University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Volleyball Heads to Michigan State and Michigan
11/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
• Minnesota will travel to Michigan State and Michigan this week. The Golden Gophers will face the Spartans on Friday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m (CT) and the Wolverines on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. (CT). Minnesota enters the week having won 14 of its last 16 matches, and has a 16-6 overall record. The Golden Gophers are also second in the Big Ten at 10-2. Michigan State brings a 15-7 overall record into the week, and is in fifth place at 6-6 in the Big Ten. Michigan has a 17-8 overall record, and is 4-8 in Big Ten play heading into the week.
• Minnesota senior middle blocker Meredith Nelson needs just six blocks to become only the third player in school history to record 500 career blocks. Nelson, who currently sits at third on the all-time list, would join Stephanie Hagen (1998-2001), who had 524, and Pam Miller (1983-86), who had 536, as the only players to reach 500 blocks. Nelson is currently 40 blocks from tying the school record held by Pam Miller (1983-86) at 536. She is also second on the block assists list at 421. Hagen holds the school record in block assists at 448. Nelson is also only one solo block from being in the top-10 career list. If Nelson moved into that top-10 list she would join Lori Miller, Dawn Thompson and Stephanie Hagen as the only players to be in the top 10 in solo blocks, block assists and total blocks.
• Senior opposite hitter Kelly Bowman enters the week needing 21 digs to become the 14th player in school history to record 1,000 digs. Bowman has 979 digs entering the week. On Sept. 22, Malama Peniata became the 13th player in school history to do so as she reached the accomplishment against Northwestern. If Bowman reaches the mark this year, it would be the second time in school history that two Golden Gophers reached 1,000 career digs in the same year. The only other time it happened was in 1989, when Chris Schaefer and Sharon Oesterling both reached the mark. Bowman enters the week second on the team 3.31 dpg this season.
• Minnesota Head Coach Mike Hebert will coach in hits 1,200th match on Nov. 4 against Michigan. Hebert is one of only two coaches that are currently in the NCAA’s top winning percentage list to coach in that many collegiate matches. UCLA’s Andy Banachowski is the only one to have more matches as a Division I and AIAW college coach. Hebert coached in 181 matches for the Pittsburgh women’s program from 1976 to 1979, and coached in 81 matches for Pittsburgh’s men’s program in 1978 & 79. Hebert coached in 117 matches for New Mexico’s program from 1980 to 1982. He then took over at Illinois where he coached in 450 matches from 1983 to 1995. Hebert has currently coached in 369 matches at Minnesota since 1996. He currently sits at fourth on the wins list among active NCAA coaches with 845.
• Minnesota is 14-2 since starting out the season 2-4. The Golden Gophers’ only two losses in that stretch have come at the hands of No. 3 Penn State. During the 16-match stretch, Minnesota is holding its opponents to a .147 hitting percentage. The Golden Gophers also have 16.14 kpg to 13.17 kpg for their opposition. They are also averaging 1.76 sapg to 1.10 sapg, and 2.97 blpg to 2.19 blpg for the opposition. Meredith Nelson has 3.37 kpg, is hitting .305 and has 0.94 blpg during the 16-match stretch. Kyla Roehrig has 3.38 kpg in the same stretch, while Jessy Jones has 1.44 blpg. Rachel Hartmann is averaging 12.72 apg and 0.81 blpg, while Malama Peniata has 5.53 dpg.
• Minnesota senior middle blocker Meredith Nelson needs just six blocks to become only the third player in school history to record 500 career blocks. Nelson, who currently sits at third on the all-time list, would join Stephanie Hagen (1998-2001), who had 524, and Pam Miller (1983-86), who had 536, as the only players to reach 500 blocks. Nelson is currently 40 blocks from tying the school record held by Pam Miller (1983-86) at 536. She is also second on the block assists list at 421. Hagen holds the school record in block assists at 448. Nelson is also only one solo block from being in the top-10 career list. If Nelson moved into that top-10 list she would join Lori Miller, Dawn Thompson and Stephanie Hagen as the only players to be in the top 10 in solo blocks, block assists and total blocks.
• Senior opposite hitter Kelly Bowman enters the week needing 21 digs to become the 14th player in school history to record 1,000 digs. Bowman has 979 digs entering the week. On Sept. 22, Malama Peniata became the 13th player in school history to do so as she reached the accomplishment against Northwestern. If Bowman reaches the mark this year, it would be the second time in school history that two Golden Gophers reached 1,000 career digs in the same year. The only other time it happened was in 1989, when Chris Schaefer and Sharon Oesterling both reached the mark. Bowman enters the week second on the team 3.31 dpg this season.
• Minnesota Head Coach Mike Hebert will coach in hits 1,200th match on Nov. 4 against Michigan. Hebert is one of only two coaches that are currently in the NCAA’s top winning percentage list to coach in that many collegiate matches. UCLA’s Andy Banachowski is the only one to have more matches as a Division I and AIAW college coach. Hebert coached in 181 matches for the Pittsburgh women’s program from 1976 to 1979, and coached in 81 matches for Pittsburgh’s men’s program in 1978 & 79. Hebert coached in 117 matches for New Mexico’s program from 1980 to 1982. He then took over at Illinois where he coached in 450 matches from 1983 to 1995. Hebert has currently coached in 369 matches at Minnesota since 1996. He currently sits at fourth on the wins list among active NCAA coaches with 845.
• Minnesota is 14-2 since starting out the season 2-4. The Golden Gophers’ only two losses in that stretch have come at the hands of No. 3 Penn State. During the 16-match stretch, Minnesota is holding its opponents to a .147 hitting percentage. The Golden Gophers also have 16.14 kpg to 13.17 kpg for their opposition. They are also averaging 1.76 sapg to 1.10 sapg, and 2.97 blpg to 2.19 blpg for the opposition. Meredith Nelson has 3.37 kpg, is hitting .305 and has 0.94 blpg during the 16-match stretch. Kyla Roehrig has 3.38 kpg in the same stretch, while Jessy Jones has 1.44 blpg. Rachel Hartmann is averaging 12.72 apg and 0.81 blpg, while Malama Peniata has 5.53 dpg.
Players Mentioned
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