University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Volleyball Hosts No. 2 Penn State and Ohio State
10/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
 Minnesota will host No. 2 Penn State and Ohio State this week. The Golden Gophers will host the Nittany Lions on Friday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. That match will be broadcast on ESPN 2 on a tape-delayed basis on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 12 p.m. (CT). Minnesota will also host Ohio State at Williams Arena on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. That match will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. Penn State enters the week 18-2 overall and first place in the Big Ten at 10-0. The Buckeyes are 9-10 overall and are tied for ninth in the Big Ten at 3-7. Minnesota is 12-8 overall and tied for fourth in the Big Ten at 5-5.
Minnesota will host Ohio State in Williams Arena on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. The Golden Gophers have had one match at Williams Arena every year since 2004. In 2004, Minnesota had its best attendance in school history, as 10,927 fans attended a four-game victory over Illinois on Oct. 16, 2004. Minnesota drew 9,761 fans to Williams Arena on Oct. 29, 2005 in a three-game victory over Indiana. The Golden Gophers also drew 8,377 fans on Oct. 14, 2006 in a four-game victory over No. 9 Purdue at Williams Arena. The last match prior to Minnesota returning to Williams Arena in 2004, was on Dec. 10, 1993 in the NCAA Regionals against Notre Dame. That match drew 6,002 fans. Williams Arena also played host to the National Championship in 1988. That year Texas defeated Hawai’i in the National Championship. Current Minnesota Head Coach Mike Hebert also led his team to the Final Four that year when he was at Illinois.
Minnesota will have its next three matches on television. The Golden Gophers' match against No. 2 Penn State on Friday, Oct. 26 will be televised on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. (CT) on ESPN 2. Minnesota's match against Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. will be televised live on the Big Ten Network (DiRecTV Channel 220). The Golden Gophers will also have their Halloween match against Iowa on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. televised live on the Big Ten Network as well.
When Minnesota faces No. 2 Penn State on Oct. 26, it will be the 12th time since 2002 that the Golden Gophers will have faced the No. 1 or 2 team in the country. Earlier in the year, Minnesota dropped a four-game match to No. 2 Stanford on Sept. 1. Last year, the Golden Gophers faced a No. 1 or 2 team on four occasions. Minnesota faced No. 1 Nebraska twice and No. 2 Penn State twice when they were No. 2. In 2005, the Golden Gophers faced a top-ranked Nebraska team on Sept. 5 and then a second-ranked Penn State team on Nov. 18. Minnesota faced No. 1 USC on Aug. 28, 2004 in the NACWAA Championship in Fort Collins, Colo. In 2003, the Golden Gophers opened up the season at No. 2 Hawai’i on Aug. 29 and ended the season with a loss to No. 1 USC in the Final Four on Dec. 18. Minnesota also faced Stanford at the Sports Pavilion when the Cardinal was No. 1 in the nation in the NACWAA Championship on Aug. 24, 2002.
Minnesota senior middle blocker Jessy Jones recorded 12 blocks last week to move her career total to 419. Jones moved past Gretchen Dahl (1991-94), who had 416, for seventh on the Golden Gophers' career blocks list. Jones is just 11 blocks from tying Lori Miller (1986-89) for sixth on the list and 15 blocks from tying Dawn Thompson (1987-90) for fifth. Despite missing two matches with an ankle injury, Jones leads Minnesota with 1.65 blpg and has 99 blocks this season.
Minnesota will host Ohio State in Williams Arena on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. The Golden Gophers have had one match at Williams Arena every year since 2004. In 2004, Minnesota had its best attendance in school history, as 10,927 fans attended a four-game victory over Illinois on Oct. 16, 2004. Minnesota drew 9,761 fans to Williams Arena on Oct. 29, 2005 in a three-game victory over Indiana. The Golden Gophers also drew 8,377 fans on Oct. 14, 2006 in a four-game victory over No. 9 Purdue at Williams Arena. The last match prior to Minnesota returning to Williams Arena in 2004, was on Dec. 10, 1993 in the NCAA Regionals against Notre Dame. That match drew 6,002 fans. Williams Arena also played host to the National Championship in 1988. That year Texas defeated Hawai’i in the National Championship. Current Minnesota Head Coach Mike Hebert also led his team to the Final Four that year when he was at Illinois.
Minnesota will have its next three matches on television. The Golden Gophers' match against No. 2 Penn State on Friday, Oct. 26 will be televised on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. (CT) on ESPN 2. Minnesota's match against Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. will be televised live on the Big Ten Network (DiRecTV Channel 220). The Golden Gophers will also have their Halloween match against Iowa on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. televised live on the Big Ten Network as well.
When Minnesota faces No. 2 Penn State on Oct. 26, it will be the 12th time since 2002 that the Golden Gophers will have faced the No. 1 or 2 team in the country. Earlier in the year, Minnesota dropped a four-game match to No. 2 Stanford on Sept. 1. Last year, the Golden Gophers faced a No. 1 or 2 team on four occasions. Minnesota faced No. 1 Nebraska twice and No. 2 Penn State twice when they were No. 2. In 2005, the Golden Gophers faced a top-ranked Nebraska team on Sept. 5 and then a second-ranked Penn State team on Nov. 18. Minnesota faced No. 1 USC on Aug. 28, 2004 in the NACWAA Championship in Fort Collins, Colo. In 2003, the Golden Gophers opened up the season at No. 2 Hawai’i on Aug. 29 and ended the season with a loss to No. 1 USC in the Final Four on Dec. 18. Minnesota also faced Stanford at the Sports Pavilion when the Cardinal was No. 1 in the nation in the NACWAA Championship on Aug. 24, 2002.
Minnesota senior middle blocker Jessy Jones recorded 12 blocks last week to move her career total to 419. Jones moved past Gretchen Dahl (1991-94), who had 416, for seventh on the Golden Gophers' career blocks list. Jones is just 11 blocks from tying Lori Miller (1986-89) for sixth on the list and 15 blocks from tying Dawn Thompson (1987-90) for fifth. Despite missing two matches with an ankle injury, Jones leads Minnesota with 1.65 blpg and has 99 blocks this season.
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