University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, October 26
East Lansing, MI
5:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Michigan State
Players Mentioned
DS/Libero
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Outside Hitter
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Middle Blocker
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Middle Blocker
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Gophers Ready to Hit the Road
10/24/2018 11:43:00 AM | Volleyball
GOPHERS HIT THE ROAD
The University of Minnesota starts a three-match road stretch when it travels to Michigan State and No. 12 Michigan this weekend. Friday's match against the Spartans is slated for 5 p.m., CT, while Saturday's Michigan match is set for 6 p.m. CT.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Friday's match will be shown live on Big Ten Network. Saturday's match against Michigan will be streamed on BTN Plus. A game day live page will also be available on gophersports.com.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota continues road action when it travels to No. 7 Wisconsin, Wednesday, Oct. 31. Match time is set for 8 p.m., and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
GOPHERS' LAST ACTION
Minnesota added a pair of wins last weekend when it defeated Iowa, 3-0, and Nebraska, 3-1, at Maturi Pavilion. In the weekend finale, Adanna Rollins set a new career-high when she had 20 kills, hit .404 (20-1-47) and added a double-double with 14 digs. Stephanie Samedy posted 13 kills and 10 digs to record her ninth double-double of the season. Alexis Hart and Regan Pittman each chipped in nine kills a piece. Samantha Seliger-Swenson had 47 assists and 13 digs. In the back row, both Lauren Barnes (19 digs) and CC McGraw (18 digs) set new career-records in digs.
BEST BIG TEN START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
The 2018 Gophers have opened league action with a 10-0 record. That win streak marks the best conference program start in school history. Minnesota was 7-0 to start the 1999 season and the 1989 season. In this opening span, Minnesota has defeated three top five opponents four times in Penn State, Wisconsin and Nebraska (twice). The Gophers have also swept eight of its 10 opponents in this run.
GOPHER STATS IN BIG TEN
Since the start of the Big Ten season, Minnesota has held its conference opponents to hitting below .200 in seven of 10 matches. In fact, the Gophers have held their opponents to below a .200 hitting clip in 11 of 16 matches this season.
DUO RECEIVES B1G WEEKLY AWARDS
Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Adanna Rollins both received Big Ten weekly laurels. Seliger-Swenson was named Co-Setter of the Week, while Rollins garnered Freshman of the Week accolades.
Seliger-Swenson averaged 12.71 assists per set as the team hit .276 on the weekend. She also added four aces, 23 digs and three blocks last week. Last Friday against the Hawkeyes, she posted four kills, 42 assists, two aces, 10 digs and two blocks. She followed with 47 assists, two aces and 13 digs. In both matches, she contributed double-doubles, her seventh and eighth of the season.
Rollins hit .329 over the weekend against Iowa and then-No. 5 Nebraska. Rollins had a team-best 26 kills and averaged 3.71 kills per set. The six-rotation outside also posted 22 digs. Against Iowa, Rollins had six kills, two assists and eight digs. Last Saturday against the Huskers, she posted 20 kills and hit .404. She committed just one error in 47 swings. Her one error didn't come until her 45th attempt of the night and in the fourth set. She also concluded the double-double when she had 14 digs.
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State enters the match with a 15-8 overall record and 3-7 in the Big Ten. This past week, MSU fell to Illinois and Northwestern in straight sets. Alyssa Chronowski leads the team with 273 kills (3.37 per set) and is followed by Naya Gros, with 176. Gros is third in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.381) and fifth in blocks per set (1.29). Elena Shklyar and Maggie Midgette have split time setting and have 591 and 230 assists, respectively. In the back row, Jamye Cox averages 3.78 digs per set and has totaled 230 so far this season. The Spartans are second in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 2.78 per set. As a team, Michigan State averages 12.17 kills per set, 11.78 digs per set and is hitting .213.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
The No. 12 Michigan Wolverines enter the weekend with an 18-3 record and 7-3 in the Big Ten. They play Wisconsin, Friday night, prior to the Minnesota match. In their last two matches, the Wolverines fell to Illinois in five sets and swept Northwestern. In the Big Ten, Michigan ranks second in digs per set (16.12), third in kills per set (14.10), fourth in assists per set (13.27) and fifth in hitting percentage (.256). Carly Skjodt has a team-high 302 kills and averages 4.14 per set, ranking her third in the conference. Paige Jones has 227 kills (3.20 per set) while hitting .232. Kiara Shannon has a team-best 58 total blocks. MacKenzie Welsh is fourth in the Big Ten, averaging 11/08 assists per set at 11.08), while Jenna Lerg had totaled 377 digs and leads the Wolverines and the conference in digs per set, averaging 5.16.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 52-19 all-time against Michigan State, dating back to 1976. The Gophers played the Spartans just once last season as MSU defeated Minnesota, 3-0, at Maturi Pavilion. In the last 10 meetings, Minnesota has gone 7-3 against MSU. The last time the Gophers visited Jenison Fieldhouse was Oct. 15, 2016 when the Gophers fell to the Spartans in five.
The Gophers are 55-15 all-time against Michigan, dating back to 1975. Minnesota played the Wolverines twice in 2017, winning the home match in four and the road match in three. The Gophers are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between the two teams.
GOPHERS RANKED THIRD IN AVCA POLL
Minnesota remains at No. 3 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). In all, seven Big Ten Conference teams are ranked in the top 25: Minnesota (3), Penn State (4), Illinois (6), Wisconsin (7), Nebraska (9), Michigan (12) and Purdue (17). Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Stanford and No. 16 Oregon.
NCAA RPI
Minnesota is ranked No. 7 in the NCAA's RPI, which is updated each Monday throughout the remainder of the season. Stanford holds the No. 1 spot, followed by BYU, Illinois and Texas. In all, seven Big Ten teams are within the top 16 RPI.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE
Minnesota has had an even offensive balance this season as five players have triple-digit kills already this year. Stephanie Samedy leads the team with 201 kills, followed by Adanna Rollins (154 kills), Alexis Hart (147), Regan Pittman (138) and Taylor Morgan (137). All five are also hitting above .250 and have taken over 275 attempts.
GOPHERS IN THE BIG TEN
In conference action, Minnesota leads the league in hitting percentage (.301), assists (14.84 per set), kills (15.75 per set) and digs (17.91 per set). Taylor Morgan is hitting .382 against Big Ten opponents, Regan Pittman is hitting .325, Stephanie Samedy is hitting .320, and Alexis Hart is at .291. That ranks second, eighth, ninth and 14th in the Big Ten.
The University of Minnesota starts a three-match road stretch when it travels to Michigan State and No. 12 Michigan this weekend. Friday's match against the Spartans is slated for 5 p.m., CT, while Saturday's Michigan match is set for 6 p.m. CT.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Friday's match will be shown live on Big Ten Network. Saturday's match against Michigan will be streamed on BTN Plus. A game day live page will also be available on gophersports.com.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota continues road action when it travels to No. 7 Wisconsin, Wednesday, Oct. 31. Match time is set for 8 p.m., and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
GOPHERS' LAST ACTION
Minnesota added a pair of wins last weekend when it defeated Iowa, 3-0, and Nebraska, 3-1, at Maturi Pavilion. In the weekend finale, Adanna Rollins set a new career-high when she had 20 kills, hit .404 (20-1-47) and added a double-double with 14 digs. Stephanie Samedy posted 13 kills and 10 digs to record her ninth double-double of the season. Alexis Hart and Regan Pittman each chipped in nine kills a piece. Samantha Seliger-Swenson had 47 assists and 13 digs. In the back row, both Lauren Barnes (19 digs) and CC McGraw (18 digs) set new career-records in digs.
BEST BIG TEN START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
The 2018 Gophers have opened league action with a 10-0 record. That win streak marks the best conference program start in school history. Minnesota was 7-0 to start the 1999 season and the 1989 season. In this opening span, Minnesota has defeated three top five opponents four times in Penn State, Wisconsin and Nebraska (twice). The Gophers have also swept eight of its 10 opponents in this run.
GOPHER STATS IN BIG TEN
Since the start of the Big Ten season, Minnesota has held its conference opponents to hitting below .200 in seven of 10 matches. In fact, the Gophers have held their opponents to below a .200 hitting clip in 11 of 16 matches this season.
DUO RECEIVES B1G WEEKLY AWARDS
Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Adanna Rollins both received Big Ten weekly laurels. Seliger-Swenson was named Co-Setter of the Week, while Rollins garnered Freshman of the Week accolades.
Seliger-Swenson averaged 12.71 assists per set as the team hit .276 on the weekend. She also added four aces, 23 digs and three blocks last week. Last Friday against the Hawkeyes, she posted four kills, 42 assists, two aces, 10 digs and two blocks. She followed with 47 assists, two aces and 13 digs. In both matches, she contributed double-doubles, her seventh and eighth of the season.
Rollins hit .329 over the weekend against Iowa and then-No. 5 Nebraska. Rollins had a team-best 26 kills and averaged 3.71 kills per set. The six-rotation outside also posted 22 digs. Against Iowa, Rollins had six kills, two assists and eight digs. Last Saturday against the Huskers, she posted 20 kills and hit .404. She committed just one error in 47 swings. Her one error didn't come until her 45th attempt of the night and in the fourth set. She also concluded the double-double when she had 14 digs.
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State enters the match with a 15-8 overall record and 3-7 in the Big Ten. This past week, MSU fell to Illinois and Northwestern in straight sets. Alyssa Chronowski leads the team with 273 kills (3.37 per set) and is followed by Naya Gros, with 176. Gros is third in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.381) and fifth in blocks per set (1.29). Elena Shklyar and Maggie Midgette have split time setting and have 591 and 230 assists, respectively. In the back row, Jamye Cox averages 3.78 digs per set and has totaled 230 so far this season. The Spartans are second in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 2.78 per set. As a team, Michigan State averages 12.17 kills per set, 11.78 digs per set and is hitting .213.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
The No. 12 Michigan Wolverines enter the weekend with an 18-3 record and 7-3 in the Big Ten. They play Wisconsin, Friday night, prior to the Minnesota match. In their last two matches, the Wolverines fell to Illinois in five sets and swept Northwestern. In the Big Ten, Michigan ranks second in digs per set (16.12), third in kills per set (14.10), fourth in assists per set (13.27) and fifth in hitting percentage (.256). Carly Skjodt has a team-high 302 kills and averages 4.14 per set, ranking her third in the conference. Paige Jones has 227 kills (3.20 per set) while hitting .232. Kiara Shannon has a team-best 58 total blocks. MacKenzie Welsh is fourth in the Big Ten, averaging 11/08 assists per set at 11.08), while Jenna Lerg had totaled 377 digs and leads the Wolverines and the conference in digs per set, averaging 5.16.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 52-19 all-time against Michigan State, dating back to 1976. The Gophers played the Spartans just once last season as MSU defeated Minnesota, 3-0, at Maturi Pavilion. In the last 10 meetings, Minnesota has gone 7-3 against MSU. The last time the Gophers visited Jenison Fieldhouse was Oct. 15, 2016 when the Gophers fell to the Spartans in five.
The Gophers are 55-15 all-time against Michigan, dating back to 1975. Minnesota played the Wolverines twice in 2017, winning the home match in four and the road match in three. The Gophers are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between the two teams.
GOPHERS RANKED THIRD IN AVCA POLL
Minnesota remains at No. 3 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). In all, seven Big Ten Conference teams are ranked in the top 25: Minnesota (3), Penn State (4), Illinois (6), Wisconsin (7), Nebraska (9), Michigan (12) and Purdue (17). Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Stanford and No. 16 Oregon.
NCAA RPI
Minnesota is ranked No. 7 in the NCAA's RPI, which is updated each Monday throughout the remainder of the season. Stanford holds the No. 1 spot, followed by BYU, Illinois and Texas. In all, seven Big Ten teams are within the top 16 RPI.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE
Minnesota has had an even offensive balance this season as five players have triple-digit kills already this year. Stephanie Samedy leads the team with 201 kills, followed by Adanna Rollins (154 kills), Alexis Hart (147), Regan Pittman (138) and Taylor Morgan (137). All five are also hitting above .250 and have taken over 275 attempts.
GOPHERS IN THE BIG TEN
In conference action, Minnesota leads the league in hitting percentage (.301), assists (14.84 per set), kills (15.75 per set) and digs (17.91 per set). Taylor Morgan is hitting .382 against Big Ten opponents, Regan Pittman is hitting .325, Stephanie Samedy is hitting .320, and Alexis Hart is at .291. That ranks second, eighth, ninth and 14th in the Big Ten.
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