Gophers Set to Open 2014 Season

Minnesota (0-0) hosts Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Friday, Aug. 29	Match #1: Wisconsin vs. Louisville (4:30 p.m.)
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	Match #2: Minnesota vs. Notre Dame (7 p.m.)
	BTN Plus \| \| Live Blog
Saturday, Aug. 30	Match #3: Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame (4 p.m.)
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	Match #4: Minnesota vs. Louisville (7 p.m.)
	TV: BTN \| BTN2Go \| \| Live Blog
Location	Sports Pavilion
Tickets	MyGopherSports.com
Travel	Local Weather \| Parking \| Preferred Hotels
Official Site	Minnesota \| Wisconsin \| Louisville \| Notre Dame
Social Media	@GopherVball \| Facebook

Aug. 27, 2014

MINNESOTA BEGINS 2014 SEASON THIS WEEKEND

The University of Minnesota volleyball team opens the 2014 season, Aug. 29-30, as it hosts the Big Ten/ACC Challenge this weekend. The Golden Gophers welcome Notre Dame, Louisville and Wisconsin to the Sports Pavilion. On Friday, Aug. 29, Wisconsin will play Louisville at 4:30 p.m., followed by Minnesota and Notre Dame at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 30, Wisconsin competes against Notre Dame at 4 p.m., followed by Minnesota and Louisville at 7 p.m. The kickoff to the 2014 campaign is the first time the Gophers have opened the season at home since 2010.

OPENING WEEKEND

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge marks the first time since 2011 that the Gophers have played in the same tournament as a fellow conference member, but will not face them until the start of the Big Ten season. In 2011, the Gophers opened the season at the AVCA Showcase in which Penn State hosted Minnesota, Southern California and Oregon. That tournament also marked the last time the Gophers fell in a season-opening match when it dropped a five-set decision to ranked USC. The 2014 weekend opening tournament also marks the first time the Gophers have hosted a tournament that includes a Big Ten opponent.

ON THE DOCKET

Following the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Gophers will play in three additional tournaments prior to the Big Ten Conference season. Minnesota travels to Yale to compete against the host school, Boston College and Albany, Sept. 5-6. The Gophers return home to host the annual Diet Coke Classic, Sept. 12-13 at the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota will close out the preseason portion with a tournament at Toledo, Sept. 19-20. Minnesota then opens the Big Ten Conference season at home against Ohioâ€ˆState, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.

GOPHER ROSTER

The Gophers will boast a young team this season with two seniors, Adrianna Nora and Morgan Bohl, a junior Daly Santana and 11 sophomores and freshman. Erica Handley, Katie Schau, Hannah Tapp, Paige Tapp and Sarah Wilhite represent the sophomore class. From the freshman class it's Maddie Beal, Alyssa Goehner, Molly Lohman, Carly Rasmussen and Dalianliz Rosado. Minnesota lost three senior starters from last year in Tori Dixon, Alexandra Palmer and Ashley Wittman.

GOPHER TELEVISION SCHEDULE
The Golden Gopher volleyball program will be featured on national television five times over the course of the 2014 regular season. Minnesota will be televised once on ESPN 2/ESPN 3 and four times on the Big Ten Network. Minnesota is showcased on ESPN 3/ESPN 2, Sept. 27 against Penn State. The Gophers face the Nittany Lions at 7 p.m., at the Sports Pavilion. ESPN 3 will feature the match live with a tape delay on ESPN 2 the next day, Sept. 28 at 12 p.m. The Gophers will be televised on the Big Ten Network four times this season, the first coming this weekend against Louisville, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. Minnesota will also be on BTN the Oct. 1 match at Illinois (6:30 p.m.), and home Oct. 15 vs. Wisconsin (6 p.m.) and Oct. 22 vs. Nebraska (6:30 p.m.).

ABOUT THE TEAMS

Notre Dame opens the 2014 season after posting a 13-18 overall record and 7-13 mark in league action. The Fighting Irish return its top two point getters from last year in seniors Jeni Houser and Toni Alugbue. Houser was a two-time AVCA All-America honorable mention in 2012 and 2013, while Alugbue was an All-America honorable mention in 2012.

Louisville produced a 23-8 overall record in 2013 and a perfect 18-0 mark in conference action. Maya McClendon returns for her sophomore year after producing a team-best 335 kills. Janelle Jenkins also returns for the Cardinals and held the team's fourth-best kill production (246), while starting setter Katie George returns after she held 1006 assists and 31 aces.

Wisconsin went 28-10 last year in the Big Ten and finished as the national runner-up team. Dominique Thompson returns for her senior season as she hit a team-best .323. Senior Ellen Chapman and sophomore Lauren Carlini were selected as Preseason All-Big Ten. Chapman had a team-best 512 kills, while Carlini held 1,472 assists as a rookie last year. Sophomore Haleigh Nelson also returns, who averaged 1.13 blocks per set.

GOPHERS RANKED 12TH IN AVCA

The University of Minnesota volleyball program is ranked 12th in the preseason poll, announced Aug. 11, by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Defending national champions, Penn State, took the top spot and 32 first-place votes, while Texas (11 votes) and Stanford (7) round out the top three.

Like every year, Minnesota is in the stacked Big Ten Conference as seven teams are ranked in the top 25. Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Purdue and Illinois are all ranked in the top 11, followed by Minnesota, and Michigan State. Michigan is receiving votes in the opening poll, as is Iowa State, who the Gophers play in non-conference action during the Diet Coke Classic (9/13).

NORA AND TAPP NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN

Senior Adrianna Nora (Stillwater, Minn.) and sophomore Hannah Tapp (Stewartville, Minn.) have been named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team, announced by the conference office. This is the first preseason laurels for both individuals.

Nora, a 6-foot, 3-inch right side hitter, completed an outstanding junior season with the Gophers in 2013. Transferring to the University of Minnesota from Baylor last year, Nora made the most of her opportunity. Playing in 93 sets and 31 matches, Nora became an All-America honorable mention and an All North Region selection. She ranked fourth on the team in kills (218), kills per set (2.34) and hit .303 as a junior. She established 254.5 points last year, including 2.76 points per set, while also holding 0.73 blocks per set.

Tapp, a 6-foot, 2-inch middle blocker, added a stellar rookie season last year for the Gophers. As a freshman, Tapp was a 35-match starter, produced 122 kills and hit .404 en route to Freshman All-Big Ten honors. Her blocking abilities helped Minnesota become the second-best blocking team in the Big Ten as she individually ranked fifth in the league with 1.29 blocks per set. She capped off her rookie season hitting .750 against Radford in the NCAA First Round, .450 against Colorado in the Second Round and .429 against Stanford in the Sweet 16.

Along with the duo being named Preseason All-Big Ten, the University of Minnesota will enter the season ranked 12th, announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The Big Ten Conference had a strong showing in the national polls with six of the top 12 slots going to league teams. The Big Ten Conference also released its Preseason Coaches Poll, with the Gophers ranked seventh.

TAPPS COMPETE WITH USA VOLLEYBALL COLLEGIATE TEAMS

Both Hannah and Paige Tapp each competed with the USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team this past summer, their first opportunity to do so. Hannah traveled with the Collegiate Team on their China Tour, June 17-27. She was one of 12 individuals to make the squad. She was also the youngest member to make the squad. Paige competed with the Collegiate Team here in Minneapolis, June 22-July 1 in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships.

GOLDEN GOPHER BLOCK PARTY

Last year, Minnesota improved it's blocking ability from the 2012 season. In 2013, the Golden Gophers had 365 total blocks. Hannah Tapp provided 1.28 blocks per set when she accomplished seven block solos and 145 block assists. Prior to Tapp's arrival, the Gophers had 278 total blocks in 2012. As a rookie last year, Tapp ranked fifth overall in the Big Ten Conference and fourth among league opponents. She led the Gophers in blocks in 16 matches last year.

GOPHER RECRUITING CLASS RANKED 19TH NATIONALLY

The University of Minnesota owns one of the top-20 recruiting classes this season, according to John Tawa and prepvolleyball.com. Ranking the top 30 recruiting classes nationwide, Minnesota ranked 19th overall.

While losing senior starters Tori Dixon, Alexandra Palmer and Ashley Wittman, the Gophers bring in four outstanding individuals into the program: Maddie Beal (6-0 MB/RS, Colorado Springs, Colo./Cheyenne Mountain); Alyssa Goehner (5-11 OH, Lakeville North, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North); Molly Lohman, 6-3 MB, North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) and Dalianliz Rosado (5-9, L, Morovis, Puerto Rico).

GOPHER GREAT NICOLE BRANAGH TO BE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME

Nicole Branagh, one of Gopher Volleyball's greatest players, has been named to this year's class of inductees for the University of Minnesota "M" Club Hall of Fame. Branagh is one of 14 former student-athletes, coaches and administrators that will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during an Oct. 9 ceremony at the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium.

Branagh began her career at Minnesota in 1997. Following an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention freshman season, she emerged as a star in 1998, when she earned First Team All-Big Ten recognition. In 1999, she was again named First Team All-Big Ten and added an All-America honor to her resume. As a senior in 2000, she earned her third consecutive First Team All-Big Ten selection, becoming the third player in program history to accomplish that feat, as well as her second straight All-America nod. She was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year that season.

Statistically, Branagh was in a class of her own after four seasons at the U. Her 2,379 career kills are the most in school history and, at the time, set a new mark for the entire Big Ten conference. That total was also sixth-best in NCAA history, an accomplishment made even more impressive considering Branagh played fewer games than any of the five women ahead of her on the all-time list. Her career kills total remains among the top 15 in NCAA history.

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Players Mentioned

Maddie Beal

Morgan Bohl

Tori Dixon

Alyssa Goehner

Erica Handley

Molly Lohman

Adrianna Nora

Alexandra Palmer

Carly Rasmussen

Dalianliz Rosado

Daly Santana

Katie Schau

Hannah Tapp

Paige Tapp

Sarah Wilhite

Ashley Wittman

Upcoming Events

University of Minnesota Athletics