University of Minnesota Athletics
Wednesday, September 19
Maturi Pavilion
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Penn State
Players Mentioned
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
DS/Libero
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Opposite
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Photo by: Eric Miller
Gophers Open Big Ten Season against Penn State
9/18/2018 4:44:00 PM | Volleyball
GOPHERS READY FOR BIG TEN PLAYÂ Â Â
The University of Minnesota opens Big Ten  conference play on Wednesday, Sept. 19, when No. 4 Penn State comes to town. The Golden Gophers and Nittany Lions battle at the Pavilion at 8 p.m.Â
FOLLOW THE GOPHERSÂ Â Â
The Minnesota match vs. Penn State will be shown on the Big Ten Network. A Game Day Live page will also be located on gophersports.com.
BIG TEN OPENERSÂ Â Â
Minnesota has won its last six Big Ten opening matches. The last time the Gophers fell in a Big Ten opening match dates back to 2011 against Illinois.Â
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Minnesota competed against Green Bay on Thursday night and earned a 3-0 win (25-18, 25-15, 25-22). Alexis Hart had 13 kills and hit .440, while Regan Pittman followed with nine (9-1-19) and Stephanie Samedy had seven (7-1-12). In all, the Gophers had 13 players see playing time in the win. Due to heat in Maturi Pavilion and safety for athletes, Saturday night's match against Kansas State was cancelled. The Gophers finished their nonconference portion with a 6-2 overall record.Â
ABOUT PENN STATEÂ Â Â
No. 4 Penn State kicks off conference play with a 9-1 nonconference record. Its only loss of the season came in a three-set decision against Stanford. PSU enters Big Ten play with a four game win streak as it swept three of its four opponents, including ranked Oregon. Transfer student Taylor Leath leads the team with 80 kills (2.58 per set) and is followed by the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Jonni Parker, who has 77 (2.57 per set) and is hitting .298. Kaitlyn Hord leads the team in both hitting percentage (.413) and blocks (41). Bryanna Weiskircher averages 9.94 per set, while libero Kendall White has a team-best 151 digs and averages of 4.87 per set. As a team, the Nittany Lions are hitting .290, average 13.68 kills per set and holds their opponents to hitting .135. PSU's 3.37 blocks per set leads the nation.Â
ALL-TIME SERIESÂ Â
Penn State holds a 47-10 all-time record against the Gophers. The two teams only met once last season as PSU earned a four-set win in the final match of the regular season. The meeting between the two teams marks the earliest meeting in school history between the Gophers as the Nittany Lions since Sept. 24, 1993. Minnesota's last win over PSU came on Oct. 29, 2016 in a three-set decision, also at the Pavilion.Â
WHERE THEY RANKÂ Â Â
Minnesota ranks high nationally in a few statistical categories. The Gophers rank fifth in blocks per set (3.00), eighth in hitting percentage (.296) and ninth in kills per set (14.44). Individually, Taylor Morgan ranks 10th nationally in blocks per set as she averages 1.52 per set.
CAREER MARKS
Samantha Seliger-Swenson ranks first among NCAA Division I setters in career assists and assists per set. In her four-year career, she has established 4,709 assists and averages a nation's best 11.80 assists per set.Â
ON THE DOCKETÂ Â Â
Minnesota is home for the next two matches when it hosts Maryland, Saturday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m., followed by Wisconsin, Wednesday Sept. 26, at 8 p.m. Saturday's match will be streamed on BTN Plus against the Terrapins and on Big Ten Network against the Badgers.Â
DEEP ROSTERÂ Â Â
Minnesota has had 15 of its 18 individuals see action already this season, including four that have seen action in all 27 sets. Stephanie Samedy leads the Gophers with 87 kills, while Regan Pittman has 73 and Taylor Morgan and Jasmyn Martin have 50, respectively. In the Diet Coke Classic alone, the Gophers had 14 individuals play, including Lauren Litzau and Alice Zeimann, who both made their collegiate debut.Â
GOPHERS RANKED SEVENTH INÂ AVCAÂ POLLÂ Â Â
For the second straight week, Minnesota is ranked No. 7 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). In all, seven Big Ten Conference teams are ranked in the top 25: Nebraska (3), Penn State (4), Wisconsin (6), Minnesota (7), Illinois (8), Purdue (16), and Michigan (18). Michigan State is receiving votes. Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Â Stanford and No. 12 Oregon.
The University of Minnesota opens Big Ten  conference play on Wednesday, Sept. 19, when No. 4 Penn State comes to town. The Golden Gophers and Nittany Lions battle at the Pavilion at 8 p.m.Â
FOLLOW THE GOPHERSÂ Â Â
The Minnesota match vs. Penn State will be shown on the Big Ten Network. A Game Day Live page will also be located on gophersports.com.
BIG TEN OPENERSÂ Â Â
Minnesota has won its last six Big Ten opening matches. The last time the Gophers fell in a Big Ten opening match dates back to 2011 against Illinois.Â
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Minnesota competed against Green Bay on Thursday night and earned a 3-0 win (25-18, 25-15, 25-22). Alexis Hart had 13 kills and hit .440, while Regan Pittman followed with nine (9-1-19) and Stephanie Samedy had seven (7-1-12). In all, the Gophers had 13 players see playing time in the win. Due to heat in Maturi Pavilion and safety for athletes, Saturday night's match against Kansas State was cancelled. The Gophers finished their nonconference portion with a 6-2 overall record.Â
ABOUT PENN STATEÂ Â Â
No. 4 Penn State kicks off conference play with a 9-1 nonconference record. Its only loss of the season came in a three-set decision against Stanford. PSU enters Big Ten play with a four game win streak as it swept three of its four opponents, including ranked Oregon. Transfer student Taylor Leath leads the team with 80 kills (2.58 per set) and is followed by the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Jonni Parker, who has 77 (2.57 per set) and is hitting .298. Kaitlyn Hord leads the team in both hitting percentage (.413) and blocks (41). Bryanna Weiskircher averages 9.94 per set, while libero Kendall White has a team-best 151 digs and averages of 4.87 per set. As a team, the Nittany Lions are hitting .290, average 13.68 kills per set and holds their opponents to hitting .135. PSU's 3.37 blocks per set leads the nation.Â
ALL-TIME SERIESÂ Â
Penn State holds a 47-10 all-time record against the Gophers. The two teams only met once last season as PSU earned a four-set win in the final match of the regular season. The meeting between the two teams marks the earliest meeting in school history between the Gophers as the Nittany Lions since Sept. 24, 1993. Minnesota's last win over PSU came on Oct. 29, 2016 in a three-set decision, also at the Pavilion.Â
WHERE THEY RANKÂ Â Â
Minnesota ranks high nationally in a few statistical categories. The Gophers rank fifth in blocks per set (3.00), eighth in hitting percentage (.296) and ninth in kills per set (14.44). Individually, Taylor Morgan ranks 10th nationally in blocks per set as she averages 1.52 per set.
CAREER MARKS
Samantha Seliger-Swenson ranks first among NCAA Division I setters in career assists and assists per set. In her four-year career, she has established 4,709 assists and averages a nation's best 11.80 assists per set.Â
ON THE DOCKETÂ Â Â
Minnesota is home for the next two matches when it hosts Maryland, Saturday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m., followed by Wisconsin, Wednesday Sept. 26, at 8 p.m. Saturday's match will be streamed on BTN Plus against the Terrapins and on Big Ten Network against the Badgers.Â
DEEP ROSTERÂ Â Â
Minnesota has had 15 of its 18 individuals see action already this season, including four that have seen action in all 27 sets. Stephanie Samedy leads the Gophers with 87 kills, while Regan Pittman has 73 and Taylor Morgan and Jasmyn Martin have 50, respectively. In the Diet Coke Classic alone, the Gophers had 14 individuals play, including Lauren Litzau and Alice Zeimann, who both made their collegiate debut.Â
GOPHERS RANKED SEVENTH INÂ AVCAÂ POLLÂ Â Â
For the second straight week, Minnesota is ranked No. 7 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). In all, seven Big Ten Conference teams are ranked in the top 25: Nebraska (3), Penn State (4), Wisconsin (6), Minnesota (7), Illinois (8), Purdue (16), and Michigan (18). Michigan State is receiving votes. Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 2 Â Stanford and No. 12 Oregon.
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