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Photo by: Eric Miller
Gophers Hit the Road For First Time This Season
9/5/2018 12:04:00 PM | Volleyball
GOPHERS HIT THE ROAD
The University of Minnesota is on the road for the first time in 2018 when it travels to Palo Alto, Calif. The Golden Gophers compete in the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge, Sept. 7 & 9, against No. 18 Oregon and No. 4 Stanford. It also marks the first test against ranked teams this season. Penn State is also at the tournament and competes on Sept. 7-8.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Both matches will be shown on Pac-12 Networks. Game Day Live pages will also be located on gophersports.com.
LAST YEAR ON THE ROAD
Minnesota is on the road for the first time this season. In 2017, the Gophers went 9-3 last year and 6-1 at neutral sites. Minnesota fell to three Big Ten teams last season its opponents home courts. The Gophers were 11-0 in non-conference last season.
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Minnesota went 3-0 last weekend when it hosted the annual Diet Coke Classic. Regan Pittman was named the tournament's MVP when she hit .524 on the weekend, had 24 kills, 11 blocks and six digs. Samantha Seliger-Swenson was also named all-tournament when she had 86 assists, 21 digs and four blocks as the Gophers hit .368 as a team last weekend. Adanna Rollins was also named all-tournament as she established 19 kills, six aces, a team-best 27 digs and four blocks.
DEEP ROSTER
Minnesota has had 15 of its 18 individuals see action already this season, including five that have seen action in all 16 sets. Stephanie Samedy leads the Gophers with 54 kills, while Regan Pittman and Jasmyn Martin follow with 49 and 47, 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.
ABOUT OREGON
No. 18 Oregon enters the weekend with a 3-2 overall record with both of its losses to two ranked teams. The Ducks fell to Texas and Nebraska, 3-1 and 3-0 two weeks ago and defeated Portland state, Utah Valley and Long Beach State, 3-0, last weekend. Willow Johnson has 51 kills and is hitting .402 with 10 blocks. Lindsey Vander Weide has 47 kills and averages 4.12 digs per set. Setter August Raskie has 202 assists (averages 12.62 per set), while Brooke Nuneviller averages 4.44 digs per set.
ABOUT STANFORD
Stanford enters the weekend 4-1 after winning two matches to Wichita State and West Virginia and dropped a five-set decision to then-No. 9 BYU last Friday. Last year's AVCA Player of the Year Kathryn Plummer leads the team with 60 kill (averages 3.75 kills per set), followed by Meghan McClure with 49. The Cardinal average 3.29 blocks per set as Tami Alade and Audriana Fitzmorris average 1.85 and 1.18 each. Morgan Hentz averaged 4.29 digs per set, while setter Jenna Gray averages 11.82 assists per set. As a team, the Cardinal is hitting .298.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 2-2 all time against the Oregon Ducks, with the last meeting coming in 2011, which was also in non-conference action, during the Penn State tournament. The Gophers are looking for their first win over Stanford as they are 0-8 all time against the Cardinal. Minnesota's last encounter against Stanford dates back to the NCAA National Semifinal in 2016 as the Gophers lost, 3-1.
GOPHERS RANKED FIRST IN AVCA POLL
Minnesota volleyball moved up to the No. 1 spot in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). With both the top two programs in last week's poll dropping a match, the coaches gave Minnesota 35 first-place votes. In all, seven Big Ten Conference teams are ranked in the top 25 with two receiving votes. Wisconsin is ranked No. 2, followed by Penn State (5), Nebraska (7), Illinois (11), Purdue (19) and Michigan (20). Michigan State received votes in the opening poll. Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 4 Stanford and No. 18 Oregon.
The University of Minnesota is on the road for the first time in 2018 when it travels to Palo Alto, Calif. The Golden Gophers compete in the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge, Sept. 7 & 9, against No. 18 Oregon and No. 4 Stanford. It also marks the first test against ranked teams this season. Penn State is also at the tournament and competes on Sept. 7-8.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Both matches will be shown on Pac-12 Networks. Game Day Live pages will also be located on gophersports.com.
LAST YEAR ON THE ROAD
Minnesota is on the road for the first time this season. In 2017, the Gophers went 9-3 last year and 6-1 at neutral sites. Minnesota fell to three Big Ten teams last season its opponents home courts. The Gophers were 11-0 in non-conference last season.
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Minnesota went 3-0 last weekend when it hosted the annual Diet Coke Classic. Regan Pittman was named the tournament's MVP when she hit .524 on the weekend, had 24 kills, 11 blocks and six digs. Samantha Seliger-Swenson was also named all-tournament when she had 86 assists, 21 digs and four blocks as the Gophers hit .368 as a team last weekend. Adanna Rollins was also named all-tournament as she established 19 kills, six aces, a team-best 27 digs and four blocks.
DEEP ROSTER
Minnesota has had 15 of its 18 individuals see action already this season, including five that have seen action in all 16 sets. Stephanie Samedy leads the Gophers with 54 kills, while Regan Pittman and Jasmyn Martin follow with 49 and 47, 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.
ABOUT OREGON
No. 18 Oregon enters the weekend with a 3-2 overall record with both of its losses to two ranked teams. The Ducks fell to Texas and Nebraska, 3-1 and 3-0 two weeks ago and defeated Portland state, Utah Valley and Long Beach State, 3-0, last weekend. Willow Johnson has 51 kills and is hitting .402 with 10 blocks. Lindsey Vander Weide has 47 kills and averages 4.12 digs per set. Setter August Raskie has 202 assists (averages 12.62 per set), while Brooke Nuneviller averages 4.44 digs per set.
ABOUT STANFORD
Stanford enters the weekend 4-1 after winning two matches to Wichita State and West Virginia and dropped a five-set decision to then-No. 9 BYU last Friday. Last year's AVCA Player of the Year Kathryn Plummer leads the team with 60 kill (averages 3.75 kills per set), followed by Meghan McClure with 49. The Cardinal average 3.29 blocks per set as Tami Alade and Audriana Fitzmorris average 1.85 and 1.18 each. Morgan Hentz averaged 4.29 digs per set, while setter Jenna Gray averages 11.82 assists per set. As a team, the Cardinal is hitting .298.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 2-2 all time against the Oregon Ducks, with the last meeting coming in 2011, which was also in non-conference action, during the Penn State tournament. The Gophers are looking for their first win over Stanford as they are 0-8 all time against the Cardinal. Minnesota's last encounter against Stanford dates back to the NCAA National Semifinal in 2016 as the Gophers lost, 3-1.
GOPHERS RANKED FIRST IN AVCA POLL
Minnesota volleyball moved up to the No. 1 spot in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). With both the top two programs in last week's poll dropping a match, the coaches gave Minnesota 35 first-place votes. In all, seven Big Ten Conference teams are ranked in the top 25 with two receiving votes. Wisconsin is ranked No. 2, followed by Penn State (5), Nebraska (7), Illinois (11), Purdue (19) and Michigan (20). Michigan State received votes in the opening poll. Two non-conference opponents are also ranked in No. 4 Stanford and No. 18 Oregon.
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