University of Minnesota Athletics
Tori Dixon Q&A
8/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Minnesota freshman Tori Dixon sat down and talked to gophersports.com as the Gophers prepared in the summer to get ready for fall practice. Dixon, who is the daughter of former Minnesota Vikings offensive guard David Dixon, joins freshmen Steffi Sooter and Ashley Wittman to give the Gophers the No. 6 rated freshmen class in the nation according to prepvolleyball.com.
Gophersports.com: When did you get to campus, and how has the experience been so far working with the team?
Tori Dixon: “Captain’s practices have been great. I got here around the second week of June. So far things have gone well. We have been lifting and running, and having captain’s practices every once in a while. Those are mainly to get in and get reps. Everything has been great.”
GS: Has it been an easier to transition with players that you grew up knowing in club volleyball, and playing with and against?
TD: “It is really nice. It is an easier transition having a group of teammates that I already knew before I started. The fact that I grew up around the Twin Cities area has made the transition easier as well. I have been playing with or against the Minnesota players on this team my whole career. In my eyes, this makes it an easier transition for me. I have been around this program and it has been so close to me throughout high school.”
GS: How valuable has it been to work out and be around the team this summer?
TD: “I think it has been real helpful to get in here and have time to play with and against each other during captain’s practices this summer. This is especially true for me since I did not play club ball this year. If I had come into the fall without practicing in the summer, I might have been rusty. I feel like I have gotten stronger and better in the summer, just by being around the atmosphere of the program.”
GS: What made your decision to come to Minnesota?
TD: “I was born in Arizona and moved here when I was younger. I was brought up around the volleyball program, and I can remember going to Gopher matches when I was a kid. It was always one of my goals to play for this program. I have literally been around it my whole life. I committed here during the summer going into my sophomore year, which is early. I knew I wanted to go here. I have been around it for while and am used to a lot of the different elements of the program.”
GS: Did growing up as a Gopher fan and getting an early offer from the University of Minnesota take a lot of pressure out of the recruiting process for you?
TD: “It was really comforting to know they wanted me to come here, and I really wanted to be here. Minnesota was the first school to offer me a scholarship. Initially my parents made me go on other visits to make sure this was definitely the place I wanted to go. As I went to the other places, nothing measured up to coming to the University of Minnesota.”
GS: Talk about how excited you and Ashley (Wittman) are to come in and represent the home state university.
TD: “Me and Ashley (Wittman) were both really excited to get here and be part of this program. We have been playing with each since we were 11 or 12. We grew up together, came here together and we are excited to be here. The recruiting class this year was ranked high, and there is a lot of pressure on us. However, it is very exciting to think about coming in and helping the program any way we can.”
GS: How exciting is it to be on the same team as Lauren (Gibbemeyer) and Hailey (Cowles) after watching both of them playing in the older age group at Northern Lights growing up?
TD: “Ashley (Wittman) and I both played for Northern Lights. I was there a little longer, and she came in my 13s year, and we played all the way through 17s. It was fun following the class with Hailey and Lauren in the club program. We always tried to see whose teams could do better. We grew up watching them and competing in scrimmages against them. It is exciting to be playing here with them at the college level.”
GS: Talk about the influence of having your dad be a professional athlete (David Dixon – Minnesota Vikings Offensive Guard 1994-2004), and what affect it had on your career.
TD: “I was a three-sport athlete, at volleyball, basketball and softball. He helped me in a few ways to have the talent and dedication to be good at each of them. My dad was also supportive of anything I did. He came to all my games. I think I was the first one who asked to play sports when I was younger. He did not push me, but he wanted to support me in everything I did. He wanted to me to play sports, but wanted me to make decisions and do what I wanted to do.”
GS: When did you pick volleyball over basketball, and what was the decision process?
TD: “I was really into basketball and volleyball. When I played with Northern Lights, I started to make more of a commitment to be successful in volleyball. I feel like basketball is more competitive on a one-on-one basis, but volleyball is a more team-based and I really like that. It is not an individual sport at all. Basketball is a team sport, but one person cannot control the flow . In volleyball, the team has to be functioning in all the different phases to succeed. It is just a very team-oriented sport.”
GS: What classes are you interested in heading into your freshman year?
TD: “I am undecided and still figuring out what I really want to. I like Math, Science and Biology. I am also really interested in a possible Sports Management track. Those general areas are my main interests.”
GS: What are some strengths you bring to the team this year?
TD: “My biggest skills on the court are hitting and blocking, and my size makes that an advantage. I still need to work on defense and speed, but that is something that is big part of being successful at the Division I level.”
GS: What have you learned from watching one of your counterparts on your team, Lauren Gibbemeyer?
TD: “Lauren has a huge impact. She is such a good player, and is one of the best middle blockers I have ever seen play. Just being able to work with her, play against her and work with her really helps me improve on my skill set. Her presence automatically brings the team’s level up. She makes you want to work harder. Lauren is a good person to try to emulate.”
GS: Talk about what it means to have nine Minnesota players on this roster, and the pride you all have for representing the home state.
TD: “I feel like we have a lot of pride in the fact that nine of us are from the state of Minnesota. It is identity that we enjoy, and I am looking forward to putting on the jersey and representing the state and University of Minnesota when we take the court.”
GS: Is there a special meaning in growing up around the area, and finally getting a chance to put on the Gopher jersey?
TD: “I remember my first Gopher match was in third grade. I have been going regularly since that match, and I am looking forward to putting on the jersey this season and being a part of the program. It is going to be a big deal to do so. One my friends (Jenny Taylor) from elementary school started bringing me to games and getting me into it. Her dad introduced me to the sport and I played on his club team in the Burnsville program through his club team.”
