University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers set to compete in National Semifinals
12/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 13, 2016
GOPHERS IN THE NCAA
Minnesota has made it to 21 NCAA tournament appearances, and its second-straight NCAA Final Four. The Gophers are set to enter their fifth NCAA Championship appearance in school history (2003, 2004, 2009, 2015) and are looking for the school's first volleyball national championship.
DID YOU KNOW?
Of the 64 teams to make it to the NCAA Tournament, Minnesota played 12 this season. Of the remaining three, the Gophers faced two during the regular season. Minnesota faced Stanford in the second match of the season, while the Gophers played Nebraska twice this year, both in Lincoln, Neb. and Minneapolis.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Minnesota punched its ticket to the NCAA National Semifinals with a win over the UCLA Bruins, Dec. 10, at the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota started its NCAA journey with a pair of 3-0 wins over North Dakota and Hawaii in the First and Second Round. Holding the top seed in their region, the No. 2 seed Gophers hosted the Minneapolis Region as Missouri, North Carolina and UCLA came to the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota defeated Missouri, 3-1, and UCLA, 3-0, after the Bruins earned a 3-1 victory over UNC.
GOPHERS IN THE 2016 NCAA TOURNEY
Minnesota has dropped one set in the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Like the regular season, Minnesota has a well balanced offense. Sarah Wilhite is averaging 4.69 kills per set this post season, followed by Paige Tapp with 3.00 kps, both Hannah Tapp and Alexis Hart average 2.77 kps, while Molly Lohman is at 2.46. Samantha Seliger-Swenson averages 12.85 assists per set, while the Gophers average 18.54 digs per set. Dalianliz Rosado has 65 digs in the 2016 tourney so far.
ABOUT STANFORD
Stanford enters the National Semifinal with a 25-7 overall record and went 15-5 in the Pac-12. The Cardinal punched their ticket to the NCAA Championship with a five-set win over No. 3 seed Wisconsin. As a team, Stanford is hitting .277 and averages 14.15 kills per set. One of the tallest teams in the championship, Stanford averages a nation-best 3.33 blocks per set. Leading the Cardinal offense is Kathryn Plummer with 398 kills, Inky Ajanaku with 329, Audriana Fitzmorris with 291 and Merete Lutz with 280. Jenna Grady has 1,087 assists, while Morgan Hentz has a team-best 576 digs.
ABOUT NEBRASKA AND TEXAS
Nebraska enters this week with a 31-2 overall record and won the Big Ten with an 18-2 league mark. As a team, the Cornhuskers are hitting .290 and average 14.43 kills per set. Kadie Rolfzen has a team-best 364 kills and averages 3.19 kills per set, followed by Mikaela Foecke with 330, Andie Malloy with 280, Briana Holman with 274, and Amber Rolfzen with 223. Kelly Hunter averages 11.21 assists per set and libero Justine Wong-Orantes has 471 digs this season.
Texas enters the National Semifinal with a 26-4 overall record and went 14-2 in the Big 12. As a team, the Longhorns are hitting .311 as they average 14.22 kills per set. Leading the way for Texas is Micaya White with 455 kills and 24 aces, followed by Paulina P Cerame with 399 and Ebony Nwanebu with 392. Setter Chloe Collins averages 11.57 assists per set, and libero Cat McCoy has 447 digs.
ALL-TIME SERIES AND LAST TIME
Minnesota played its second match of the 2016 season at Stanford and fell, 3-1, in Palo Alto, Calif. The Cardinal won the first two sets, 25-23, 25-15, Minnesota won the third, 27-25, while Stanford closed out the match with a 25-19 win. Minnesota is looking for its first all-time win against the Cardinal, going 0-7. The last time Minnesota faced Stanford in the NCAA Tournament dates back to 2013 when the Gophers fell in three sets back in 2013.
Minnesota is 7-33 all time against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and split action this season. Both Minnesota and Nebraska won a match on its home court, with both of them going five sets.
The Gophers are 4-4 all-time against the Texas Longhorns, dating back to 1981. Texas knocked Minnesota out of the 2015 Final Four, as it won in four sets in Omaha, Neb.
ALL-REGION HONORS
Minnesota garnered four individuals to All-Region honors, while outside hitter Alexis Hart (Independence, Mo.) was named the North Region Freshman of the Year. It marks the second-straight year Minnesota has received a North Region Freshman of the Year, as Seliger-Swenson won the accolade in 2015.
Outside hitter Sarah Wilhite (Eden Prairie, Minn.), setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson (Minnetonka, Minn.), middle blocker/right-side hitter Hannah Tapp (Stewartville, Minn.) and Hart all received All-Region honors. It marks the first time for Wilhite and Hart and the second time for both Seliger-Swenson and Tapp. Minnesota also had regional honorable mentions for Molly Lohman (Mankato, Minn.) and Paige Tapp (Stewartville, Minn.).
Paige Tapp ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
Paige Tapp was named a First Team Academic All-American, announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It marks the second-straight season Tapp has garnered Academic All-America honors after she was named Second Team All-America as a junior.
Tapp becomes fourth individual in school history to receive the award twice. Cassie Busse was a two-time Academic All-American in 2002 and 2003, Sharon Oesterling in 1987 and 1988 and Martie Larsen in 1982 and 1983. Overall, Tapp is the fifth Gopher since 1982 to receive Academic All-America laurels as the University of Minnesota has had nine Academic All-America awards.
HOME, SWEET HOME
Minnesota has been undefeated at the Sports Pavilion since Oct. 25, 2014. Minnesota finished the 2014 season on a four-win home streak. En route to a Big Ten title in 2015, the Gophers were 15-0 on their home court. This season, Minnesota again went 17-0 and now sit at a home win streak of 36-straight matches. The Gophers rank fourth in average attendance (4,668) in their 5,500 seat capacity arena. The top three (Nebraska, Hawaii, Wisconsin) facilities hold more than 6,000. In all, the Big Ten holds seven of the top 10 attendance national rankings.
| Minnesota vs. Stanford | |
| NATIONAL SEMI | Minnesota vs. Stanford (Thursday | 6 p.m. CT) |
| Nationwide Arena | Columbus, Ohio | |
| Watch Online | | Live Updates | |
| SOCIAL MEDIA | @GopherVball | Facebook |
Weekly Notes
GOPHERS GOING TO FINAL FOUR
The University of Minnesota advanced to the NCAA Championship, Dec. 15 and 17, in Columbus, Ohio. The No. 2 seed Golden Gophers, face No. 6 Stanford at 6 p.m. CT, followed by No. 1 Nebraska and No. 4 Texas at 8:30 p.m. Winners of both National Semifinals move onto the championship match, Saturday, at 7 p.m.
FOLLOWING THE GOPHERS
The Gopher match vs. Stanford will be televised live on ESPN. If the Gophers advance, the championship match will be televised live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. CT. The Minnesota match will also have a game day live page on gophersports.com.
GOPHERS IN THE NCAA
Minnesota has made it to 21 NCAA tournament appearances, and its second-straight NCAA Final Four. The Gophers are set to enter their fifth NCAA Championship appearance in school history (2003, 2004, 2009, 2015) and are looking for the school's first volleyball national championship.
DID YOU KNOW?
Of the 64 teams to make it to the NCAA Tournament, Minnesota played 12 this season. Of the remaining three, the Gophers faced two during the regular season. Minnesota faced Stanford in the second match of the season, while the Gophers played Nebraska twice this year, both in Lincoln, Neb. and Minneapolis.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Minnesota punched its ticket to the NCAA National Semifinals with a win over the UCLA Bruins, Dec. 10, at the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota started its NCAA journey with a pair of 3-0 wins over North Dakota and Hawaii in the First and Second Round. Holding the top seed in their region, the No. 2 seed Gophers hosted the Minneapolis Region as Missouri, North Carolina and UCLA came to the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota defeated Missouri, 3-1, and UCLA, 3-0, after the Bruins earned a 3-1 victory over UNC.
GOPHERS IN THE 2016 NCAA TOURNEY
Minnesota has dropped one set in the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Like the regular season, Minnesota has a well balanced offense. Sarah Wilhite is averaging 4.69 kills per set this post season, followed by Paige Tapp with 3.00 kps, both Hannah Tapp and Alexis Hart average 2.77 kps, while Molly Lohman is at 2.46. Samantha Seliger-Swenson averages 12.85 assists per set, while the Gophers average 18.54 digs per set. Dalianliz Rosado has 65 digs in the 2016 tourney so far.
ABOUT STANFORD
Stanford enters the National Semifinal with a 25-7 overall record and went 15-5 in the Pac-12. The Cardinal punched their ticket to the NCAA Championship with a five-set win over No. 3 seed Wisconsin. As a team, Stanford is hitting .277 and averages 14.15 kills per set. One of the tallest teams in the championship, Stanford averages a nation-best 3.33 blocks per set. Leading the Cardinal offense is Kathryn Plummer with 398 kills, Inky Ajanaku with 329, Audriana Fitzmorris with 291 and Merete Lutz with 280. Jenna Grady has 1,087 assists, while Morgan Hentz has a team-best 576 digs.
ABOUT NEBRASKA AND TEXAS
Nebraska enters this week with a 31-2 overall record and won the Big Ten with an 18-2 league mark. As a team, the Cornhuskers are hitting .290 and average 14.43 kills per set. Kadie Rolfzen has a team-best 364 kills and averages 3.19 kills per set, followed by Mikaela Foecke with 330, Andie Malloy with 280, Briana Holman with 274, and Amber Rolfzen with 223. Kelly Hunter averages 11.21 assists per set and libero Justine Wong-Orantes has 471 digs this season.
Texas enters the National Semifinal with a 26-4 overall record and went 14-2 in the Big 12. As a team, the Longhorns are hitting .311 as they average 14.22 kills per set. Leading the way for Texas is Micaya White with 455 kills and 24 aces, followed by Paulina P Cerame with 399 and Ebony Nwanebu with 392. Setter Chloe Collins averages 11.57 assists per set, and libero Cat McCoy has 447 digs.
ALL-TIME SERIES AND LAST TIME
Minnesota played its second match of the 2016 season at Stanford and fell, 3-1, in Palo Alto, Calif. The Cardinal won the first two sets, 25-23, 25-15, Minnesota won the third, 27-25, while Stanford closed out the match with a 25-19 win. Minnesota is looking for its first all-time win against the Cardinal, going 0-7. The last time Minnesota faced Stanford in the NCAA Tournament dates back to 2013 when the Gophers fell in three sets back in 2013.
Minnesota is 7-33 all time against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and split action this season. Both Minnesota and Nebraska won a match on its home court, with both of them going five sets.
The Gophers are 4-4 all-time against the Texas Longhorns, dating back to 1981. Texas knocked Minnesota out of the 2015 Final Four, as it won in four sets in Omaha, Neb.
ALL-REGION HONORS
Minnesota garnered four individuals to All-Region honors, while outside hitter Alexis Hart (Independence, Mo.) was named the North Region Freshman of the Year. It marks the second-straight year Minnesota has received a North Region Freshman of the Year, as Seliger-Swenson won the accolade in 2015.
Outside hitter Sarah Wilhite (Eden Prairie, Minn.), setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson (Minnetonka, Minn.), middle blocker/right-side hitter Hannah Tapp (Stewartville, Minn.) and Hart all received All-Region honors. It marks the first time for Wilhite and Hart and the second time for both Seliger-Swenson and Tapp. Minnesota also had regional honorable mentions for Molly Lohman (Mankato, Minn.) and Paige Tapp (Stewartville, Minn.).
Paige Tapp ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
Paige Tapp was named a First Team Academic All-American, announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It marks the second-straight season Tapp has garnered Academic All-America honors after she was named Second Team All-America as a junior.
Tapp becomes fourth individual in school history to receive the award twice. Cassie Busse was a two-time Academic All-American in 2002 and 2003, Sharon Oesterling in 1987 and 1988 and Martie Larsen in 1982 and 1983. Overall, Tapp is the fifth Gopher since 1982 to receive Academic All-America laurels as the University of Minnesota has had nine Academic All-America awards.
HOME, SWEET HOME
Minnesota has been undefeated at the Sports Pavilion since Oct. 25, 2014. Minnesota finished the 2014 season on a four-win home streak. En route to a Big Ten title in 2015, the Gophers were 15-0 on their home court. This season, Minnesota again went 17-0 and now sit at a home win streak of 36-straight matches. The Gophers rank fourth in average attendance (4,668) in their 5,500 seat capacity arena. The top three (Nebraska, Hawaii, Wisconsin) facilities hold more than 6,000. In all, the Big Ten holds seven of the top 10 attendance national rankings.
Players Mentioned
Outside Hitter
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Middle Blocker
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Libero/DS
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Setter
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Middle Blocker
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Middle Blocker
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Outside Hitter
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