18-8 advantage in kills in the opening stanza, led by five kills each from Branagh and Fair. The Golden Gophers also held a 15-8 lead in digs, led by Axel's six digs.
Similar to the first game, the Golden Gophers sprinted out to an 8-1 lead in the second game and was never threatened. Minnesota hit .357 in the second game, led by Lisa Axel's four kills in six attempts. Four different Gophers served an ace in the second game.
Minnesota used backup setter Carrie Noble in the third game, and did not play Berg, Branagh, Fair, or Stephanie Hagen in the third game. Seton Hall took advantage early, scoring six straight points on Paige Ellertson's serve to take a 6-2 lead. Minnesota pulled to within 8-6, but could get no closer and lost its second game of the season. The Gophers had just nine kills and hit .139 in the fourth game.
Berg, Branagh and Fair re-entered the match in the fourth game, and the Gophers breezed to victory. Minnesota erased a 1-0 Seton Hall lead with 10 consecutive points, four each on the serves of Branagh and Axel, to take a 10-1 lead. Minnesota received four kills from Branagh in its last five points. Minnesota hit .579 in the final game, led by Branagh's six kills in eight attempts.
The Golden Gophers will complete their non-conference schedule and the Diet Coke Classic against Akron tonight at 8 p.m. Akron defeated Seton Hall, 15-6, 15-9, 15-8, in Friday's first match, but lost to Tennessee, 15-11, 15-7, 15-5, in Saturday's first match.
2000 DIET COKE CLASSIC Sports Pavilion, Minneapolis Friday's Matches Akron d. Seton Hall, 3-0 (15-6, 15-9, 15-8) Minnesota d. Tennessee, 3-0 (15-5, 15-5, 15-11) Saturday's Matches Tennessee d. Akron, 3-0 (15-11, 15-7, 15-5) Minnesota d. Seton Hall, 3-1 (15-8, 15-7, 11-15, 15-4) Tennessee (7-2) vs. Seton Hall (4-4), 6 p.m. Akron (6-4) vs. Minnesota (10-0), 8 p.m.
