University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Volleyball Media Day on Aug. 19
8/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The Minnesota volleyball team will have its media day on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 2:00 p.m. Head Coach Mike Hebert will be available to the media, along with the players on the team.
Minnesota will practice before the media session from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon. Media is encouraged to get any footage during that timeframe. If they are unable to get to that practice session, the Golden Gophers will also practice from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. later in the day.
There will also be an intrasquad scrimmage on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m., which media are welcome to attend. The team will also make its appearance at the State Fair that same day from 2 to 2:30 p.m.
Practice will begin for the team on Saturday, Aug. 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be a later practice that day from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Golden Gophers will have similar practice times until the season begins. There will be media availability before and after the practices with proper notice.
Minnesota will open up the 2008 season at the Creighton Invitational on Friday, Aug. 29 when it faces Creighton at 6 p.m. The Golden Gophers will also face Texas A&M on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 12 p.m. and LSU at 5:30 p.m.
The Golden Gophers return eight letterwinners from last year’s team, which finished tied for third in the Big Ten and qualified for a ninth straight NCAA Tournament.
Highlighting some of the returning letterwinners are 2007 Honorable-Mention All-Region Honoree Brook Dieter (Bloomington, Minn.), 2007 All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree Lauren Gibbemeyer (St. Paul, Minn.) and 2007 Team MVP Christine Tan.
Minnesota has four seniors on this year’s team in setter Rachel Hartmann (St. Charles, Ill.), outside hitter Kyla Roehrig (Papillion, Neb.), middle blocker Kelly Schmidt (Champaign, Ill.) and outside hitter Katie Vatterrodt (Bloomington, Minn.). Sophomore defensive specialist Hailey Cowles (Eden Prairie, Minn.) also returns from last year’s team.
The Golden Gophers welcome in the 12th-ranked recruiting class in the nation. That class features the No. 22 ranked prospect in the nation setter Alex Blatt (Orland Park, Ill.), the No. 24 prospect in the country middle blocker Ariana Filho (Monument, Colo.), the No. 100 ranked prospect Jessica Granquist (Blaine, Minn.) and incoming freshman Ashley Suapaia (Bloomington, Minn.). Along with those four freshman, Minnesota will add two-time NJCAA All-American Pamela Luiz to the team.
Clips from today's media festivities will be available in the Gold Zone.
For more information call Minnesota volleyball athletic communications contact Steven Geller at 612-624-9396 for practice times, along with player and coach availability.
