University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Volleyball Announces 2006 Schedule
5/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The Golden Gophers will start out the season at the St. Louis Tournament on Sept. 1-2. Minnesota will be joined in the tournament by 2005 NCAA participants Texas A&M and LSU, along with host St. Louis.
Minnesota will then head to Lincoln, Neb. where it will play in the Info/USA Arby’s Challenge on Sept. 8-10. The Golden Gophers will be joined by 2005 NCAA Regional participant Louisville, along with Cal Poly. The host will be the 2005 NCAA Runner-Up Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The Golden Gophers will follow that tournament up with the Border Battle against Northern Iowa at Rochester, Minn. on Sept. 13. Minnesota will then return home for its first matches at the Sports Pavilion when it hosts Dayton, Tulane and UConn at the Diet Coke Classic on Sept. 15-16.
Minnesota opens up Big Ten play at Northwestern on Sept. 22 and then at Illinois on Sept. 23. The Golden Gophers will host their first home Big Ten match of the 2006 campaign when they face Michigan on Sept. 29 and then Michigan State on Sept. 30.
The Golden Gophers first matchup against the three-time defending Big Ten champion Penn State Nittany Lions will come at State College, Pa. on Oct. 6. Minnesota will play at Ohio State the next night on Oct. 7.
Minnesota will host its only match of the season at Williams Arena against Purdue on Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. It will be the third straight season that the Golden Gophers will host a match at Williams Arena. Minnesota had its highest attendance in school history against Illinois at Williams Arena on Oct. 16, 2004, and then registered its second-highest attendance in school history when 9,671 fans saw the Golden Gophers face Indiana on Oct. 29, 2005.
The Golden Gophers first meeting with Wisconsin will come on Wednesday, Oct. 18. With Iowa being the odd team without a travel partner in Big Ten play, Minnesota and Wisconsin will be travel partners for the first time since 1996.
Minnesota will also host Ohio State on Oct. 27 and will welcome Penn State to the Sports Pavilion on Oct. 28.
The Golden Gophers’ second meeting with Wisconsin will come at Madison, Wis. on Nov. 15. Minnesota will wrap up Big Ten play on the road on Nov. 24-25 against Purdue (Nov. 24) and Indiana (Nov. 25).
Minnesota returns 12 letterwinners from its 2005 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Gophers return 2005 First- Team All-Big Ten middle blocker Meredith Nelson (St. Croix Falls, Wis.), 2004 First- Team All-American Kelly Bowman and the 2005 Team MVP Malama Peniata (Plymouth, Minn.) to the 2006 squad.
