University of Minnesota Athletics
NCAA Regional Matchups Set in Gainesville
12/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
NCAA Regionals
Gainesville, Fla. • December 8-9, 2006
Host: University of Florida - Official Site
December 8, 2006
(1) Nebraska def. San Diego, 3-0
(8) Minnesota def. (9) Florida, 6 p.m., 3-1
December 9, 2006
(1) Nebraska dec. (8) Minnesota, 3-2
**Click on LIVE AUDIO for today's match.
The Minnesota volleyball team (25-7) will head to its sixth regional in the last eight years, as it faces No. 7 Florida (30-2) on Friday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. (CT). That will be the second match of the night in the Gainesville Regional, with the first match featuring No. 17 San Diego (25-6) against No. 1 Nebraska (29-1) at 3:30 p.m. (CT).Both winners will face off in the NCAA Regional Finals on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. (CT). That match will be broadcast live on ESPN U.
Minnesota advanced to the NCAA Regionals out of the Albany sub regional, with a three-game victory over Siena in the first round on Nov. 30 and a five-game win over St. John’s in the second round.
Florida joins Texas as one of two teams that hosted the first and second rounds and will host the NCAA Regionals as well. The Gators defeated Florida A&M in three games on Nov. 30, and claimed a four-game victory over Arizona State on Dec. 1 to advance to the regional round.
San Diego took the same route as the Golden Gophers to get to the NCAA Regionals, as it claimed a pair of neutral-site matches to advance to this point. The Toreros traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., where they defeated Jacksonville State in three games in the first round on Dec. 1 and claimed a five-game victory over No. 25 Duke on Dec. 2.
Nebraska hosted the first two rounds, and advanced to the NCAA Regionals by defeating American in four games in the first round on Dec. 1 and Northern Iowa in three games in the second round on Dec. 2.
The Gainesville Regional features three of the eight teams in the NCAA who have advanced to the regional round six or more times since 1999. Nebraska has advanced all eight times, Florida has done so seven times and Minnesota six times. San Diego has also made the NCAA Regional round in two of the last three seasons.
Nebraska is the only team to have played two of thee three teams in the regional already this season. The Cornhuskers won at home against San Diego in three games in their season opener on Aug. 29. Nebraska also defeated Minnesota at home in four games in the Ameritas Players Challenge on Sept. 10. The Golden Gophers were without the services of Malama Peniata in that match. Florida has not met any of the three teams in the regional this year.
Minnesota has faced Florida twice in the past four seasons. The Golden Gophers lost in three games to the Gators in Gainesville on Sept. 13, 2003. Minnesota defeated Florida in five games at the Sports Pavilion on Sept. 11, 2004.
The Golden Gophers are 2-1 against Florida in three meetings, 2-2 against San Diego in four all-time meetings, and have a 4-25 record against Nebraska in 29 meetings.
For ticket information on the NCAA Regionals call 1-800-UGOPHER or 612-624-8080
All of Minnesota’s matches in Gainesville, Fla. can be heard on gophersports.com.
Players Mentioned
S/DS
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