University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Set to Host NCAA Tourney Friday
11/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Please note new time change of 8 p.m., previously at 6 p.m., for the Second Round
Post Season Ticket Information
The University of Minnesota volleyball program received the No. 7 overall seed in the 2017 NCAA Division I Volleyball Championships and will host the First and Second Round of the tournament, Friday and Saturday night, announced tonight by on ESPNU.
Northern Iowa and Louisville will compete in the first match of the evening, set for 4:30 p.m., followed by the Gophers facing North Dakota at 7 p.m. The winner of each match will advance to the Second Round, slated for 8 p.m. on Saturday. All matches will be played at Maturi Pavilion.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday. Current volleyball season ticketholders and Gopher Scores member have the ability to purchase tickets Monday.
The 2017 season marks the 22nd year the Golden Gophers have advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The 2017 season also marks the third-straight year the Gophers have held a top 10 seeding in the NCAA Tournament, after holding the overall No. 2 spot the previous two years.
Minnesota is one of eight Big Ten teams to make it into the NCAA Tournament and the Gophers have faced 11 teams within the field of 64. Along with the seven from the B1G (Penn State, Nebraska, Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan), the Gophers also faced Texas, Louisville, Oregon State and Denver. It also marks the second-straight year Minnesota is facing North Dakota in the First Round, as the Gophers defeated the Fighting Hawks in 2016 and won, 3-0.
Minnesota enters the NCAA tournament with a 26-5 overall record and finished third in the Big Ten Conference at 15-5. Minnesota held the No. 7 RPI entering the final weekend of Big Ten play and was ranked No. 8 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
North Dakota punched its NCAA tournament ticket after winning the Big Sky for the second-straight season. The Fighting Hawks enter the tourney with a 30-7 overall record and went 12-4 in conference play. Northern Iowa received an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament and enter post season play with a 26-8 overall, 15-3 MVC record. Louisville won a share of the ACC and are making their 26th tournament appearance. The Cardinals enter the tournament with a 24-6 record after they went 18-2 in the ACC.
Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon:
On hosting the First and Second NCAA Tournament Rounds at Maturi Pavilion
"It's wonderful. We love playing at home, and for anyone that was here last night or saw it on tv, it was an amazing atmosphere to compete in, and we're very fortunate that we get to play in the best college volleyball arena in the nation."
On North Dakota
"They'll know a little bit about us, and we'll know a little bit about them, and we know they're good. They're well coached, well trained, and there's no gimmies anymore in the NCAA Tournament. The depth and the breadth of the talent in this sport is continuing to get greater and greater every year, so that's certainly going to be shown on Friday."
On being the No. 7 seed with such a young team
"I knew we would be talented, but I didn't know if we would be any good. It turns out we're a bit of both. I think this team has gotten better. There's been some ups and downs along the way, but we really took some big steps forward in the last couple of weeks, and I think we can get better this week in practice getting ready for next week's matches."