University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Set to Battle No. 1 PSU
11/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 13, 2015 
Notes
GOPHERS SET TO FACE NO. 1 PENN STATE
The No. 4 University of Minnesota volleyball team hosts No. 1 Penn State, Saturday, at 7 p.m. The battle marks the top two teams in the Big Ten.
SELL OUT CROWD
Also earlier this week, all remaining tickets for the Gopher Volleyball vs. Penn State match this Saturday at the Sports Pavilion were sold out. Tickets to the remaining home matches of the season vs. Maryland (Nov. 18) and Ohio State (Nov. 25) are still available and can be purchased at MyGopherSports.com. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance and not the day of to all remaining home matches with anticipated near-capacity crowds.
FOLLOWING THE GOPHERS
The Minnesota/Penn State match will be streamed live on BTN Plus. A game day live page and live statistics will be available on gophersports.com.
ON THE DOCKET
Following the Penn State match, Minnesota hosts Maryland, Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. The Gophers then return to road action when they compete at No. 17 Purdue, Nov. 21 in West Lafayette, Ind.
ABOUT PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions enter the match with a 24-2 overall record and 13-2 in Big Ten play. Since a loss to Northwestern (Oct. 10), PSU has won the last nine. Haleigh Washington holds one of the nation's best hitting clips at .453 and averages 1.44 blocks per set. Megan Courtney and Aiyana Whitney both average 3.08 and 3.12 kills per set, while Ali Frantti follows with 2.55 kps. Keeton Holcomb has a team-best 291 digs, and Bryanna Weiskircher has 940 assists.
ALL TIME SERIES & LAST TIME
Penn State holds a 45-8 all time series lead over the Gophers, dating back to 1983. The Gophers and Nittany Lions had a five-set battle in October as PSU earned a 3-2 win, 22-25, 16-25, 25-19, 25-20, 12-15. Despite Minnesota outhitting PSU, .216-.198, and outblocking 13-11, the Nittany Lions earned the win. It was however, the first time PSU had given up a set to an opponent at that point of the season.
GOPHER/MARYLAND TIME CHANGE
The University of Minnesota and the Big Ten Network has announced that the Gopher volleyball match vs. Maryland has a time change to accommodate a national televised match. The game time is set for 6 p.m. CT., an hour earlier from the 7 p.m. match time previously announced. The match will be shown live on the Big Ten Network. With the addition of the Maryland match, Minnesota will be televised four times during the regular season.
SCHOOL RECORD AT 13-STRAIGHT
With the win over Michigan last Saturday, Minnesota set a school record, winning 12-straight Big Ten matches. Minnesota then added to that mark on Wednesday night with a four-set win over Northwestern. The Golden Gophers dropped a five-set contest to Penn State on Sept. 26. Since then, the Gophers have had an incredible run since Sept. 30. In that span, Minnesota has defeated six ranked opponents. The record broke Minnesota's previous best of 11-consecutive matches, which was set in 2002.
WEDNESDAY RECAP
Minnesota earned a 3-1 win (25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 25-18) over Northwestern, Wednesday, in Evanston, Ill. With the win, the Golden Gophers improve to 22-3 overall and 14-1 in the Big Ten and have now won 13-straight Big Ten matches.
Molly Lohman and Hannah Tapp paced the Gophers as they each had 13 kills, as Sarah Wilhite closely followed with 12. Lohman's 13 was a career high for the sophomore while she also added a team-best .545 hitting clip. Lohman and H Tapp also led the Gophers in blocking when they each had 10 total blocks apiece. In all, Minnesota had 15 blocks to Northwestern's six. The Gophers also out hit the Wildcats, .276 to .211.
SANTANA; SELIGER-SWENSON RECEIVE WEEKLY B1G AWARDS
The Big Ten Conference has announced that Daly Santana has been named the league's Player of the Week, while Samantha Seliger-Swenson was named Co-Freshman of the Week. It is Santana's second player of the week accolade of the season, while Seliger-Swenson garners her fifth rookie of the week honor and seventh overall. Santana led Gopher attackers with 39 kills over the weekend and hit .318. Averaging 5.57 kills per set, she tacked on 45 points in the pair of wins. A six-rotation student-athlete, Santana also led the Gophers with 23 digs. Seliger-Swenson helped the Gophers to a pair of wins over the weekend. Accomplishing 82 assists on the weekend, she also had two aces, 17 digs and a solo block and seven assists for eight total blocks on the weekend.
GOPHERS RANK FIRST IN RPI
With wins over Michigan State and Michigan, the Golden Gophers jumped from the No. 5 spot to No. 1 overall in the NCAA's recent Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). The RPI is one of the tools used by the NCAA Selection Committee to evaluate teams for the post season. Minnesota leads the charge in the recent RPI, followed by Southern California (2), Texas (3) and Florida (4). In the top 10 alone, four hail from the Big Ten Conference in the Gophers, Penn State (5), Nebraska (8) and Wisconsin (9). The conference also has an additional two in the top 25 in Ohio State (11) and Illinois (17). Along with Big Ten teams ranked high in the RPI, Minnesota also competed against Stanford (12), Louisville (19) and North Carolina (27) in the non-conference season.
GOPHERS RANKED NO. 4
For the third week in a row, Minnesota is ranked fourth in the recent American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. Penn State is in the No. 1 spot, while Southern California is ranked second, followed by Washington (3) and Minnesota (4). Also ranked in the top 25 are Big Ten foes Nebraska (8), Wisconsin (11), Ohio State (14), Illinois (16) and Purdue (17). The No. 4 ranking is the highest for the Golden Gophers since the 2009 season.
VOLLEYBALL PODCAST
The Gophers are developing a new way for fans to learn more about the program, introducing Point U: A Gopher Volleyball Podcast brought to you by Point U! Boosters. Coach Hugh McCutcheon will sit down bi-weekly with host Matt Nelson to talk all things Gopher Volleyball. Tune in here.
DID YOU KNOW?
Daly Santana has already had 10 matches this season in which she has hit over .300. That betters her five she had all last year. Of the 10, five have come against Big Ten opponents. She has also hit over .250 in 13 matches this season, also beating her seven she had as a junior. In all, Santana has accomplished double-digit kills in all but one match this season (Sam Houston State). A six-rotation athlete, Santana also has 13 double-doubles.
WHERE THEY RANK
Minnesota ranks high within a few NCAA categories. The Gophers rank 14th in blocks per set (2.91). Individually, Daly Santana ranks 13th in kills per set (4.55) and 12th in points per set (5.07). Among league leaders, Santana leads the pack in kills per set, while Paige Tapp ranks fourth in the league in blocks per set (1.28), followed by Molly Lohman in seventh (1.25). Samantha Seliger-Swenson averages 11.37 assists per set, good enough for second in the Big Ten.
| #4 Minnesota (22-3, 14-1) vs. #1 Penn State (24-2, 13-2) | |||||||||||
| Date | Time | Saturday, November 14 | 7 p.m. | ||||||||||
| Location | Sports Pavilion | Minneapolis, Minn. | ||||||||||
| Tickets | Sold Out | ||||||||||
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels | ||||||||||
| Watch Online | BTN Plus | ||||||||||
| Live Stats | |||||||||||
| Live Updates | Game Day Live | ||||||||||
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Penn State | ||||||||||
| Social Media | @GopherVball | Facebook | ||||||||||
Notes
GOPHERS SET TO FACE NO. 1 PENN STATE
The No. 4 University of Minnesota volleyball team hosts No. 1 Penn State, Saturday, at 7 p.m. The battle marks the top two teams in the Big Ten.
SELL OUT CROWD
Also earlier this week, all remaining tickets for the Gopher Volleyball vs. Penn State match this Saturday at the Sports Pavilion were sold out. Tickets to the remaining home matches of the season vs. Maryland (Nov. 18) and Ohio State (Nov. 25) are still available and can be purchased at MyGopherSports.com. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance and not the day of to all remaining home matches with anticipated near-capacity crowds.
FOLLOWING THE GOPHERS
The Minnesota/Penn State match will be streamed live on BTN Plus. A game day live page and live statistics will be available on gophersports.com.
ON THE DOCKET
Following the Penn State match, Minnesota hosts Maryland, Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. The Gophers then return to road action when they compete at No. 17 Purdue, Nov. 21 in West Lafayette, Ind.
ABOUT PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions enter the match with a 24-2 overall record and 13-2 in Big Ten play. Since a loss to Northwestern (Oct. 10), PSU has won the last nine. Haleigh Washington holds one of the nation's best hitting clips at .453 and averages 1.44 blocks per set. Megan Courtney and Aiyana Whitney both average 3.08 and 3.12 kills per set, while Ali Frantti follows with 2.55 kps. Keeton Holcomb has a team-best 291 digs, and Bryanna Weiskircher has 940 assists.
ALL TIME SERIES & LAST TIME
Penn State holds a 45-8 all time series lead over the Gophers, dating back to 1983. The Gophers and Nittany Lions had a five-set battle in October as PSU earned a 3-2 win, 22-25, 16-25, 25-19, 25-20, 12-15. Despite Minnesota outhitting PSU, .216-.198, and outblocking 13-11, the Nittany Lions earned the win. It was however, the first time PSU had given up a set to an opponent at that point of the season.
GOPHER/MARYLAND TIME CHANGE
The University of Minnesota and the Big Ten Network has announced that the Gopher volleyball match vs. Maryland has a time change to accommodate a national televised match. The game time is set for 6 p.m. CT., an hour earlier from the 7 p.m. match time previously announced. The match will be shown live on the Big Ten Network. With the addition of the Maryland match, Minnesota will be televised four times during the regular season.
SCHOOL RECORD AT 13-STRAIGHT
With the win over Michigan last Saturday, Minnesota set a school record, winning 12-straight Big Ten matches. Minnesota then added to that mark on Wednesday night with a four-set win over Northwestern. The Golden Gophers dropped a five-set contest to Penn State on Sept. 26. Since then, the Gophers have had an incredible run since Sept. 30. In that span, Minnesota has defeated six ranked opponents. The record broke Minnesota's previous best of 11-consecutive matches, which was set in 2002.
WEDNESDAY RECAP
Minnesota earned a 3-1 win (25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 25-18) over Northwestern, Wednesday, in Evanston, Ill. With the win, the Golden Gophers improve to 22-3 overall and 14-1 in the Big Ten and have now won 13-straight Big Ten matches.
Molly Lohman and Hannah Tapp paced the Gophers as they each had 13 kills, as Sarah Wilhite closely followed with 12. Lohman's 13 was a career high for the sophomore while she also added a team-best .545 hitting clip. Lohman and H Tapp also led the Gophers in blocking when they each had 10 total blocks apiece. In all, Minnesota had 15 blocks to Northwestern's six. The Gophers also out hit the Wildcats, .276 to .211.
SANTANA; SELIGER-SWENSON RECEIVE WEEKLY B1G AWARDS
The Big Ten Conference has announced that Daly Santana has been named the league's Player of the Week, while Samantha Seliger-Swenson was named Co-Freshman of the Week. It is Santana's second player of the week accolade of the season, while Seliger-Swenson garners her fifth rookie of the week honor and seventh overall. Santana led Gopher attackers with 39 kills over the weekend and hit .318. Averaging 5.57 kills per set, she tacked on 45 points in the pair of wins. A six-rotation student-athlete, Santana also led the Gophers with 23 digs. Seliger-Swenson helped the Gophers to a pair of wins over the weekend. Accomplishing 82 assists on the weekend, she also had two aces, 17 digs and a solo block and seven assists for eight total blocks on the weekend.
GOPHERS RANK FIRST IN RPI
With wins over Michigan State and Michigan, the Golden Gophers jumped from the No. 5 spot to No. 1 overall in the NCAA's recent Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). The RPI is one of the tools used by the NCAA Selection Committee to evaluate teams for the post season. Minnesota leads the charge in the recent RPI, followed by Southern California (2), Texas (3) and Florida (4). In the top 10 alone, four hail from the Big Ten Conference in the Gophers, Penn State (5), Nebraska (8) and Wisconsin (9). The conference also has an additional two in the top 25 in Ohio State (11) and Illinois (17). Along with Big Ten teams ranked high in the RPI, Minnesota also competed against Stanford (12), Louisville (19) and North Carolina (27) in the non-conference season.
GOPHERS RANKED NO. 4
For the third week in a row, Minnesota is ranked fourth in the recent American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. Penn State is in the No. 1 spot, while Southern California is ranked second, followed by Washington (3) and Minnesota (4). Also ranked in the top 25 are Big Ten foes Nebraska (8), Wisconsin (11), Ohio State (14), Illinois (16) and Purdue (17). The No. 4 ranking is the highest for the Golden Gophers since the 2009 season.
VOLLEYBALL PODCAST
The Gophers are developing a new way for fans to learn more about the program, introducing Point U: A Gopher Volleyball Podcast brought to you by Point U! Boosters. Coach Hugh McCutcheon will sit down bi-weekly with host Matt Nelson to talk all things Gopher Volleyball. Tune in here.
DID YOU KNOW?
Daly Santana has already had 10 matches this season in which she has hit over .300. That betters her five she had all last year. Of the 10, five have come against Big Ten opponents. She has also hit over .250 in 13 matches this season, also beating her seven she had as a junior. In all, Santana has accomplished double-digit kills in all but one match this season (Sam Houston State). A six-rotation athlete, Santana also has 13 double-doubles.
WHERE THEY RANK
Minnesota ranks high within a few NCAA categories. The Gophers rank 14th in blocks per set (2.91). Individually, Daly Santana ranks 13th in kills per set (4.55) and 12th in points per set (5.07). Among league leaders, Santana leads the pack in kills per set, while Paige Tapp ranks fourth in the league in blocks per set (1.28), followed by Molly Lohman in seventh (1.25). Samantha Seliger-Swenson averages 11.37 assists per set, good enough for second in the Big Ten.
Players Mentioned
Middle Blocker
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Outside Hitter
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Setter
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Middle Blocker
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Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
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