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Gophers Close Out Regular Home Season This Weekend
11/7/2018 1:20:00 PM | Volleyball
GOPHERS CLOSE REGULAR HOME SEASON
The University of Minnesota finishes off its regular home season this weekend when it hosts Indiana and No. 12 Purdue, Friday and Saturday night. Friday's match against the Hoosiers is set for a 7 p.m., start, while Saturday's contest is at 7:30 p.m. Both matches will be played at Maturi Pavilion. Friday's match will also serve as senior night as the Gophers honor seniors Sophie Beckley, Kayla Buford and Samantha Seliger-Swenson.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Both matches will be streamed on BTN Plus. Gophersports.com will also feature a game day live page.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY
Fans traveling to the match this Saturday should take note that 35W is closed in both directions heading into and out of campus. For more information, please click HERE.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota closes out the regular season with the next two weekends of play on the road. Minnesota travels to Maryland and Ohio State, Oct. 16-17. The Gophers then hit the road to face Penn State and Rutgers to close out the regular season.
GOPHERS' LAST ACTION
Minnesota played in its first five-set match of the season and defeated Michigan State, 23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 21-25,15-7. Regan Pittman led the team with 15 kills and hit a team-high .520. She also added eight blocks, which tied her career high. Three other Gophers added 14 kills a piece, Stephanie Samedy, Alexis Hart and Adanna Rollins. Rollins (13 digs) and Samedy (20 digs) each added double-doubles. Samantha Seliger-Swenson had 55 assists and chipped in four kills. CC McGraw led the defense with 22 digs. As a team, the Gophers hit .273 and had 68 kills, 80 digs and 13 blocks. The Spartans hit .189 with 55 kills, 59 digs and 14 blocks.
DUO RECEIVES B1G WEEKLY AWARDS
Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Adanna Rollins have both garnered weekly Big Ten honors. Seliger-Swenson was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week for the seventh time this season, while Rollins collected her fourth Freshman of the Week accolade. In all, Minnesota has received a weekly award 14 times this season.
Seliger-Swenson averaged 12.33 assists per set and had 111 assists in a pair of wins against No. 5 Wisconsin and Michigan State last week. Against the Badgers, Seliger-Swenson had a season-best 56 assists, held an ace, six digs and three blocks. Against the Spartans, she added another 55 assists, four kills, eight digs and two blocks. The senior now has 5,290 career assists and 1,084 career digs. Rollins led the offensive charge when she had 31 kills and averaged 3.44 kills per set in a pair of wins last week. She also posted 26 digs and two aces. Against the Badgers, Rollins hit .395, added 17 kills and completed the double-double with 13 digs. Against the Spartans, Rollins chipped in another 14 kills in 34 swings as she posted her second double-double of the week with 13 digs. On the season, Rollins has 191 kills and is hitting .254.
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, six Big Ten teams are within the top 16 RPI.
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 (7), Wisconsin (8), Purdue (12) and Michigan (15). Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Stanford and No. 17 Oregon.
ABOUT INDIANA
Indiana enters the match 15-10 overall and 6-8 in the Big Ten. Last week the Hoosiers took on two ranked opponents, where they beat Michigan, 3-1, and fell to Purdue in five. Indiana ranks third in blocks per set in the Big Ten, where they average 2.68 per set. As a team, they also average 12.80 kills per set and 14.81 digs per set. Breana Edwards leads her team with 284 kill and averages 2.93 per set. Deyshia Lofton has produced 225 kills (2.32 per set) and is hitting a team-best .343. Lofton leads the Hoosiers with 112 blocks and averages 1.15 per set. The offense is ran by Victoria Brisack (5.92 assists per set) and Abigail Westenhofer (4.36 assists per set). In the back row, Bayli Lebo leads the team with 423 digs while averaging 4.36 per set.
ABOUT PURDUE
After taking down Michigan State and Indiana this past week, No. 12 Purdue has increased their winning-streak to seven. The Boilermakers are 21-4 overall and 10-4 in the Big Ten. They will face Wisconsin on Wednesday before taking on the Gophers this weekend. Sherridan Atkinson has produced 397 kills and is hitting .297. She is also fourth in the Big Ten averaging 4.05 kills per set. Blake Mohler is hitting a team-best .362 on 235 kills ( 2.40 per set) and is leading Purdue with 113 blocks (1.15 per set). Setter Haley Bush averages 11.04 per set. Brooke Peters' 448 digs and averages 4.57 digs per set. As a team, the Boilermakers are fifth in hitting percentage (.251) and fourth in opponent hitting percentage (.172). They average 13.37 kills per set, 14.48 digs per set and 2.46 blocks per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 56-16 all-time against the Hoosiers, dating back to 1975. It marks the second time Minnesota and Indiana have played each other this year, the first coming on Sept. 29 as the Gophers won, 3-0. Minnesota's last loss to Indiana came in 2014, also in Bloomington, Ind.
Saturday marks the first and only time Minnesota faces Purdue this season. The Gophers are 51-31 all-time against the Boilermakers, dating back to 1975. The two teams faced each other twice in 2017 as both teams won on their home court. Minnesota defeated Purdue, 3-0, on Oct. 11, but fell in four in the two team's last meeting on West Lafayette, Ind., Nov. 10, 2017.
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 74 sets for the Golden Gophers and have played in 22 matches. Rollins averages 2.58 kills per set, while McGraw averages 4.09 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 197 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 247 kills, followed by Alexis Hart (197), Adanna Rollins (191 kills), Regan Pittman (183) and Taylor Morgan (180). Four of the five are also hitting above .250, while all five have taken over 300 attempts.
CAREER MARKS
During the Northwestern match on Oct. 3, Samantha Seliger-Swenson became the only setter in all divisions of NCAA to hold over 5,000 career assists. In her four-year career, she has established 5,235 assists and averages a nation's best 11.87 assists per set, both of which rank at the top of NCAA Division I. On Sept. 29, against the Indiana Hoosiers, Seliger-Swenson surpassed the 1,000 dig mark of her career, now sitting at 1,084. Her 5,290 career assists moved her to fourth in school history, and the most by a Gopher setter in the 25-point rally-scoring era (2008).
The University of Minnesota finishes off its regular home season this weekend when it hosts Indiana and No. 12 Purdue, Friday and Saturday night. Friday's match against the Hoosiers is set for a 7 p.m., start, while Saturday's contest is at 7:30 p.m. Both matches will be played at Maturi Pavilion. Friday's match will also serve as senior night as the Gophers honor seniors Sophie Beckley, Kayla Buford and Samantha Seliger-Swenson.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Both matches will be streamed on BTN Plus. Gophersports.com will also feature a game day live page.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY
Fans traveling to the match this Saturday should take note that 35W is closed in both directions heading into and out of campus. For more information, please click HERE.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota closes out the regular season with the next two weekends of play on the road. Minnesota travels to Maryland and Ohio State, Oct. 16-17. The Gophers then hit the road to face Penn State and Rutgers to close out the regular season.
GOPHERS' LAST ACTION
Minnesota played in its first five-set match of the season and defeated Michigan State, 23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 21-25,15-7. Regan Pittman led the team with 15 kills and hit a team-high .520. She also added eight blocks, which tied her career high. Three other Gophers added 14 kills a piece, Stephanie Samedy, Alexis Hart and Adanna Rollins. Rollins (13 digs) and Samedy (20 digs) each added double-doubles. Samantha Seliger-Swenson had 55 assists and chipped in four kills. CC McGraw led the defense with 22 digs. As a team, the Gophers hit .273 and had 68 kills, 80 digs and 13 blocks. The Spartans hit .189 with 55 kills, 59 digs and 14 blocks.
DUO RECEIVES B1G WEEKLY AWARDS
Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Adanna Rollins have both garnered weekly Big Ten honors. Seliger-Swenson was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week for the seventh time this season, while Rollins collected her fourth Freshman of the Week accolade. In all, Minnesota has received a weekly award 14 times this season.
Seliger-Swenson averaged 12.33 assists per set and had 111 assists in a pair of wins against No. 5 Wisconsin and Michigan State last week. Against the Badgers, Seliger-Swenson had a season-best 56 assists, held an ace, six digs and three blocks. Against the Spartans, she added another 55 assists, four kills, eight digs and two blocks. The senior now has 5,290 career assists and 1,084 career digs. Rollins led the offensive charge when she had 31 kills and averaged 3.44 kills per set in a pair of wins last week. She also posted 26 digs and two aces. Against the Badgers, Rollins hit .395, added 17 kills and completed the double-double with 13 digs. Against the Spartans, Rollins chipped in another 14 kills in 34 swings as she posted her second double-double of the week with 13 digs. On the season, Rollins has 191 kills and is hitting .254.
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, six Big Ten teams are within the top 16 RPI.
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 (7), Wisconsin (8), Purdue (12) and Michigan (15). Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Stanford and No. 17 Oregon.
ABOUT INDIANA
Indiana enters the match 15-10 overall and 6-8 in the Big Ten. Last week the Hoosiers took on two ranked opponents, where they beat Michigan, 3-1, and fell to Purdue in five. Indiana ranks third in blocks per set in the Big Ten, where they average 2.68 per set. As a team, they also average 12.80 kills per set and 14.81 digs per set. Breana Edwards leads her team with 284 kill and averages 2.93 per set. Deyshia Lofton has produced 225 kills (2.32 per set) and is hitting a team-best .343. Lofton leads the Hoosiers with 112 blocks and averages 1.15 per set. The offense is ran by Victoria Brisack (5.92 assists per set) and Abigail Westenhofer (4.36 assists per set). In the back row, Bayli Lebo leads the team with 423 digs while averaging 4.36 per set.
ABOUT PURDUE
After taking down Michigan State and Indiana this past week, No. 12 Purdue has increased their winning-streak to seven. The Boilermakers are 21-4 overall and 10-4 in the Big Ten. They will face Wisconsin on Wednesday before taking on the Gophers this weekend. Sherridan Atkinson has produced 397 kills and is hitting .297. She is also fourth in the Big Ten averaging 4.05 kills per set. Blake Mohler is hitting a team-best .362 on 235 kills ( 2.40 per set) and is leading Purdue with 113 blocks (1.15 per set). Setter Haley Bush averages 11.04 per set. Brooke Peters' 448 digs and averages 4.57 digs per set. As a team, the Boilermakers are fifth in hitting percentage (.251) and fourth in opponent hitting percentage (.172). They average 13.37 kills per set, 14.48 digs per set and 2.46 blocks per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 56-16 all-time against the Hoosiers, dating back to 1975. It marks the second time Minnesota and Indiana have played each other this year, the first coming on Sept. 29 as the Gophers won, 3-0. Minnesota's last loss to Indiana came in 2014, also in Bloomington, Ind.
Saturday marks the first and only time Minnesota faces Purdue this season. The Gophers are 51-31 all-time against the Boilermakers, dating back to 1975. The two teams faced each other twice in 2017 as both teams won on their home court. Minnesota defeated Purdue, 3-0, on Oct. 11, but fell in four in the two team's last meeting on West Lafayette, Ind., Nov. 10, 2017.
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 74 sets for the Golden Gophers and have played in 22 matches. Rollins averages 2.58 kills per set, while McGraw averages 4.09 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 197 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 247 kills, followed by Alexis Hart (197), Adanna Rollins (191 kills), Regan Pittman (183) and Taylor Morgan (180). Four of the five are also hitting above .250, while all five have taken over 300 attempts.
CAREER MARKS
During the Northwestern match on Oct. 3, Samantha Seliger-Swenson became the only setter in all divisions of NCAA to hold over 5,000 career assists. In her four-year career, she has established 5,235 assists and averages a nation's best 11.87 assists per set, both of which rank at the top of NCAA Division I. On Sept. 29, against the Indiana Hoosiers, Seliger-Swenson surpassed the 1,000 dig mark of her career, now sitting at 1,084. Her 5,290 career assists moved her to fourth in school history, and the most by a Gopher setter in the 25-point rally-scoring era (2008).
Highlights: Gophers 2, USC 3
Saturday, November 01
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Sweep Illini
Thursday, October 30
Highlights: Gophers 3, Illinois 0
Wednesday, October 29
Highlights: Gophers 2, Purdue 3
Sunday, October 26