University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Opens Big Ten Play at Northwestern and Illinois
9/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
• Minnesota will open up Big Ten play this week when it heads to Northwestern and Illinois on Sept 22-23. The Golden Gophers first match will be at Northwestern on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. Minnesota will then head to Champaign to face Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Minnesota has won four straight and enters the week with a 6-4 overall record. Northwestern also enters the week on a four-match winning streak and is 6-3. Illinois is 9-1, and has won its last two matches.
• Last year, Minnesota finished 14-6 in the Big Ten and tied for third place at 14-6 with Ohio State. The Golden Gophers enter this year having finished third or higher in the Big Ten standings six of the last seven years. Only Penn State has finished third or higher as many times during that span, doing so in all seven years. Wisconsin has finished third or higher in five of the last seven years. Ohio State has also done it twice, while Illinois has only done it once during the span. During the same same span, only Minnesota (2002), Penn State (1999, 2003, 2004, 2005) and Wisconsin (2000, 2001) have won conference titles.
• Minnesota is one of two Big Ten team to win 60 or more matches in Big Ten play since 2002. The Golden Gophers are 63-17 since the start of the 2002 season. Only Penn State has a better record in that span at 69-11. Those two teams are followed by Wisconsin who is 55-25, Ohio State who is 49-31 and Illinois who is 41-39. The Golden Gophers won the Big Ten title in 2002, but the Nittany Lions have since won the last three in 2003, 04 & 05. Minnesota went 17-3 in Big Ten play in 2002, 15-5 in 2003, 17-3 in 2004 and was 14-6 last year.
• For the first time since 1996 the Golden Gophers will have a new travel partner in the Big Ten. Minnesota had been paired up with Iowa since 1997. This year, the Golden Gophers travel partner will be Wisconsin. The last time they were travel partners with Wisconsin was Mike Hebert’s first season in 1996 when Minnesota went 24-11 and 14-6 in conference play. That year they were 7-3 at home and on the road.
• Minnesota is 30-10 on the road in Big Ten play over the course of the past four seasons. Overall, the Golden Gophers are 63-37 during Mike Hebert’s 10 seasons with the program. Minnesota’s only losing seasons on the road in Big Ten play under Hebert came in 1998 (2-8) and 2001 (4-6). The Golden Gophers were also 5-5 in 1997. There have been six seasons when Minnesota had 7-3 or better road record in conference play. Those came in 1996 (7-3), 1999 (7-3), 2000 (8-2), 2002 (9-1), 2004 (8-2) and 2005 (7-3).
• This past week, Malama Peniata had 6.92 dpg, 0.85 apg and 0.31 sapg in her first week of play with the team in four matches. Kyla Roehrig led the attack as she averaged 4.38 kpg, 0.69 blpg and hit .364. Jessy Jones averaged 2.10 blpg for the week. As a team, the Golden Gophers hit .270 and limited their opponents to a .086 hitting percentage. Minnesota also averaged 17.08 kpg to its opponents 11.46 kpg last week, along with 18.31 dpg to 15.69 blpg. The Golden Gophers averaged 1.92 sapg and limited opponents to a 0.69 sapg, and also outblocked its opponents 3.19 kpg to 1.88 blpg.
• Last year, Minnesota finished 14-6 in the Big Ten and tied for third place at 14-6 with Ohio State. The Golden Gophers enter this year having finished third or higher in the Big Ten standings six of the last seven years. Only Penn State has finished third or higher as many times during that span, doing so in all seven years. Wisconsin has finished third or higher in five of the last seven years. Ohio State has also done it twice, while Illinois has only done it once during the span. During the same same span, only Minnesota (2002), Penn State (1999, 2003, 2004, 2005) and Wisconsin (2000, 2001) have won conference titles.
• Minnesota is one of two Big Ten team to win 60 or more matches in Big Ten play since 2002. The Golden Gophers are 63-17 since the start of the 2002 season. Only Penn State has a better record in that span at 69-11. Those two teams are followed by Wisconsin who is 55-25, Ohio State who is 49-31 and Illinois who is 41-39. The Golden Gophers won the Big Ten title in 2002, but the Nittany Lions have since won the last three in 2003, 04 & 05. Minnesota went 17-3 in Big Ten play in 2002, 15-5 in 2003, 17-3 in 2004 and was 14-6 last year.
• For the first time since 1996 the Golden Gophers will have a new travel partner in the Big Ten. Minnesota had been paired up with Iowa since 1997. This year, the Golden Gophers travel partner will be Wisconsin. The last time they were travel partners with Wisconsin was Mike Hebert’s first season in 1996 when Minnesota went 24-11 and 14-6 in conference play. That year they were 7-3 at home and on the road.
• Minnesota is 30-10 on the road in Big Ten play over the course of the past four seasons. Overall, the Golden Gophers are 63-37 during Mike Hebert’s 10 seasons with the program. Minnesota’s only losing seasons on the road in Big Ten play under Hebert came in 1998 (2-8) and 2001 (4-6). The Golden Gophers were also 5-5 in 1997. There have been six seasons when Minnesota had 7-3 or better road record in conference play. Those came in 1996 (7-3), 1999 (7-3), 2000 (8-2), 2002 (9-1), 2004 (8-2) and 2005 (7-3).
• This past week, Malama Peniata had 6.92 dpg, 0.85 apg and 0.31 sapg in her first week of play with the team in four matches. Kyla Roehrig led the attack as she averaged 4.38 kpg, 0.69 blpg and hit .364. Jessy Jones averaged 2.10 blpg for the week. As a team, the Golden Gophers hit .270 and limited their opponents to a .086 hitting percentage. Minnesota also averaged 17.08 kpg to its opponents 11.46 kpg last week, along with 18.31 dpg to 15.69 blpg. The Golden Gophers averaged 1.92 sapg and limited opponents to a 0.69 sapg, and also outblocked its opponents 3.19 kpg to 1.88 blpg.
Players Mentioned
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