University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Open Season at Stanford
8/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
| Minnesota (0-0) vs. Texas A&M/at Stanford | |
| Saturday, Aug. 29 | Minnesota vs. Texas A&M (6:30 p.m. CT) |
| Sunday, Aug. 30 | Minnesota at Stanford (3 p.m. CT) |
| Location | Palo Alto, Calif. |
| Live Video | Minnesota at Stanford - Free Video |
| Live Stats | Click Here |
| Live Updates | UM vs. TAMU | UM vs. Stanford |
| Social Media | @GopherVball | Facebook |
GOPHERS OPEN SEASON AT STANFORD
The University of Minnesota opens the 2015 season at Stanford, when it plays Texas A&M (neutral match) and No. 2 Stanford, Aug. 29-30, in Palo Alto, Calif. The Golden Gophers face Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. CT to open the season, followed by host Cardinal, on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 3 p.m. CT. Sunday's match will feature a free live video stream.
GOPHERS TABBED FIFTH IN PRESEASON POLL; P TAPP PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
The University of Minnesota volleyball team was tabbed to finish fifth in the 2015 Big Ten Preseason Poll, while junior middle blocker Paige Tapp landed a spot on the Preseason All-Big Ten team, announced by the conference office.
Tapp, hailing from Stewartville, Minn., is one of four middle blockers to make the preseason list. As a sophomore, Tapp was a 2014 American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American and an All-Big Ten selection. Playing in 110 sets for the Gophers, Tapp finished the 2014 campaign as the nation's third-best blocker and led the Big Ten Conference in blocks per set, as she averaged 1.55. She hit over .400 in 14 matches during 2014 and had four contests where she recorded over 10 total blocks. Continuing her abilities on the international stage, Tapp was also named to USA Volleyball's Collegiate National Team that competed at the World University Games in South Korea in July 2015.
RETURNING SENIOR Daly Santana
Minnesota returns 10 letter winners from last year, including its lone senior returner in Daly Santana. As a junior, Santana had 425 kills, ranked second in the Big Ten in points per set (4.47), third in kills per set (3.90) and fourth in aces per set (0.33).
THE NEWCOMERS
Minnesota adds six newcomers to the list in red-shirt senior Toni Alugbue, junior Margaret Eggert and freshmen Sophie Beckley, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Taylor Morgan and Kayla Buford.
THE 2015 GOPHER OPPONENTS
During the 2015 season, the Golden Gophers will play 10 teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament last year, including four during the preseason and six in Big Ten play. Minnesota plays Texas A&M, who qualified for the NCAA Tournament, while Stanford, who is ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll, is coming off a 2014 Final Four appearance. The Gophers then face Louisville and 2014 Elite Eight contender North Carolina, Sept. 4-5, in Louisville, Ky.
FIVE GOPHERS COMPETE DURING SUMMER
The University of Minnesota had a total of five student-athletes gain international experience over the summer. Paige Tapp was a part of the USA Collegiate Team that competed at the World University Games in South Korea in July. Molly Lohman, Hannah Tapp and Sarah Wilhite competed in China with USA Volleyball in June. Alyssa Goehner competed with the Big Ten Foreign Tour, also in June, where she visited Croatia, Slovenia and Italy.
HOLDING DOWN THE BACK COURT
Minnesota returns two of its most consistent passers in outside hitter Alyssa Goehner and libero Dalianliz Rosado. Playing in 31 matches and 108 sets as a rookie last year, Rosado held the team with 296 digs. Goehner, one of Minnesota's most versatile players, saw action as a defensive specialist, a libero and an outside hitter. Named the team's best passer, Goehner had 267 digs in 110 sets played. She also had 87 kills as a rookie last year.
SETTING IT UP
Minnesota has three setters on its roster in juniors Erica Handley and Katie Schau and freshman Samantha Seliger-Swenson. Handley saw action in 61 sets, started in 10 matches and had 511 assists. Schau played in 83 sets with 21 starts, while adding a team-high 667 assists. Seliger-Swenson is a freshman who graduated in December to join the Gophers in January 2015. She enters her collegiate career as a three-time high school All-American and an AVCA Under Armor First-Team All-American.
ALL TIME SERIES
The University of Minnesota has played Texas A&M six times in program history, the most recent in 2008. The Gophers are 1-5 against the Aggies, with the first contest dating back to 1978. The last time the Gophers faced Texas A&M was at the Bluejay Invitational in Omaha, Neb., as Minnesota won, 3-1. The Gophers are looking for their first program win against Stanford in six attempts. Minnesota is 0-5 against the Cardinal, with the last attempt against Stanford was during the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 match up. The first meeting between the two teams dates back to 2001.
ABOUT TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M volleyball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Southeastern Conference according to the 2015 SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Aggies, who tied Alabama for fourth place in last season's final SEC standings with a 13-5 conference mark, received 113 points in the AVCA preseason poll. Texas A&M returns 11 letter winners, including nine with starting experience, and a redshirt player from last year's team that finished 21-9 overall and advanced to the first round of the NCAA tournament. Senior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan landed a spot on the Preseason All-SEC team after posting a team-best 327 kills to average 2.84 per set and hit .374.
ABOUT STANFORD
Stanford enters the 2015 campaign as the No. 2 team in the nation. In the 2014 Final Four run, the Cardinal posted a 33-2 overall record and 19-1 in Pac-12 play. They were voted as the unanimous vote to win the 2015 Pac-12 title, announced in the coaches' preseason poll. The Cardinal returns 10 letter winners to its roster from the 2014 team, including All-Americans Madi Bugg (AVCA First Team, Volleyball Magazine Third Team), Jordan Burgess (AVCA First Team, Volleyball Magazine Second Team) and Merete Lutz (AVCA Second Team, Volleyball Magazine Third Team). All three are also Preseason Pac-12 selections.
McCUTCHEON NAMED NEW ZEALAND'S WORLD MASTERS GAMES AMBASSADOR
One of New Zealand's most successful coaches on the international stage, Hugh McCutcheon, has joined World Masters Games 2017 as its newest ambassador. McCutcheon's role with World Masters Games will coincide with his Gopher Volleyball coaching responsibilities.
Dunedin-born, United States based volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon guided the United States men's volleyball team to gold in Beijing 2008 and coached the USA women's team to silver in London four years later. These achievements established McCutcheon as the only head coach of any US Olympic team sport to lead a men's and women's team to podium finishes, and saw him named USOC Coach of the Year in 2008 and, five years later, receiving the USA Volleyball "All-time Great Coach" Award.
The World Masters Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world. In terms of athlete numbers, it is bigger in scale than even the Olympics. Auckland will host the event from 21 to 30 April 2017 during which time 25,000 athletes will compete in 28 sports across 45 competition venues. The Games are regarded as the largest event New Zealand will host in at least the next decade.
GOPHER ALUMS WIN GOLD
Minnesota Gopher alums Tori Dixon (2010-13) and Lauren Gibbemeyer (2007-10) were both members of USA Volleyball's World Grand Prix team that won gold in Omaha, Neb. this past summer. The duo was also named to USA Volleyball's World Cup Roster, as they compete in Japan. Team USA is looking to punch their ticket to the 2016 Olympics with a first or second place finish. Dixon was also a member of USA's 2014 World Championship team, the first in program history.
GOPHERS SPRING TRAINING IN JAPAN
The University of Minnesota accepted an invitation and competed in Tokyo, Japan, March 14-22, during spring season. Minnesota has been the only United States collegiate team to ever be invited to Japan's National Training Center. They trained against Japan's World University Team that competed in South Korea this past July.
