University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers earn No. 2 seed in NCAA Tournament
11/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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NCAA Tournament Central
The University of Minnesota secured the overall No. 2 seed and will begin NCAA competition, Dec. 4, when it hosts Jackson State, Northern Iowa and Marquette in the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Match times are 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Dec. 4, while the Second Round is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start time.
The Golden Gophers earned a No. 2 overall seed, which marks the highest seed for the Golden Gophers in school history, topping the previous best, No. 4 in 2004. USC holds the overall No. 1, followed by the Gophers, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Nebraska.
Minnesota holds the highest seed in the Des Moines Region, while USC is the top seed in San Diego, Texas in the Austin Region and Nebraska in the Kentucky Region.
Of the 64 teams to make it to the NCAA Tournament, Minnesota played 12 this season. The Big Ten Conference alone had nine make it into the tournament, while the Gophers also played North Carolina, No. 8 seed Stanford, No. 10 seed Texas A&M and No. 15 seed Louisville in non-conference action.
Marquette (designated home team) and Northern Iowa begin NCAA competition at 4:30 p.m. at the Sports Pavilion, followed by the Golden Gophers and the Jackson State match at 6:30 p.m. The winner of both the First Rounds, advance to the Second Round, also at the Sports Pavilion, at 6:30 p.m.
All-session tickets are now on sale for the NCAA First and Second Rounds. All-session bench seating is available for $17, while bench seating for student/youth/senior is $12. All-Session groups for 10 or more (also bench seats) are $10.
Minnesota won the Big Ten Conference championship after a 3-1 win over Indiana to go 18-2 in league action. It was the first conference championship for Minnesota since 2002. The Golden Gophers enter the NCAA postseason with a 26-4 overall record and are making their 20th NCAA appearance, with the last coming in 2013. The Golden Gophers fell twice in the opening weekend of play, Aug. 29-30 against Texas A&M and Stanford, and went on a nine-match win streak. Following a loss to Penn State (9/26/15), the Gophers then won the next 15-straight in league action, a school record, en route to the conference title.
Entering its third NCAA tournament with a 15-21 overall record, Jackson State earned an automatic bid when it defeated Alabama State in the SWAC Tournament Championship. In their most recent tournament appearance, the Tigers fell in the first round of the 2012 tournament to then No. 2 seeded Stanford.
Marquette is no stranger to the Sports Pavilion, as it was last here in 2012 for a NCAA First Round appearance. Entering its seventh NCAA Tournament with a 21-11 overall record, the Golden Eagles earned an at-large berth after falling to Creighton in the Big East tournament semifinals in the last regular season match. Marquette fell in the first round of last year's tournament against Illinois State.
University of Northern Iowa enters its 19th NCAA Tournament with a 19-14 overall record. UNI's last tournament appearance was in 2012 when the Panthers had a first round win over Kansas State. In its last regular season match, UNI fell to Wichita State in five sets in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament semifinals.