University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Heads to Pioneer Classic
9/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
• The Minnesota volleyball team will head to the Pioneer Classic on Sept. 18-19. Minnesota will face No. 12 Oregon on Friday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. (CT). The Golden Gophers will then take on Georgia Tech on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. (CT), followed by a matchup with host Denver at 8:30 p.m. (CT). Minnesota enters the week with a 7-2 overall record after going 1-1 at the Tampa Twice Tournament. The Golden Gophers are ranked No. 9 heading into the week. Oregon enters the week with a 6-0 record, Georgia Tech is 7-2 and Denver is 3-7.
• Minnesota will play Georgia Tech for the first time since the 2004 season. In 2004, the two teams locked up in a classic NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal matchup. In that match, the Yellow Jackets won the first set 30-25, before the Golden Gophers answered with 30-22 and 30-24 victories in the second and third sets. The fourth set was a historical one, as the two teams battled through 19 set points (10 match points for Minnesota and nine set points for Georgia Tech). Georgia Tech pulled out the fourth set 48-46, but the Golden Gophers responded by winning the fifth set 15-9 on their way to the National Title match. It was one of four five-set matches that Minnesota won in NCAA Regional play in 2003 and 04. The Golden Gophers also defeated Georgia Tech in four sets in the 2002 NCAA Tournament in the second round.
• Sophomore middle blocker Ariana Filho will return to her homestate when the Golden Gophers head to the Pioneer Classic. Filho went to Lewis-Palmer High School and grew up in Monument, Colo. This is the first time in Filho’s career that Minnesota has traveled to the state of Colorado.
• Minnesota will face its second Pac-10 opponent of the season when it takes on No. 12 Oregon on Friday, Sept. 18. Last week, the Golden Gophers lost to No. 3 Washington in three sets. Minnesota brings a 1-1 all-time record against Oregon into the weekend. In 1999, Minnesota traveled to Eugene and defeated the Duck's in three sets on its way to winning Oregon’s Nike Invitational. In the only other meeting between the two programs, Oregon defeated Minnesota in five sets at the Cal-State Fullerton Preview on Sept. 10, 1988.
• This will be Minnesota’s first trip to Denver to compete in a tournament since 2002. In 2002, the Golden Gophers defeated
Denver, Maryland and Santa Clara to win the Denver Invitational. Minnesota did travel to state of Colorado when it faced Colorado State and USC at the NACWAA Classic in 2004. Following the NACWAA Classic, Minnesota traveled to Wyoming the next weekend. During the week in between the Golden Gophers practiced at Denver University.
• Minnesota is outblocking its opponents 2.97 blps to 1.28 on the season. In the first match of the season against Kansas
State, the Golden Gophers and Wildcats each had 10.0 blocks. Since that match, Minnesota has outblocked its last eight opponents. In its four matches against ranked opposition, the Golden Gophers have outblocked their opponents 2.76-to-1.76. Going back to 2008, Minnesota has outblocked its opposition in 36 of its last 43 matches. The Golden Gophers were outblocked last year by Penn State (twice), Indiana (Nov. 1), Ohio State (Nov. 23), Iowa (Nov. 26) and Iowa State.
