University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, October 18
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Northwestern
Players Mentioned
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Opposite
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Photo by: Craig Lassig
Gophers Back at Home Against Northwestern and Illinois
10/15/2019 2:01:00 PM | Volleyball
GOPHERS HOME THIS WEEKEND
The University of Minnesota is back at home for a pair of Big Ten matches against Northwestern and No. 17 Illinois, Friday and Saturday nights. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m., starts at Maturi Pavilion.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
The Minnesota/Northwestern match will be streamed live on BTN +. The Gophers/Illini match will be televised on Big Ten Network. Fans can watch the BTN broadcast on the linear station as well as through the FOX app on mobile or tablet. Game day central pages will also be available on gophersports.com.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern is entering the weekend with a 9-9 record. The Wildcats are looking for their first conference win this season. Last week, Northwestern dropped a pair of matches to ranked Purdue and Wisconsin in straight sets. Temi Thomas-Ailara leads the team in kills and aces. She has 275 kills, averages 4.44 kills per set and has 27 aces. Alana Walker has a team-best 69 blocks, with Olivia Viscuso adding 48. Payton Chang has 494 assists for the Wildcats and Lexi Pitsas has 165 digs. As a team, Northwestern is hitting .239 and average 13.27 kills per set.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
Illinois enters the Minnesota match with a 9-6 record. They are 4-2 in conference play, losing to ranked Nebraska and Minnesota. Jacqueline Quade leads the Illini in kills with 268, averaging 4.39 kills per set. She also has a team-best 24 aces. Ashlyn Fleming offers up 68 blocks, with an average of 1.11 blocks per set. Diana Brown adds 656 assists, and leads the team with 153 digs. Four other Illinois players record over 100 digs as well. As a team, the Illini are hitting .242 and average 13.51 kills per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 61-19 all time against the Northwestern Wildcats, dating back to the two team's first appearance in 1976. The Gophers are on an eight-match win streak against the Wildcats, with their last loss coming on Oct. 5, 2014. Friday's contest marks the first meeting between the two teams this season.
Minnesota just faced Illinois last week in Champaign, Ill., as the Gophers won, 3-1. Outsides Alexis Hart and Adanna Rollins had 14 and 12 kills, while Stephanie Samedy had 10. Samedy and Rollins also accomplished a double-double with 14 and 11 digs, respectively. Taylor Morgan, Samedy and Regan Pittman and Samedy all had seven blocks. CC McGraw had 15 digs, while Bayley McMenimen had a double-double 37 assists and 15 digs. As a team, Minnesota held a season-best 16 blocks. Minnesota is 37-40-1 all-time against Illinois, dating back to 1976.
DIG PINK
Saturday's match against Illinois marks the Gophers' annual Dig Pink event. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match as the Gophers show their support in the fight against breast cancer.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota is back on the road when it travels to Michigan and Michigan State, Friday and Sunday, Oct. 25 and Oct. 27. Friday's match is slated for 5 p.m. (CT) in Ann Arbor, Mich., while Sunday's tilt is set 11 a.m. (CT), in East Lansing, Mich. Both matches are televised on Big Ten Network.
LAST MATCH RECAP
Minnesota fell to Wisconsin, 3-0, Sunday in Madison, Wis. The Golden Gophers suffered their first loss of the Big Ten season at 5-1. Alexis Hart led the Gophers with 10 kills, while Regan Pittman and Adanna Rollins each had seven kills. Pittman also hit .429 with one error in 14 attempts. Bayley McMenimen had 24 assists, while CC McGraw and Rollins each added a team-best nine digs. It was the Badgers' first win over Minnesota in nine attempts. The last time the Gophers lost to Wisconsin dates back to 2014, also in Madison, Wis. The Gophers are now 52-31 all-time against Wisconsin.
GOPHERS RANKED SEVENTH AVCA POLL
Minnesota is ranked No. 7 in this week's poll, announced Monday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. In all, six Big Ten Conference teams are ranked in the preseason top 25. Nebraska holds the Big Ten's top spot at No. 5, followed by Wisconsin (6), Minnesota (7), Penn State (8), Illinois (17) and Purdue (20). Michigan is receiving votes.
200 CAREER WINS FOR MCCUTCHEON
Against Illinois last week, head coach Hugh McCutcheon registered his 200th career win as the Gopher head coach. Since being at the helm of Gopher volleyball in 2012, McCutcheon owns a 200-50 career record. In his first 200 wins, Minnesota has won two Big Ten titles, went to two NCAA Final Fours and coached three Big Ten Players of the Year (Daly Santana, Sarah Wilhite and Samantha Seliger-Swenson) as well as 15 individuals to All-America or All-America honorable mention status 27 times.
The University of Minnesota is back at home for a pair of Big Ten matches against Northwestern and No. 17 Illinois, Friday and Saturday nights. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m., starts at Maturi Pavilion.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
The Minnesota/Northwestern match will be streamed live on BTN +. The Gophers/Illini match will be televised on Big Ten Network. Fans can watch the BTN broadcast on the linear station as well as through the FOX app on mobile or tablet. Game day central pages will also be available on gophersports.com.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern is entering the weekend with a 9-9 record. The Wildcats are looking for their first conference win this season. Last week, Northwestern dropped a pair of matches to ranked Purdue and Wisconsin in straight sets. Temi Thomas-Ailara leads the team in kills and aces. She has 275 kills, averages 4.44 kills per set and has 27 aces. Alana Walker has a team-best 69 blocks, with Olivia Viscuso adding 48. Payton Chang has 494 assists for the Wildcats and Lexi Pitsas has 165 digs. As a team, Northwestern is hitting .239 and average 13.27 kills per set.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
Illinois enters the Minnesota match with a 9-6 record. They are 4-2 in conference play, losing to ranked Nebraska and Minnesota. Jacqueline Quade leads the Illini in kills with 268, averaging 4.39 kills per set. She also has a team-best 24 aces. Ashlyn Fleming offers up 68 blocks, with an average of 1.11 blocks per set. Diana Brown adds 656 assists, and leads the team with 153 digs. Four other Illinois players record over 100 digs as well. As a team, the Illini are hitting .242 and average 13.51 kills per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota is 61-19 all time against the Northwestern Wildcats, dating back to the two team's first appearance in 1976. The Gophers are on an eight-match win streak against the Wildcats, with their last loss coming on Oct. 5, 2014. Friday's contest marks the first meeting between the two teams this season.
Minnesota just faced Illinois last week in Champaign, Ill., as the Gophers won, 3-1. Outsides Alexis Hart and Adanna Rollins had 14 and 12 kills, while Stephanie Samedy had 10. Samedy and Rollins also accomplished a double-double with 14 and 11 digs, respectively. Taylor Morgan, Samedy and Regan Pittman and Samedy all had seven blocks. CC McGraw had 15 digs, while Bayley McMenimen had a double-double 37 assists and 15 digs. As a team, Minnesota held a season-best 16 blocks. Minnesota is 37-40-1 all-time against Illinois, dating back to 1976.
DIG PINK
Saturday's match against Illinois marks the Gophers' annual Dig Pink event. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match as the Gophers show their support in the fight against breast cancer.
ON THE DOCKET
Minnesota is back on the road when it travels to Michigan and Michigan State, Friday and Sunday, Oct. 25 and Oct. 27. Friday's match is slated for 5 p.m. (CT) in Ann Arbor, Mich., while Sunday's tilt is set 11 a.m. (CT), in East Lansing, Mich. Both matches are televised on Big Ten Network.
LAST MATCH RECAP
Minnesota fell to Wisconsin, 3-0, Sunday in Madison, Wis. The Golden Gophers suffered their first loss of the Big Ten season at 5-1. Alexis Hart led the Gophers with 10 kills, while Regan Pittman and Adanna Rollins each had seven kills. Pittman also hit .429 with one error in 14 attempts. Bayley McMenimen had 24 assists, while CC McGraw and Rollins each added a team-best nine digs. It was the Badgers' first win over Minnesota in nine attempts. The last time the Gophers lost to Wisconsin dates back to 2014, also in Madison, Wis. The Gophers are now 52-31 all-time against Wisconsin.
GOPHERS RANKED SEVENTH AVCA POLL
Minnesota is ranked No. 7 in this week's poll, announced Monday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. In all, six Big Ten Conference teams are ranked in the preseason top 25. Nebraska holds the Big Ten's top spot at No. 5, followed by Wisconsin (6), Minnesota (7), Penn State (8), Illinois (17) and Purdue (20). Michigan is receiving votes.
200 CAREER WINS FOR MCCUTCHEON
Against Illinois last week, head coach Hugh McCutcheon registered his 200th career win as the Gopher head coach. Since being at the helm of Gopher volleyball in 2012, McCutcheon owns a 200-50 career record. In his first 200 wins, Minnesota has won two Big Ten titles, went to two NCAA Final Fours and coached three Big Ten Players of the Year (Daly Santana, Sarah Wilhite and Samantha Seliger-Swenson) as well as 15 individuals to All-America or All-America honorable mention status 27 times.
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