University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Hosts Competitive Field at Diet Coke Classic
8/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
 The Minnesota volleyball team will host the Diet Coke Classic on Aug. 31-Sept. 2. This year’s field, which is one of the most competitive in the history of the tournament, will include No. 2 Stanford, No. 12 San Diego and No. 23 Ohio University. The first match of the tournament will be Stanford against San Diego on Friday, Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. Minnesota will face Ohio University in its first matchup of the tournament on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Sept 1, San Diego and Ohio University will play at 1 p.m. Minnesota will face Stanford on Sept. 1 at 3:30 p.m. The tournament will wrap up on Sunday, Sept. 2. The Golden Gophers will face San Diego at 1:30 p.m., and Stanford and Ohio University will finish the tournament at 4 p.m. It is the first time in the history of the Diet Coke Classic that all four teams have been ranked. In 2004, Florida was ranked No. 4, Minnesota was No. 5 and Kansas State was No. 15 when they faced each other in the tournament. Northern Iowa was the fourth team in the 2004 tournament, and was unranked. Minnesota (1-0), Ohio University (2-0), San Diego (2-0) and Stanford (1-0) all went undefeated in their first action last week. All three of Minnesota's matches will be webcast on gophersports.com and will feature live video in the Gold Zone.
 Minnesota is 9-2 in home openers under Mike Hebert. The Golden Gophers have won three straight home openers dating back to 2004. Last year, Minnesota defeated Connecticut in three games on Sept. 15 to open its home schedule. The Golden Gophers’ last loss in a home opener came in 2003 to Kansas on Sept. 5 in the first match of the Nike Invitational. Minnesota’s only other loss in a home opener under Hebert came to No. 19 Georgia Tech on Sept. 13, 1996 in Hebert’s first home match at Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have also won in home openers against North Dakota State (2005), No. 15 Kansas State (2004), No. 8 Pepperdine (2002), Marquette (2001), Tennessee (2000), Drake (1999), Oregon (1998) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1997). This will be the third time in five years that Minnesota’s home-opener comes against a ranked opponent.
Ohio University head coach Geoff Carlson is one of 15 coaches to have served on a staff or played for Minnesota head coach Mike Hebert, and to become a head coach for another institution. Carlson served as a student assistant coach for Hebert on Minnesota’s 1999 squad that went 27-9, advanced to the NCAA Regional Semifinals and finished second in the Big Ten at 15-5. Including Carlson, there are 10 coaches currently in college volleyball that have played or coached under Hebert. That list includes Dennis Amundson (Minnesota State), David Boos (Ball State), Carlson, Disa Garner (James Madison), Laura Farina (Auburn), Don Hardin (Illinois), Brian Heffernan (Washington State), Beth Launiere (Utah), Jay Potter (Missouri Baptist) and Mary Tendler (Elon).
 Minnesota’s match against Stanford on Sept. 1 will be the first meeting between the two programs since they met for the national title on Dec. 18, 2004. The Cardinal defeated the Golden Gophers in three games to win their sixth national title, behind 29 kills from Ogonna Nnamani. Head Coach Mike Hebert and senior middle blocker Jessy Jones are the only Minnesota players or coaches to be associated with that 2004 squad. Stanford has just five people who were involved with that national title. That list includes head coach John Dunning, Associate Head Coach Denise Corlett and assistant coach Jason Mansfield. Senior setter Bryn Kehoe and senior middle blocker Franci Girard are the only players from that 2004 Stanford squad.
