University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Hit the Road for Border Battle Contest
10/3/2017 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
| #6 Minnesota (13-2) vs. #7 Wisconsin (11-2) | |
| MATCH 1 | Minnesota vs. Wisconsin (Wednesday | 7 p.m.) |
| Madison, Wis. | UW Fieldhouse | |
| BTN (Watch Online) | Live Stats | Live Updates | |
| SOCIAL MEDIA | @GopherVball | Facebook |
GOPHERS ON THE ROAD FOR SECOND-STRAIGHT WEEK
The University of Minnesota volleyball program is back on the road for another two matches this week as it travels to Wisconsin Wednesday, and Michigan Saturday. Wednesday's match is slated for 7 p.m., at the UW Fieldhouse.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
The Minnesota/Wisconsin match will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. The match will also feature a game day live page on gophersports.com, for in-game updates and stats.
ON THE DOCKET
The Gophers travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face the Michigan Wolverines at 12 p.m. CT. It's the second match between the two teams already this season.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
Minnesota has a few individuals that rank high in the Big Ten statistical categories. Samantha Seliger-Swenson leads the pack in assists per set as she averages 12.22 per set, while Stephanie Samedy ranks second in kills per set (4.27). Molly Lohman ranks fifth in Big Ten blocks per set (1.41), and Dalianliz Rosado ranks third in digs per set (4.53).
NCAA RANKINGS
As a team, Minnesota is No. 12 in hitting percentage as the Gophers are at .293 and No. 18 in kills per set (14.27). Samantha Seliger-Swenson ranks third nationally in assists per set (12.22), as Stephanie Samedy ranks 26th among Division I hitters in kills per set. Molly Lohman ranks 30 in blocks per set and 34 in hitting percentage.
ABOUT WISCONSIN
No. 7 Wisconsin enters the border battle with an 11-2 overall record and 2-2 in the Big Ten, losing matches to Michigan State and Nebraska. The Badgers are ranked high in multiple categories within the Big Ten. They are third in hitting percentage (.314) and assists (13.30 aps), and are second in blocks, averaging 3.02 per set. Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Dana Rettke, sits third among the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.442) and blocks (1.55 bps). The freshman leads Wisconsin with 143 kills this season, averaging 3.25 kills per set and has 16 aces. Kelli Bates follows Rettke with 143 kills, averaging 3.25 kps and is hitting .296. Tionna Williams ranks fifth among the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.427) and is sixth in blocks (1.35 bps). Setter Sydney Hilley leads the Badgers in assists and ranks second in the conference with 514 (11.68 aps). M.E. Dodge has collected 125 digs. Wisconsin ranks fifth among the NCAA in opponents hitting percentage (.128).
ALL-TIME SERIES AND LAST MEETING
The Gophers hold a 48-30 all-time record against Wisconsin, dating back to 1975.
Minnesota won both matches last year against the Badgers, including a five-set win in the last match of the 2016 regular season. The Gophers lost the first set, 22-25, won the second, 25-17, lost the third, 11-25, but came back to win the next two, 25-17, 15-8. As a team, Minnesota had 64 kills, 81 digs and nine blocks. Sarah Wilhite earned a double-double with 23 kills and 19 digs. Samantha Seliger-Swenson also earned a double-double with 51 assists and 16 digs. Paige Tapp earned a career-high 21 kills, hitting .594. P Tapp had 14 kills alone in the first two sets, while Wilhite went 17-0-27 in the last two sets and 7-0-9 in the fifth set.
FRESHMEN MAKING THEIR MARK
Minnesota has four freshman seeing significant action within the Gopher lineup. Stephanie Samedy leads the team with 218 kills and is hitting .323. Regan Pittman, who red-shirted the 2016 campaign, started her collegiate career this season and is hitting .366 and averages 1.16 blocks per set. Jasmyn Martin and Sydney Kleinman have shared the load as outside hitters, while Lauren Barnes has played in all 51 sets and averages 2.14 digs per set. Samedy leads all Big Ten freshmen in kills per set, while Pittman ranks second among freshmen in hitting and blocks. Samedy and Barnes hodl the league's third and fifth best dig mark among Big Ten freshmen.
GOPHERS FOURTH IN THE RPI
NCAA announced its first RPI of the season, with the Gophers holding the No. 4 spot. In the top 25 spots, Minnesota has eight opponents listed: Penn State (1), Texas (3), Nebraska (6), Wisconsin (7), Michigan State (15), Purdue (17), Louisville (22), Illinois (24).
GOPHERS RANKED SIXTH IN AVCA POLL
For the first time since the 2016 season, the Gopher Volleyball program fell out of the top five in the AVCA poll, announced Monday. Undefeated Florida holds the top spot, followed by Stanford, Penn State, Nebraska and Texas. Nine of Minnesota's 2017 opponents are either ranked or receiving votes in the latest poll.
