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Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn
Gophers Ready for Road Action This Weekend
11/14/2018 12:20:00 PM | Volleyball
MINNESOTA READY TO HIT THE ROAD
The University of Minnesota has two weeks left in the regular season and will be on the road for both of them. The Gophers travel to Maryland and Ohio State Friday and Saturday night. Friday's match against the Terrapins will be at 5:30 p.m. CT, followed by a 6 p.m. CT tilt against the Buckeyes.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Both matches will be streamed on BTN Plus. Gophersports.com will also feature a game day live page.
ON THE DOCKET
The Gophers close out the regular season when it travels to Penn State and Rutgers. Both matches are slated for 6 p.m., CT starts.
GOPHERS' LAST ACTION
Minnesota swept No. 12 Purdue (25-10, 25-23, 25-19) to close out the regular home season Saturday night. With the win, the Gophers improve to 22-2 overall and 16-0 in the Big Ten. The Gophers were led by Stephanie Samedy who put up a team-best 10 kills. Adanna Rollins and Alexis Hart each chipped in nine, while Regan Pittman followed with eight and hit a season-high, .615. Samantha Seliger-Swenson added 27 assists and nine digs. CC McGraw recorded 12 digs, while and Lauren Barnes had 10. For the fourth time this season, and in her career, Barnes served up three aces. Minnesota outhit Purdue, .344 to .167. As a team, the Maroon and Gold had 40 kills, 52 digs and four blocks. Purdue put up 38 kills, 46 digs and one block.
ABOUT MARYLAND
Maryland is sitting at 17-11 and are 8-8 in the Big Ten after sweeping Ohio State and Michigan last week. Allegra Rivas was tabbed as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. She leads her team with 454 digs, averaging 4.59 per set, which ranks fifth in the conference. Erika Pritchard is first in the Big Ten with 424 kills, and averages 4.29 per set. Liz Twilley follows with 254 kills (2.65 kps). Katie Myers leads the team with 108 blocks (1.09 per set) and Nicole Alford has totaled 983 assists (9.93 per set). As a team, the Terrapins are fourth in the conference with an average of 1.45 aces per set. They average 12.46 kills per set, 2.35 blocks per set, 14.57 digs per set and are hitting .214.
ABOUT OHIO STATE
Ohio State is 12-16 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten. This past week, the Buckeyes fell to Michigan State and Maryland. The Buckeyes are set to face No. 7 Wisconsin on Wednesday before facing the Gophers Saturday. As a team, OSU is hitting .207 and averages 12.40 kills per set, 13.26 digs per set and 1.81 blocks per set. Vanja Bukilic is leading the team with 321 kills (3.15 per set). Lauren Witte has recorded 255 (2.41 per set), 84 blocks and is hitting .339. In the back row, Hannah Gruensfelder has a team-best 347 digs and averages 3.40 per set. Becca Mauer has a team-high 584 assists (6.35 per set) and Kentucky transfer Olivia Dailey follows with 473 (8.30 per set).
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 11-0 all-time against the Terps, with the first meeting dating back to 1986. Since Maryland joined the Big Ten Conference in 2014, Minnesota holds an 8-0 record. The Gophers and Terrapins. The 2018 season marks the first time the Gophers have played Maryland twice in a season since 2015.
Minnesota is facing Ohio State for the first time this season. The Gophers are 43-36 all-time against the Buckeyes, dating back to 1975. The Gophers faced OSU twice in 2017 as Minnesota earned a three-set win (25-22, 25-22, 25-19) over the Buckeyes. Minnesota also defeated OSU in Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 18, 2017, in a 3-0 victory.
NCAA RPI
Minnesota is ranked No. 3 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, Minnesota and Texas. In all, five Big Ten teams are within the top 16 RPI.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets for the NCAA Championships, Dec. 13-15, are now on sale. Head to gophersports.com or z.umn.edu/gvbncaachamp to secure yours today!
NCAA SELECTION SHOW SET FOR NOV. 25
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship bracket will be announced the Sunday before the first round of competition at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
SELIGER-SWENSON SENIOR CLASS FINALIST
Senior setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson has been named a top-10 finalist for the Senior CLASS award. The award highlights athletes who excel both on and off the court. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Fans can take part in the vote by visiting seniorclassaward.com.
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), Nebraska (6), Penn State (T-7), Wisconsin (T-7), Purdue (12) and Michigan (19). Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Stanford and No. 16 Oregon.
GOPHER STATS IN BIG TEN
Since the start of the Big Ten season, Minnesota has held its conference opponents to hitting below .200 in 12 of 16 matches. In fact, the Gophers have held their opponents to below a .200 hitting clip in 18 of 24 matches this season.
McCUTCHEON INDUCTED INTO INTERNATIONAL VOLLEYBALL HALL OF FAME
University of Minnesota volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame on Nov. 10. McCutcheon was just one of five 2018 inductees. The award ceremony was held in Holyoke, Mass., the location of the sport's birthplace, However, McCutcheon was coaching the Gopher match vs. Purdue. The induction class was elected by a vote of past International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductees. All told, 140 individuals representing 24 different countries have been inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Guiding the USA men to an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and USA women to a silver in 2012, McCutcheon is the first ever New Zealander inducted into the hall of fame.
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 all 80 sets for the Golden Gophers and have played in 24 matches. Rollins averages 2.59 kills per set, while McGraw averages 4.01 digs per set in their young Gophers careers.
HART'S 1,000 CAREER KILLS
Junior outside hitter Alexis Hart collected her 1,000 career kill last Saturday against Michigan State. She's the first junior to accomplish the feat since Daly Santana in 2014 and the first Gopher since Sarah Wilhite Parsons in 2016. Hart had 359 kills as a freshman, 446 last year as a sophomore and now at 211 her junior season.
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 267 kills, followed by Alexis Hart (211), Adanna Rollins (207 kills), Regan Pittman (202) and Taylor Morgan (192). Four of the five are also hitting above .250, while all five have taken over 300 attempts.
The University of Minnesota has two weeks left in the regular season and will be on the road for both of them. The Gophers travel to Maryland and Ohio State Friday and Saturday night. Friday's match against the Terrapins will be at 5:30 p.m. CT, followed by a 6 p.m. CT tilt against the Buckeyes.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Both matches will be streamed on BTN Plus. Gophersports.com will also feature a game day live page.
ON THE DOCKET
The Gophers close out the regular season when it travels to Penn State and Rutgers. Both matches are slated for 6 p.m., CT starts.
GOPHERS' LAST ACTION
Minnesota swept No. 12 Purdue (25-10, 25-23, 25-19) to close out the regular home season Saturday night. With the win, the Gophers improve to 22-2 overall and 16-0 in the Big Ten. The Gophers were led by Stephanie Samedy who put up a team-best 10 kills. Adanna Rollins and Alexis Hart each chipped in nine, while Regan Pittman followed with eight and hit a season-high, .615. Samantha Seliger-Swenson added 27 assists and nine digs. CC McGraw recorded 12 digs, while and Lauren Barnes had 10. For the fourth time this season, and in her career, Barnes served up three aces. Minnesota outhit Purdue, .344 to .167. As a team, the Maroon and Gold had 40 kills, 52 digs and four blocks. Purdue put up 38 kills, 46 digs and one block.
ABOUT MARYLAND
Maryland is sitting at 17-11 and are 8-8 in the Big Ten after sweeping Ohio State and Michigan last week. Allegra Rivas was tabbed as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. She leads her team with 454 digs, averaging 4.59 per set, which ranks fifth in the conference. Erika Pritchard is first in the Big Ten with 424 kills, and averages 4.29 per set. Liz Twilley follows with 254 kills (2.65 kps). Katie Myers leads the team with 108 blocks (1.09 per set) and Nicole Alford has totaled 983 assists (9.93 per set). As a team, the Terrapins are fourth in the conference with an average of 1.45 aces per set. They average 12.46 kills per set, 2.35 blocks per set, 14.57 digs per set and are hitting .214.
ABOUT OHIO STATE
Ohio State is 12-16 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten. This past week, the Buckeyes fell to Michigan State and Maryland. The Buckeyes are set to face No. 7 Wisconsin on Wednesday before facing the Gophers Saturday. As a team, OSU is hitting .207 and averages 12.40 kills per set, 13.26 digs per set and 1.81 blocks per set. Vanja Bukilic is leading the team with 321 kills (3.15 per set). Lauren Witte has recorded 255 (2.41 per set), 84 blocks and is hitting .339. In the back row, Hannah Gruensfelder has a team-best 347 digs and averages 3.40 per set. Becca Mauer has a team-high 584 assists (6.35 per set) and Kentucky transfer Olivia Dailey follows with 473 (8.30 per set).
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 11-0 all-time against the Terps, with the first meeting dating back to 1986. Since Maryland joined the Big Ten Conference in 2014, Minnesota holds an 8-0 record. The Gophers and Terrapins. The 2018 season marks the first time the Gophers have played Maryland twice in a season since 2015.
Minnesota is facing Ohio State for the first time this season. The Gophers are 43-36 all-time against the Buckeyes, dating back to 1975. The Gophers faced OSU twice in 2017 as Minnesota earned a three-set win (25-22, 25-22, 25-19) over the Buckeyes. Minnesota also defeated OSU in Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 18, 2017, in a 3-0 victory.
NCAA RPI
Minnesota is ranked No. 3 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, Minnesota and Texas. In all, five Big Ten teams are within the top 16 RPI.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets for the NCAA Championships, Dec. 13-15, are now on sale. Head to gophersports.com or z.umn.edu/gvbncaachamp to secure yours today!
NCAA SELECTION SHOW SET FOR NOV. 25
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship bracket will be announced the Sunday before the first round of competition at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
SELIGER-SWENSON SENIOR CLASS FINALIST
Senior setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson has been named a top-10 finalist for the Senior CLASS award. The award highlights athletes who excel both on and off the court. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Fans can take part in the vote by visiting seniorclassaward.com.
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), Nebraska (6), Penn State (T-7), Wisconsin (T-7), Purdue (12) and Michigan (19). Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Stanford and No. 16 Oregon.
GOPHER STATS IN BIG TEN
Since the start of the Big Ten season, Minnesota has held its conference opponents to hitting below .200 in 12 of 16 matches. In fact, the Gophers have held their opponents to below a .200 hitting clip in 18 of 24 matches this season.
McCUTCHEON INDUCTED INTO INTERNATIONAL VOLLEYBALL HALL OF FAME
University of Minnesota volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame on Nov. 10. McCutcheon was just one of five 2018 inductees. The award ceremony was held in Holyoke, Mass., the location of the sport's birthplace, However, McCutcheon was coaching the Gopher match vs. Purdue. The induction class was elected by a vote of past International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductees. All told, 140 individuals representing 24 different countries have been inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Guiding the USA men to an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and USA women to a silver in 2012, McCutcheon is the first ever New Zealander inducted into the hall of fame.
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 all 80 sets for the Golden Gophers and have played in 24 matches. Rollins averages 2.59 kills per set, while McGraw averages 4.01 digs per set in their young Gophers careers.
HART'S 1,000 CAREER KILLS
Junior outside hitter Alexis Hart collected her 1,000 career kill last Saturday against Michigan State. She's the first junior to accomplish the feat since Daly Santana in 2014 and the first Gopher since Sarah Wilhite Parsons in 2016. Hart had 359 kills as a freshman, 446 last year as a sophomore and now at 211 her junior season.
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 267 kills, followed by Alexis Hart (211), Adanna Rollins (207 kills), Regan Pittman (202) and Taylor Morgan (192). Four of the five are also hitting above .250, while all five have taken over 300 attempts.
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Sweep Illini
Thursday, October 30
Highlights: Gophers 3, Illinois 0
Wednesday, October 29
Highlights: Gophers 2, Purdue 3
Sunday, October 26
Highlights: Gophers 3, Indiana 1
Friday, October 24