University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Head to Wisconsin and Illinois
11/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Minnesota will head on its last Big Ten road trip of the 2010 season as it travels to Wisconsin on Friday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. and No. 9 Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 4:30 p.m.
The Golden Gophers’ match with the Badgers can be seen live on BigTenNetwork.com, while the match with the Illinois will be shown on the Big Ten Network live.
Minnesota is currently tied for third place in the Big Ten with Michigan at 10-6. Purdue is one match back at 9-7, while Northwestern and Ohio State are 8-8 and 8-9 respectively. If the Gophers finish in third place it would mark the 11th time in 12 years they have finished third or higher in Big Ten play. Minnesota finishes the season at Wisconsin and Illinois, before returning home to face Ohio State and Penn State. Penn State sits in first place at 14-3, while Illinois is right behind the Nittany Lions at 13-3.
Senior Lauren Gibbemeyer has 3.07 kps, 1.47 blps and is hitting .363 on the season. Gibbemeyer's first in the Big Ten in blocks, third in hitting percentage and ninth in points. She also holds the school-record in career blocks at 562, and is 19 away from moving into the Big Ten career top 10 list.
Ashley Wittman, who is coming off a career-best 21 kills, is averaging 3.32 kps, 3.06 dps and 0.74 blps entering the week. Wittman became only the second Golden Gopher freshman since 1982 to collect 300 kills and 300 digs in a season. Tabi Love missed the majority of action last week with a hand injury, but is averaging a team-best 3.67 kps this year. Dixon, who has played left-side, right-side and middle blocker this year, has 2.41 kps and 0.88 blps.
Junior Jessica Granquist leads the Big Ten in digs with 5.23 dps overall and 5.52 dps in Big Ten play. Granquist has 539 digs heading into the week. That puts her at sixth on the school's single-season digs list. Sophomore setter Mia Tabberson also has 11.38 aps in her last three matches in which the Gophers have gone 3-0 against Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State.
The Golden Gophers enter the week as the only team in the Big Ten to be in the top five in hitting percentage (3rd at .257), assists (fourth at 12.89 aps), blocks (third at 2.80 blps), opponent hitting percentage (second at .158) and kills (fourth at 13.86 kps). Minnesota is one of two teams in the conference to be in the top five in five of the six categories listed (hitting pct., asst., blocks, opp. hitting pct., kills and aces).
The Badgers enter the week tied for 10th in the Big Ten at 4-12 and have a 15-12 overall record. Wisconsin is coming off a week in which it lost in three sets at No. 8 Penn State and at Ohio State in five sets. Allison Wack leads the way with 2.95 kps and 2.13 dps, while Elise Wach has 2.64 kps. Alexis Mitchell leads the team with 0.76 blps and 2.35 kps. Setter Janelle Gabrielsen has 10.55 aps, 3.11 dps and 1.13 kps, while Kim Kuzma leads the team with 4.82 dps.
Minnesota leads the all-time series 35-32, and won the first meeting in four sets at Williams Arena on Oct. 24. The Gophers have won the last five meetings between the two programs. That matches the second-longest winning streak by Minnesota against Wisconsin in the history of the series. Wisconsin assistant coach Brian Heffernan was the Gophers’ associate head coach when Minnesota made its first trip to the Final Four in 2003.
The Illini enter the week ranked No. 9, are in second place in the Big Ten at 13-3 and have a 21-5 overall record. Illinois is in position to share or win its first Big Ten title since 1992 when it shared a Big Ten title with Penn State. Last week, the Illini defeated Ohio State on the road in four sets and dropped a three-set match at No. 8 Penn State. Illinois is led by Colleen Ward who has 3.90 kps and 2.43 dps, while Michelle Bartsch has 3.46 kps, 1.94 dps and 0.81 blps. Earlier this year, the Illini lost Laura DeBruler for the season. DeBruler was averaging 4.02 kps and 3.39 dps. Johannah Bangert leads the way with 1.21 blps and has 1.75 kps. Setter Hillary Haen has 11.38 aps and 2.15 dps, while Jennifer Bonilla has 4.92 dps.
Illinois leads the all-time series 36-26-1. The Illini won the first meeting in five sets at the Sports Pavilion on Oct. 22. The Illini will be trying to sweep the season series against Minnesota for the first time since 1998. The Gophers have gone 19-10 since Mike Hebert came from Illinois to coach Minnesota. Hebert’s current assistant coach Laura Bush was part of two Illini teams that reached the Final Four and was a Second-Team All-American in 1989.
The Golden Gophers’ match with the Badgers can be seen live on BigTenNetwork.com, while the match with the Illinois will be shown on the Big Ten Network live.
Minnesota is currently tied for third place in the Big Ten with Michigan at 10-6. Purdue is one match back at 9-7, while Northwestern and Ohio State are 8-8 and 8-9 respectively. If the Gophers finish in third place it would mark the 11th time in 12 years they have finished third or higher in Big Ten play. Minnesota finishes the season at Wisconsin and Illinois, before returning home to face Ohio State and Penn State. Penn State sits in first place at 14-3, while Illinois is right behind the Nittany Lions at 13-3.
Senior Lauren Gibbemeyer has 3.07 kps, 1.47 blps and is hitting .363 on the season. Gibbemeyer's first in the Big Ten in blocks, third in hitting percentage and ninth in points. She also holds the school-record in career blocks at 562, and is 19 away from moving into the Big Ten career top 10 list.
Ashley Wittman, who is coming off a career-best 21 kills, is averaging 3.32 kps, 3.06 dps and 0.74 blps entering the week. Wittman became only the second Golden Gopher freshman since 1982 to collect 300 kills and 300 digs in a season. Tabi Love missed the majority of action last week with a hand injury, but is averaging a team-best 3.67 kps this year. Dixon, who has played left-side, right-side and middle blocker this year, has 2.41 kps and 0.88 blps.
Junior Jessica Granquist leads the Big Ten in digs with 5.23 dps overall and 5.52 dps in Big Ten play. Granquist has 539 digs heading into the week. That puts her at sixth on the school's single-season digs list. Sophomore setter Mia Tabberson also has 11.38 aps in her last three matches in which the Gophers have gone 3-0 against Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State.
The Golden Gophers enter the week as the only team in the Big Ten to be in the top five in hitting percentage (3rd at .257), assists (fourth at 12.89 aps), blocks (third at 2.80 blps), opponent hitting percentage (second at .158) and kills (fourth at 13.86 kps). Minnesota is one of two teams in the conference to be in the top five in five of the six categories listed (hitting pct., asst., blocks, opp. hitting pct., kills and aces).
The Badgers enter the week tied for 10th in the Big Ten at 4-12 and have a 15-12 overall record. Wisconsin is coming off a week in which it lost in three sets at No. 8 Penn State and at Ohio State in five sets. Allison Wack leads the way with 2.95 kps and 2.13 dps, while Elise Wach has 2.64 kps. Alexis Mitchell leads the team with 0.76 blps and 2.35 kps. Setter Janelle Gabrielsen has 10.55 aps, 3.11 dps and 1.13 kps, while Kim Kuzma leads the team with 4.82 dps.
Minnesota leads the all-time series 35-32, and won the first meeting in four sets at Williams Arena on Oct. 24. The Gophers have won the last five meetings between the two programs. That matches the second-longest winning streak by Minnesota against Wisconsin in the history of the series. Wisconsin assistant coach Brian Heffernan was the Gophers’ associate head coach when Minnesota made its first trip to the Final Four in 2003.
The Illini enter the week ranked No. 9, are in second place in the Big Ten at 13-3 and have a 21-5 overall record. Illinois is in position to share or win its first Big Ten title since 1992 when it shared a Big Ten title with Penn State. Last week, the Illini defeated Ohio State on the road in four sets and dropped a three-set match at No. 8 Penn State. Illinois is led by Colleen Ward who has 3.90 kps and 2.43 dps, while Michelle Bartsch has 3.46 kps, 1.94 dps and 0.81 blps. Earlier this year, the Illini lost Laura DeBruler for the season. DeBruler was averaging 4.02 kps and 3.39 dps. Johannah Bangert leads the way with 1.21 blps and has 1.75 kps. Setter Hillary Haen has 11.38 aps and 2.15 dps, while Jennifer Bonilla has 4.92 dps.
Illinois leads the all-time series 36-26-1. The Illini won the first meeting in five sets at the Sports Pavilion on Oct. 22. The Illini will be trying to sweep the season series against Minnesota for the first time since 1998. The Gophers have gone 19-10 since Mike Hebert came from Illinois to coach Minnesota. Hebert’s current assistant coach Laura Bush was part of two Illini teams that reached the Final Four and was a Second-Team All-American in 1989.
Players Mentioned
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