University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Heads to Rochester to Face Northern Iowa
9/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
• Minnesota will play four matches this week to finish out it’s non-conference slate. The Golden Gophers will start the week off in Rochester, Minn. at the Mayo Civic Center on Wednesday, Sept 13 when they will face Northern Iowa at 7 p.m. in the Border Battle. Minnesota will follow that up by hosting the Diet Coke Classic on Sept. 15-16. The Golden Gophers will start the tournament by facing UConn on Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Minnesota’s second match will be on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 12:30 p.m. The Golden Gophers will finish the tournament against Dayton at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 16. Minnesota enters the week with a 2-4 record, while Northern Iowa is 7-4. UConn enters the tournament with a record of 8-0, while Tulane is 4-2 and Dayton is 7-3.
• Minnesota and Northern Iowa have played every year since 1999. In that stretch, the Golden Gophers are 4-3 against the Panthers. The two teams have played in Rochester, Minn. four times since 1999. Northern Iowa won the first meeting in Rochester in five games on Sept. 15, 1999. Minnesota has won the last three meetings in Rochester, claiming a three-game victory on Sept. 13, 2000, a four-game win on Sept. 17, 2003 and a three-game victory on Sept. 13, 2005. In 2003, the Golden Gophers entered the match with a 3-5 record, while Northern Iowa was ranked No. 6. Minnesota pulled out the four-game victory to start a four-match winning streak and the Golden Gophers eventually made their first Final Four in school history later in the year. Minnesota lost the only recent meeting at Northern Iowa in 2001 when the Panthers knocked the Golden Gophers out of the NCAA Tournament in five games. Northern Iowa also defeated Minnesota in four games in the Diet Coke Classic on Sept. 7, 2002. The loss was Minnesota’s last defeat in the Diet Coke Classic.
• The Golden Gophers will host the 10th version of the Diet Coke Classic this week. Minnesota has won the tournament five of the nine times it has hosted it. The Golden Gophers have won the last three Diet Coke Classics, and five of the last six. Entering this year’s Diet Coke Classic, Minnesota has won nine straight matches in the tournament. It’s last loss came when Northern Iowa won the Diet Coke Classic in 2002. The tournament started in 1996 when Georgia Tech claimed the title. Northern Illinois (1997) and Auburn (1998) claimed titles before Minnesota won for the first time in 1999. The Golden Gophers won again in 2000, 03, 04 and 05. The tournament was cancelled 2001 due to 9/11.
• Minnesota faces a pair of teams who are receiving votes in the top 25 this week in Northern Iowa and Dayton. The Golden Gophers enter the week with 16 votes in the poll, while the Flyers and Panthers are receiving 28 and five votes respectively. Only one of Minnesota’s opponents this season is not receiving votes or in the top 25. The Golden Gophers have faced No. 1 Nebraska, No. 20 Louisville and No. 25 Cal Poly this year. Minnesota also faced No. 18 LSU when it was still receiving votes and Texas A&M who is currently receiving 73 votes. The current ranking for Minnesota’s opponents, includes No. 1 Nebraska, No. 18 LSU, No. 23 Cal Poly, Louisville receiving 84 votes and Texas A&M receiving 73 votes. Minnesota is also set to face the five Big Ten Teams that are ranked twice this season. Currently, Penn State is ranked No. 1, Wisconsin is No. 11, Purdue is No. 14, Ohio State is No. 15 and Michigan is No. 22.
• Minnesota and Northern Iowa have played every year since 1999. In that stretch, the Golden Gophers are 4-3 against the Panthers. The two teams have played in Rochester, Minn. four times since 1999. Northern Iowa won the first meeting in Rochester in five games on Sept. 15, 1999. Minnesota has won the last three meetings in Rochester, claiming a three-game victory on Sept. 13, 2000, a four-game win on Sept. 17, 2003 and a three-game victory on Sept. 13, 2005. In 2003, the Golden Gophers entered the match with a 3-5 record, while Northern Iowa was ranked No. 6. Minnesota pulled out the four-game victory to start a four-match winning streak and the Golden Gophers eventually made their first Final Four in school history later in the year. Minnesota lost the only recent meeting at Northern Iowa in 2001 when the Panthers knocked the Golden Gophers out of the NCAA Tournament in five games. Northern Iowa also defeated Minnesota in four games in the Diet Coke Classic on Sept. 7, 2002. The loss was Minnesota’s last defeat in the Diet Coke Classic.
• The Golden Gophers will host the 10th version of the Diet Coke Classic this week. Minnesota has won the tournament five of the nine times it has hosted it. The Golden Gophers have won the last three Diet Coke Classics, and five of the last six. Entering this year’s Diet Coke Classic, Minnesota has won nine straight matches in the tournament. It’s last loss came when Northern Iowa won the Diet Coke Classic in 2002. The tournament started in 1996 when Georgia Tech claimed the title. Northern Illinois (1997) and Auburn (1998) claimed titles before Minnesota won for the first time in 1999. The Golden Gophers won again in 2000, 03, 04 and 05. The tournament was cancelled 2001 due to 9/11.
• Minnesota faces a pair of teams who are receiving votes in the top 25 this week in Northern Iowa and Dayton. The Golden Gophers enter the week with 16 votes in the poll, while the Flyers and Panthers are receiving 28 and five votes respectively. Only one of Minnesota’s opponents this season is not receiving votes or in the top 25. The Golden Gophers have faced No. 1 Nebraska, No. 20 Louisville and No. 25 Cal Poly this year. Minnesota also faced No. 18 LSU when it was still receiving votes and Texas A&M who is currently receiving 73 votes. The current ranking for Minnesota’s opponents, includes No. 1 Nebraska, No. 18 LSU, No. 23 Cal Poly, Louisville receiving 84 votes and Texas A&M receiving 73 votes. Minnesota is also set to face the five Big Ten Teams that are ranked twice this season. Currently, Penn State is ranked No. 1, Wisconsin is No. 11, Purdue is No. 14, Ohio State is No. 15 and Michigan is No. 22.
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