University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Hosts Purdue and Indiana
9/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The 17th-ranked Minnesota volleyball team (11-3, 1-1) will host Purdue and Indiana in its first home Big Ten weekend. The Golden Gophers will face Purdue on Friday, Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. and Indiana on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.
Minnesota enters the week tied for fourth in the Big Ten at 1-1. Illinois is first at 3-0, while Michigan and Northwestern are 2-0. The Gophers are tied with Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Michigan State for fourth place. Indiana and Iowa are tied for ninth at 0-2, while Wisconsin is 0-3.
The Gophers carry an 11-3 overall record into the weekend. Each of Minnesota's three losses this season have come in five sets. Tabi Love leads the team with 3.96 kps, has 1.98 dps and 0.68 blps. Freshman Ashley Wittman has 3.52 kps, 3.30 dps and 0.66 blps. Wittman is the only freshman in the nation to be hitting over .300 (.337) with more than 3.0 digs per set while averaging over 3.50 kps (3.52).
Junior Jessica Granquist leads the Big Ten in digs at 4.78 dps. Tori Dixon is averaging 1.21 blps, and has 1.55 blps in eight matches as a middle blocker. Ariana Filho is hitting .349 on the season, while Stephanie Nucci and Mia Tabberson are averaging 10.88 aps and 10.13 aps respectively.
Purdue enters the weekend with a 10-3 overall record. The Boilermakers went 1-1 last week with a win at Indiana and a five-set loss at Northwestern. Purdue has lost two of its three matches in five sets as well. The Boilermakers are led by Ariel Turner who has 4.65 kps, 2.02 dps and 0.85 blps. Tiffany Fisher has 2.50 kps and 1.13 blps, while Catherine Rebarchak has 2.34 kps and 0.78 blps. Setter Jaclyn Hart has 10.71 aps, 1.57 dps and 0.74 blps, while Carly Cramer leads the way with 4.07 dps.
Indiana brings a 12-2 overall record into the weekend. The Hoosiers lost at home to Purdue and on the road to Northwestern last week. Indiana is led by Ashley Benson who has 3.71 kps and 1.31 blps, while Jordan Haverly has 3.29 kps and 2.08 dps. Mary Chaudoin leads the team with 10.52 aps, 1.81 dps and 0.86 blps, while Caitlin Cox has a team-high 3.92 dps.
