University of Minnesota Athletics
Wednesday, October 31
Madison, WI
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Wisconsin
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Gophers Ready to Battle Wisconsin
10/30/2018 4:46:00 PM | Volleyball
GOPHERS CONTINUE ROAD STRETCH
The University of Minnesota continues its three-match road stretch when it travels to No. 5 Wisconsin, Wednesday night. The Golden Gophers and Badgers battle at 8 p.m. CT, in Madison, Wis.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Minnesota's match against the Wisconsin Badgers is slated to be live on Big Ten Network. Gophersports.com will also feature a game day live page.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota returns to Maturi Pavilion for three straight when it hosts Michigan State, Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. The match will be televised on Big Ten Network. The Gophers will also host Indiana and No. 13 Purdue, Nov. 9-10. The Indiana/Purdue weekend marks the end of the regular home season.
GOPHERS' LAST ACTION
Minnesota added two 3-0 road sweeps against Michigan State and then-No. 12 Michigan. Against the Wolverines last Saturday, Minnesota fought off two set points and won the first, 27-25. The Gophers won the next two 25-10 and 25-20 to improve to 12-0 in Big Ten play. Against Michigan, Minnesota hit .364 as a team and had 14 blocks, its best blocking performance in league action. The Gophers also had 59 digs and 49 kills. The Gophers held Michigan to 37 kills as it hit just .150.
BEST BIG TEN START EVER
The 2018 Gophers have opened league action with a 12-0 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 10 of its 12 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 nine of 12 matches. In fact, the Gophers have held their opponents to below a .200 hitting clip in 15 of 20 matches this season.
DUO RECEIVES B1G AWARDS
Samantha Seliger-Swenson and CC McGraw received Big Ten Setter and Freshman of the Week honors. It marks the sixth time this year that Seliger-Swenson has received this award and the second time for McGraw.
Seliger-Swenson averaged 13.17 assists per set in a pair of road wins at Michigan State and No. 12 Michigan last weekend. The Gophers also hit .338 as a team as Seliger-Swenson added 79 of the team's 87 assists last week. On Friday against MSU, she helped Minnesota hit .311 when she had 39 assists and contributed two aces. Against the Wolverines Saturday, Seliger-Swenson aided Minnesota to a .364 hitting clip when she had 40 assists and completed the double-double with 10 digs.
McGraw averaged 6.50 digs per set and helped Minnesota to a .338 hitting clip in a pair of road wins last weekend. Against the Spartans, McGraw had a match-best 15 digs as the Gophers hit .311. On Saturday, she followed with a career-best 24-dig performance, also a match-best, and added four assists and a kill. The Gophers hit .364 in that match.
ABOUT WISCONSIN
No. 5 Wisconsin enters the match with a 16-4 overall record and 9-3 in the Big Ten. Like Minnesota, the Badgers beat Michigan State and Michigan on the road. Dana Rettke leads the team and conference in hitting percentage (.427) and blocks per set (1.58). The sophomore has totaled 115 blocks and 268 kills. Behind Rettke is Madison Duello with 199 kills (2.73 per set) and Tionna Williams with 119 (1.72 per set). Junior libero, Tiffany Clark has a team-best 338 digs and averages 4.63 digs per set, ranking her third in the Big Ten. Sydney Hilley is third in assists per set in the conference, averaging 11.49 per set. As a team, Wisconsin is hitting .281, which ranks second in the Big Ten and ninth in the NCAA. At the net, the Badgers average 2.63 blocks per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 51-30 all-time against the Badgers, dating back to 1975. The Gophers and Badgers battled against each other earlier this season when Minnesota won in three at Maturi Pavilion. Alexis Hart hit .609, a team-best, when she added 14 kills, did not commit and error, in 23 attempts. That hitting clip was also a career best for the junior.
GOPHERS RANKED THIRD IN AVCA
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), Illinois (4), Wisconsin (5), Penn State (7), Nebraska (8), Purdue (13) and Michigan (14). Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Stanford and No. 16 Oregon.
NCAA RPI
Minnesota is ranked No. 4 in the NCAA's RPI, which is updated each Monday throughout the remainder of the season. Stanford holds the No. 1 spot, followed by Illinois, BYU and Minnesota. 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 this year. Stephanie Samedy leads the team with 221 kills, followed by Alexis Hart (171), Adanna Rollins (160 kills), Regan Pittman (159) and Taylor Morgan (58). Four of the five are also hitting above .250, while all five have taken over 300 attempts.
FRESHMEN IMPACT
Minnesota has two freshmen who are making their mark this season in outside hitter Adanna Rollins and libero CC McGraw. Both have see action in 65 sets for the Golden Gophers and have played in 20 matches. Rollins averages 2.46 kills per set, while McGraw averages 4.08 digs per set in their young Gophers careers.
WHERE THEY RANK
Minnesota ranks high nationally in a few statistical categories. The Gophers rank second in kills per set (15.20), third in hitting percentage (.302) and assists per set (13.98). Individually, Samantha Seliger-Swenson ranks eighth in assists per set (11.74), while Taylor Morgan ranks 20th nationally in hitting percentage (.394).
GOPHERS IN THE BIG TEN
In conference action, Minnesota leads the league in hitting percentage (.307), assists (14.79 per set), kills (15.74 per set) and digs (17.82 per set). Taylor Morgan is hitting .403 against Big Ten opponents, Regan Pittman is hitting .370, Stephanie Samedy is hitting .313, and Alexis Hart is at .295. That ranks second, sixth, 10th and 12th in the Big Ten.
The University of Minnesota continues its three-match road stretch when it travels to No. 5 Wisconsin, Wednesday night. The Golden Gophers and Badgers battle at 8 p.m. CT, in Madison, Wis.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Minnesota's match against the Wisconsin Badgers is slated to be live on Big Ten Network. Gophersports.com will also feature a game day live page.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota returns to Maturi Pavilion for three straight when it hosts Michigan State, Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. The match will be televised on Big Ten Network. The Gophers will also host Indiana and No. 13 Purdue, Nov. 9-10. The Indiana/Purdue weekend marks the end of the regular home season.
GOPHERS' LAST ACTION
Minnesota added two 3-0 road sweeps against Michigan State and then-No. 12 Michigan. Against the Wolverines last Saturday, Minnesota fought off two set points and won the first, 27-25. The Gophers won the next two 25-10 and 25-20 to improve to 12-0 in Big Ten play. Against Michigan, Minnesota hit .364 as a team and had 14 blocks, its best blocking performance in league action. The Gophers also had 59 digs and 49 kills. The Gophers held Michigan to 37 kills as it hit just .150.
BEST BIG TEN START EVER
The 2018 Gophers have opened league action with a 12-0 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 10 of its 12 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 nine of 12 matches. In fact, the Gophers have held their opponents to below a .200 hitting clip in 15 of 20 matches this season.
DUO RECEIVES B1G AWARDS
Samantha Seliger-Swenson and CC McGraw received Big Ten Setter and Freshman of the Week honors. It marks the sixth time this year that Seliger-Swenson has received this award and the second time for McGraw.
Seliger-Swenson averaged 13.17 assists per set in a pair of road wins at Michigan State and No. 12 Michigan last weekend. The Gophers also hit .338 as a team as Seliger-Swenson added 79 of the team's 87 assists last week. On Friday against MSU, she helped Minnesota hit .311 when she had 39 assists and contributed two aces. Against the Wolverines Saturday, Seliger-Swenson aided Minnesota to a .364 hitting clip when she had 40 assists and completed the double-double with 10 digs.
McGraw averaged 6.50 digs per set and helped Minnesota to a .338 hitting clip in a pair of road wins last weekend. Against the Spartans, McGraw had a match-best 15 digs as the Gophers hit .311. On Saturday, she followed with a career-best 24-dig performance, also a match-best, and added four assists and a kill. The Gophers hit .364 in that match.
ABOUT WISCONSIN
No. 5 Wisconsin enters the match with a 16-4 overall record and 9-3 in the Big Ten. Like Minnesota, the Badgers beat Michigan State and Michigan on the road. Dana Rettke leads the team and conference in hitting percentage (.427) and blocks per set (1.58). The sophomore has totaled 115 blocks and 268 kills. Behind Rettke is Madison Duello with 199 kills (2.73 per set) and Tionna Williams with 119 (1.72 per set). Junior libero, Tiffany Clark has a team-best 338 digs and averages 4.63 digs per set, ranking her third in the Big Ten. Sydney Hilley is third in assists per set in the conference, averaging 11.49 per set. As a team, Wisconsin is hitting .281, which ranks second in the Big Ten and ninth in the NCAA. At the net, the Badgers average 2.63 blocks per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 51-30 all-time against the Badgers, dating back to 1975. The Gophers and Badgers battled against each other earlier this season when Minnesota won in three at Maturi Pavilion. Alexis Hart hit .609, a team-best, when she added 14 kills, did not commit and error, in 23 attempts. That hitting clip was also a career best for the junior.
GOPHERS RANKED THIRD IN AVCA
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), Illinois (4), Wisconsin (5), Penn State (7), Nebraska (8), Purdue (13) and Michigan (14). Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Stanford and No. 16 Oregon.
NCAA RPI
Minnesota is ranked No. 4 in the NCAA's RPI, which is updated each Monday throughout the remainder of the season. Stanford holds the No. 1 spot, followed by Illinois, BYU and Minnesota. 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 this year. Stephanie Samedy leads the team with 221 kills, followed by Alexis Hart (171), Adanna Rollins (160 kills), Regan Pittman (159) and Taylor Morgan (58). Four of the five are also hitting above .250, while all five have taken over 300 attempts.
FRESHMEN IMPACT
Minnesota has two freshmen who are making their mark this season in outside hitter Adanna Rollins and libero CC McGraw. Both have see action in 65 sets for the Golden Gophers and have played in 20 matches. Rollins averages 2.46 kills per set, while McGraw averages 4.08 digs per set in their young Gophers careers.
WHERE THEY RANK
Minnesota ranks high nationally in a few statistical categories. The Gophers rank second in kills per set (15.20), third in hitting percentage (.302) and assists per set (13.98). Individually, Samantha Seliger-Swenson ranks eighth in assists per set (11.74), while Taylor Morgan ranks 20th nationally in hitting percentage (.394).
GOPHERS IN THE BIG TEN
In conference action, Minnesota leads the league in hitting percentage (.307), assists (14.79 per set), kills (15.74 per set) and digs (17.82 per set). Taylor Morgan is hitting .403 against Big Ten opponents, Regan Pittman is hitting .370, Stephanie Samedy is hitting .313, and Alexis Hart is at .295. That ranks second, sixth, 10th and 12th in the Big Ten.
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