University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Back to Road Action
9/27/2017 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 27, 2017
Weekly Notes
GOPHERS HIT THE ROAD
The University of Minnesota is back on the road for a two-game tilt at No. 8 Nebraska and Iowa, Friday and Saturday night. Friday's Husker game will be held in Lincoln, Neb., at 5 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. match in Iowa City, Iowa against the Hawkeyes.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Minnesota's Friday night match will be televised on BTN. Saturday's contest will be streamed on BTN Plus. Both matches will also feature a game day live page on gophersports.com.
WEEKLY B1G HONORS
Molly Lohman was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after her performance against Michigan and Michigan State last weekend. It's the first weekly honor for Lohman this season and second of her career.
Lohman led the Gophers in blocks and hitting percentage this weekend after a split in the opening weekend of Big Ten play. Against the Wolverines and Spartans, Lohman tallied 19 blocks. Against No. 20 Michigan, Lohman posted a school record for blocks in a match when she had 14 (two solo, 12 assists). She also hit .526 against the Wolverines when she had 10 kills and did not commit an error. Against Michigan State, she had five blocks (one solo, four assists). On the season, Lohman averages 1.44 blocks per set, good enough for sixth overall in the Big Ten.
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 12.20 per set, while Stephanie Samedy has a league-best 4.38 kills per set. Molly Lohman ranks sixth in Big Ten blocks per set (1.44), and Dalianliz Rosado ranks second in digs per set (4.71).
ABOUT NEBRASKA
No. 8 Nebraska starts its second week of Big Ten play with a 9-3 overall record and a 2-0 mark conference play. Nebraska defeated both Rutgers and Penn State, 3-0, on the road this past week. As a team, the Huskers rank fourth in the Big Ten in assists (13.43 per set), second in kills (14.55 per set), and third in digs (16.28 per set). The Big Ten Player of the Week, Annika Albrecht, has produced 122 kills this season, averaging 3.05 per set. Mikaela Foecke leads Nebraska in kills with 131, followed by Jazz Sweet with 102 this season. Kelly Hunter was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week and has 325 assists. Kenzie Maloney ranks fifth among the Big Ten in digs, averaging 4.45 digs per set.
ABOUT IOWA
Iowa enters the weekend with a 12-3 overall record and are 1-1 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes opened Big Ten play with a loss to Penn State in four and swept Rutgers. As a team, the Hawkeyes rank fifth in the Big Ten in digs, averaging 14.77 per set. Gabrielle Orr ranks sixth in the conference in assists, she has accumulated 590 assists this season and averages 11.35 per set. Annika Olsen has a team averages 4.49 per set and ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Taylor Louis leads the team in kills with 179 (3.51 kills per set) and is followed by Jess Janota, who has 117 (2.25 kps). As a team the Hawkeyes are hitting .263 with 728 kills, 775 digs, and average 2.06 blocks per set.
THE LAST TIME
Minnesota and Nebraska split action last year, both winning on their home courts. The Gophers fell to the Huskers in Lincoln, 3-2. In their last meeting, Minnesota erased a 2-0 deficit and trailed 23-20 in the third set to come back and defeat Nebraska in five sets, 21-25, 22-25, 28-26, 25-17, 17-15.
The Gophers and Hawkeyes only faced each other once last season as Minnesota came from behind to defeat Iowa, 3-2. Minnesota fell in the first set, 21-25, won the second 25-20, fell in the third, 20-25, but won the next two, 25-13, 15-11.
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Gophers are 7-33 all time against Nebraska, going back to 1975. Minnesota holds a 74-11 all-time record against the Iowa Hawkeyes, also dating back to 1975.
GOPHERS RANKED THIRD IN LATEST AVCA POLL
The American Volleyball Coaches Association has placed the University of Minnesota in a tie for third in the latest AVCA poll. Minnesota has been in the top five for 20 straight weeks dating back to the Sept. 5, 2016 poll. That is the longest current consecutive streak of appearing in the top five of any team in the nation. Stanford has been in the top five for seven weeks in a row dating back to last year's final poll.
ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END
Minnesota went undefeated at the Pavilion from Oct. 25, 2014-Sept. 24, 2017, which marked 40-straight home wins. 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. In 2016, Minnesota again went 17-0 and won four matches at home in 2017 before falling to Michigan State on Sept. 24. The Gophers ranked fourth in 2016 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 held seven of the top 10 attendance national rankings in 2016.
| #4 Minnesota (12-1) at #8 Nebraska (9-3) | at Iowa (12-3) | |
| MATCH 1 | Minnesota at Nebraska (Friday | 5 p.m.) |
| TV: Big Ten Network Watch Online | Live Stats | Live Updates | |
| MATCH 2 | Minnesota at Iowa (Saturday | 7 p.m.) |
| Watch Online | Live Stats | Live Updates | |
| LOCATIONS | Lincoln, Neb. | Iowa City, Iowa |
| SOCIAL MEDIA | @GopherVball | Facebook |
Weekly Notes
GOPHERS HIT THE ROAD
The University of Minnesota is back on the road for a two-game tilt at No. 8 Nebraska and Iowa, Friday and Saturday night. Friday's Husker game will be held in Lincoln, Neb., at 5 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. match in Iowa City, Iowa against the Hawkeyes.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Minnesota's Friday night match will be televised on BTN. Saturday's contest will be streamed on BTN Plus. Both matches will also feature a game day live page on gophersports.com.
WEEKLY B1G HONORS
Molly Lohman was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after her performance against Michigan and Michigan State last weekend. It's the first weekly honor for Lohman this season and second of her career.
Lohman led the Gophers in blocks and hitting percentage this weekend after a split in the opening weekend of Big Ten play. Against the Wolverines and Spartans, Lohman tallied 19 blocks. Against No. 20 Michigan, Lohman posted a school record for blocks in a match when she had 14 (two solo, 12 assists). She also hit .526 against the Wolverines when she had 10 kills and did not commit an error. Against Michigan State, she had five blocks (one solo, four assists). On the season, Lohman averages 1.44 blocks per set, good enough for sixth overall in the Big Ten.
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 12.20 per set, while Stephanie Samedy has a league-best 4.38 kills per set. Molly Lohman ranks sixth in Big Ten blocks per set (1.44), and Dalianliz Rosado ranks second in digs per set (4.71).
ABOUT NEBRASKA
No. 8 Nebraska starts its second week of Big Ten play with a 9-3 overall record and a 2-0 mark conference play. Nebraska defeated both Rutgers and Penn State, 3-0, on the road this past week. As a team, the Huskers rank fourth in the Big Ten in assists (13.43 per set), second in kills (14.55 per set), and third in digs (16.28 per set). The Big Ten Player of the Week, Annika Albrecht, has produced 122 kills this season, averaging 3.05 per set. Mikaela Foecke leads Nebraska in kills with 131, followed by Jazz Sweet with 102 this season. Kelly Hunter was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week and has 325 assists. Kenzie Maloney ranks fifth among the Big Ten in digs, averaging 4.45 digs per set.
ABOUT IOWA
Iowa enters the weekend with a 12-3 overall record and are 1-1 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes opened Big Ten play with a loss to Penn State in four and swept Rutgers. As a team, the Hawkeyes rank fifth in the Big Ten in digs, averaging 14.77 per set. Gabrielle Orr ranks sixth in the conference in assists, she has accumulated 590 assists this season and averages 11.35 per set. Annika Olsen has a team averages 4.49 per set and ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Taylor Louis leads the team in kills with 179 (3.51 kills per set) and is followed by Jess Janota, who has 117 (2.25 kps). As a team the Hawkeyes are hitting .263 with 728 kills, 775 digs, and average 2.06 blocks per set.
THE LAST TIME
Minnesota and Nebraska split action last year, both winning on their home courts. The Gophers fell to the Huskers in Lincoln, 3-2. In their last meeting, Minnesota erased a 2-0 deficit and trailed 23-20 in the third set to come back and defeat Nebraska in five sets, 21-25, 22-25, 28-26, 25-17, 17-15.
The Gophers and Hawkeyes only faced each other once last season as Minnesota came from behind to defeat Iowa, 3-2. Minnesota fell in the first set, 21-25, won the second 25-20, fell in the third, 20-25, but won the next two, 25-13, 15-11.
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Gophers are 7-33 all time against Nebraska, going back to 1975. Minnesota holds a 74-11 all-time record against the Iowa Hawkeyes, also dating back to 1975.
GOPHERS RANKED THIRD IN LATEST AVCA POLL
The American Volleyball Coaches Association has placed the University of Minnesota in a tie for third in the latest AVCA poll. Minnesota has been in the top five for 20 straight weeks dating back to the Sept. 5, 2016 poll. That is the longest current consecutive streak of appearing in the top five of any team in the nation. Stanford has been in the top five for seven weeks in a row dating back to last year's final poll.
ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END
Minnesota went undefeated at the Pavilion from Oct. 25, 2014-Sept. 24, 2017, which marked 40-straight home wins. 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. In 2016, Minnesota again went 17-0 and won four matches at home in 2017 before falling to Michigan State on Sept. 24. The Gophers ranked fourth in 2016 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 held seven of the top 10 attendance national rankings in 2016.
Players Mentioned
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Libero/DS
/ Volleyball
Opposite
/ Volleyball
Setter
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