University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Picked Third in Conference Preseason Poll
8/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The Minnesota volleyball team was picked to finish third in the Big Ten according to the conference's preseason coaches' poll.
Minnesota was picked to finish behind Penn State and Illinois in the coaches poll. Ohio State was tabbed at fourth, while Michigan and Michigan State were picked fifth and sixth respectively. The Big Ten limited the coaches poll to only the top six slots.
Seniors Lauren Gibbemeyer (St. Paul, Minn.) and Hailey Cowles (Eden Prairie, Minn.) were each selected to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, along with sophomore Tabitha Love (Dauphin, Manitoba). Love was the only player selected to the team who was not an upperclassman. Minnesota joined Illinois and Penn State as the only teams with three or more players selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team.
Gibbemeyer joined Laura DeBruler (Illinois), Ashley Benson (Indiana), Lexi Zimmerman (Michigan), Sabel Moffitt (Northwestern), Katie Dull (Ohio State), Blair Brown (Penn State) and Arielle Wilson (Penn State) as one of eight unanimous selections to the team. Benson, DeBruler, Zimmerman, Gibbemeyer and Wilson have each been selected preseason All-Big Ten the last three years, and have all been named First-Team All-Big Ten the last two seasons.
Minnesota will open up the season on Friday, Aug. 27 when it faces Denver on at 8 p.m. in the second match of the Golden Gopher Invite.
