University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, December 6
7:00 pm
University of Minnesota
vs
Fairfield
Players Mentioned
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
DS/Libero
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Opposite
/ Volleyball
Photo by: Ben Ludeman
Gophers Begin Second Season Friday
12/3/2019 4:40:00 PM | Volleyball
Please note the potential time change to Big Ten Network's broadcast of the Second Round match.Â
GOPHERS BEGIN SECOND SEASONÂ Â Â
The University of Minnesota begins its second season this weekend when the Golden Gophers host the First and Second Round of the NCAA Championships. Minnesota welcomes Fairfield, Creighton and Iowa State to Maturi Pavilion this weekend. Creighton and Iowa State play at 4:30 p.m., followed by Minnesota and Fairfield at 7 p.m., or 30 minutes following the 4:30 p.m., match. Winners move onto the Second Round Saturday night, also at Maturi Pavilion. Time of the Second Round matches is to be determined.Â
FOLLOW THE GOPHERSÂ Â Â
The Minneapolis NCAA First Round matches will be available via web streaming, free of cost. Should the Gophers advance to the NCAA Second Round, Minnesota and the winner of the Iowa State/Creighton match will be televised live on Big Ten Network at 8 p.m. Both Minnesota matches will also have a game day live page through gophersports.com.Â
HOW THEY PUNCHED THEIR TICKETÂ Â Â
Minnesota finished their regular season with a 23-5 overall record and a 17-3 mark in Big Ten play. That mark was good enough for a second-place tie in the league standings. Minnesota received an at-large bid and the overall No. 7 seed. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
   Fairfield will be making their 11th trip to the NCAA Championship and their fourth in five years after securing the 2019 MAAC title with a 3-1 win over Quinnipiac. They went 24-5 overall and 17-1 in conference action. Iowa State received an at-large bid and is making its 14th all-time NCAA Championships appearance, including 13 the past 14 years. The Cyclones finished the regular season 17-11, 8-8 in Big 12 play. Creighton received an at-large bid and enter the NCAA tournament with a 24-5 overall record, 17-1 in Big East play.
ABOUT FAIRFIELDÂ Â Â
Fairfield enters the first round with a 24-5 overall record, being 17-1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Their only league loss came in five sets to Canisius. Joelle Battles has 305 kills to lead the team, averaging 2.99 kills per set. Manuela Nicolini has 1,160 assists and 41 aces. Kaylie Butts has a team-best 110 blocks. Morgan Doll adds 400 digs for the Stags. As a team, Fairfield is hitting .225 and averages 13.58 kills per set.
ABOUT CREIGHTONÂ Â Â
Creighton wrapped up their regular season with a 24-5 overall record. They were 17-1 in the Big East, beating No. 9 Marquette in four sets. Keeley Davis has 325 kills for the Bluejays, averaging 3.28 kills per set. Megan Ballenger and Naomi Hickman lead the team in blocks, with 97 and 94 respectively. Madelyn Cole has 1,098 assists and 39 aces. Brittany Witt adds 504 digs for the Bluejays. As a team, Creighton is hitting .250 and averages 14.09 kills per set.
ABOUT IOWA STATEÂ Â Â
Iowa State finished the Big 12 season with an 8-8 record, being 17-11 overall. They most recently lost to No. 4 Texas in four sets. Eleanor Holthaus leads the team in kills with 308, averaging 3.24 kills per set. Avery Rhodes offers up 110 blocks. Piper Mauck has 984 assists, and Izzy Enna has 335 digs. Michal Schuler adds a team-best 30 aces. As a team, Iowa State is hitting .238 and averages 13.62 kills per set.
ALL-TIME SERIESÂ Â Â
Friday marks the first time in school history the Gophers will face Fairfield. Should Minnesota advance, the Gophers are 11-5 all time against the Iowa State Cyclones and 5-0 all time against Creighton. The Gophers hosted ISU in the 2014 when the Cyclones played in the Diet Coke Classic. The Gophers won 3-1. The last time Minnesota faced Creighton was in 2012 when the Gophers defeated the Bluejays, 3-1, also in the NCAA Tournament.Â
GOPHERS IN THE NCAA TOURNEYÂ Â Â Â Â
The 2019 season marks the 24th year the Golden Gophers have advanced to the NCAA tournament. Minnesota has had a top 10 seed the past five seasons. The Gophers were the No. 2 seed in 2015, 2016 and 2018 and now the No. 7 seed in both 2017 and 2019. In all, Minnesota has been to five Final Fours, nine Sweet 16 berths and two Elite 8 appearances. In its 23 previous appearances, Minnesota is 22-1 in the First Round, including a 6-0 mark against head coach Hugh McCutcheon.
LAST MATCH RECAPÂ Â
Minnesota finished the regular season strong with a four-set win over Penn State, last Saturday in University Park, Pa. After losing the first set, the Gophers won the next three to clinch the win, 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-23. It marked the first time the Golden Gophers defeated Penn State in University Park since 2004. Stephanie Samedy led the Gophers with 21 kills, hitting .475. She also had 12 digs, one block and one ace. She was followed by Alexis Hart who had 12 kills, five blocks and three digs. Adanna Rollins added 11 kills, seven digs and three blocks. Regan Pittman had a team-best seven blocks, as well as six kills, two digs and one ace. CC McGraw had 11 digs, and Rachel Kilkelly added eight digs and two aces for the Gophers. As a team, Minnesota had 57 kills, 57 digs, 13.5 blocks and hit .284. Penn State had 60 kills, 57 digs, 9.5 blocks and hit .250.Â
GOPHERS RANKED SEVENTHÂ AVCA POLLÂ Â Â
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 top 25. Wisconsin holds the league's top ranking (5), followed by Nebraska (6), Minnesota (7), Penn State (8), Purdue (14) and Michigan (22).Â
MINNESOTA DUO RECEIVES WEEKLY BIG HONORSÂ Â Â Â Â Â
Stephanie Samedy was named Player of the Week and Kylie Miller was named Setter of the Week. It marks both Samedy's and Miller's third honor this season.Â
   Despite not playing on Friday against Rutgers, Samedy led the Gophers in kills this past weekend. She established 21 kills in 40 attempts and hit .475 in the Penn State match. It was Samedy's first match in which she hit over .400 in 12 matches and second time this season she had 21 kills in a match. She also added an ace and block and collected her 10th double-double of the season.
   Miller averaged 11.71 assists per set as the Gophers hit .318 on the weekend against Rutgers and Penn State. Against the Scarlet Knights, Miller had 33 assists, two aces and helped Minnesota hit .382. She followed with a 49-assist performance against Penn State and completed the double-double with 10 digs. She also had a Minnesota-best five blocks in the win. The Gophers hit .284 in the match.
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GOPHERS BEGIN SECOND SEASONÂ Â Â
The University of Minnesota begins its second season this weekend when the Golden Gophers host the First and Second Round of the NCAA Championships. Minnesota welcomes Fairfield, Creighton and Iowa State to Maturi Pavilion this weekend. Creighton and Iowa State play at 4:30 p.m., followed by Minnesota and Fairfield at 7 p.m., or 30 minutes following the 4:30 p.m., match. Winners move onto the Second Round Saturday night, also at Maturi Pavilion. Time of the Second Round matches is to be determined.Â
FOLLOW THE GOPHERSÂ Â Â
The Minneapolis NCAA First Round matches will be available via web streaming, free of cost. Should the Gophers advance to the NCAA Second Round, Minnesota and the winner of the Iowa State/Creighton match will be televised live on Big Ten Network at 8 p.m. Both Minnesota matches will also have a game day live page through gophersports.com.Â
HOW THEY PUNCHED THEIR TICKETÂ Â Â
Minnesota finished their regular season with a 23-5 overall record and a 17-3 mark in Big Ten play. That mark was good enough for a second-place tie in the league standings. Minnesota received an at-large bid and the overall No. 7 seed. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
   Fairfield will be making their 11th trip to the NCAA Championship and their fourth in five years after securing the 2019 MAAC title with a 3-1 win over Quinnipiac. They went 24-5 overall and 17-1 in conference action. Iowa State received an at-large bid and is making its 14th all-time NCAA Championships appearance, including 13 the past 14 years. The Cyclones finished the regular season 17-11, 8-8 in Big 12 play. Creighton received an at-large bid and enter the NCAA tournament with a 24-5 overall record, 17-1 in Big East play.
ABOUT FAIRFIELDÂ Â Â
Fairfield enters the first round with a 24-5 overall record, being 17-1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Their only league loss came in five sets to Canisius. Joelle Battles has 305 kills to lead the team, averaging 2.99 kills per set. Manuela Nicolini has 1,160 assists and 41 aces. Kaylie Butts has a team-best 110 blocks. Morgan Doll adds 400 digs for the Stags. As a team, Fairfield is hitting .225 and averages 13.58 kills per set.
ABOUT CREIGHTONÂ Â Â
Creighton wrapped up their regular season with a 24-5 overall record. They were 17-1 in the Big East, beating No. 9 Marquette in four sets. Keeley Davis has 325 kills for the Bluejays, averaging 3.28 kills per set. Megan Ballenger and Naomi Hickman lead the team in blocks, with 97 and 94 respectively. Madelyn Cole has 1,098 assists and 39 aces. Brittany Witt adds 504 digs for the Bluejays. As a team, Creighton is hitting .250 and averages 14.09 kills per set.
ABOUT IOWA STATEÂ Â Â
Iowa State finished the Big 12 season with an 8-8 record, being 17-11 overall. They most recently lost to No. 4 Texas in four sets. Eleanor Holthaus leads the team in kills with 308, averaging 3.24 kills per set. Avery Rhodes offers up 110 blocks. Piper Mauck has 984 assists, and Izzy Enna has 335 digs. Michal Schuler adds a team-best 30 aces. As a team, Iowa State is hitting .238 and averages 13.62 kills per set.
ALL-TIME SERIESÂ Â Â
Friday marks the first time in school history the Gophers will face Fairfield. Should Minnesota advance, the Gophers are 11-5 all time against the Iowa State Cyclones and 5-0 all time against Creighton. The Gophers hosted ISU in the 2014 when the Cyclones played in the Diet Coke Classic. The Gophers won 3-1. The last time Minnesota faced Creighton was in 2012 when the Gophers defeated the Bluejays, 3-1, also in the NCAA Tournament.Â
GOPHERS IN THE NCAA TOURNEYÂ Â Â Â Â
The 2019 season marks the 24th year the Golden Gophers have advanced to the NCAA tournament. Minnesota has had a top 10 seed the past five seasons. The Gophers were the No. 2 seed in 2015, 2016 and 2018 and now the No. 7 seed in both 2017 and 2019. In all, Minnesota has been to five Final Fours, nine Sweet 16 berths and two Elite 8 appearances. In its 23 previous appearances, Minnesota is 22-1 in the First Round, including a 6-0 mark against head coach Hugh McCutcheon.
LAST MATCH RECAPÂ Â
Minnesota finished the regular season strong with a four-set win over Penn State, last Saturday in University Park, Pa. After losing the first set, the Gophers won the next three to clinch the win, 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-23. It marked the first time the Golden Gophers defeated Penn State in University Park since 2004. Stephanie Samedy led the Gophers with 21 kills, hitting .475. She also had 12 digs, one block and one ace. She was followed by Alexis Hart who had 12 kills, five blocks and three digs. Adanna Rollins added 11 kills, seven digs and three blocks. Regan Pittman had a team-best seven blocks, as well as six kills, two digs and one ace. CC McGraw had 11 digs, and Rachel Kilkelly added eight digs and two aces for the Gophers. As a team, Minnesota had 57 kills, 57 digs, 13.5 blocks and hit .284. Penn State had 60 kills, 57 digs, 9.5 blocks and hit .250.Â
GOPHERS RANKED SEVENTHÂ AVCA POLLÂ Â Â
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 top 25. Wisconsin holds the league's top ranking (5), followed by Nebraska (6), Minnesota (7), Penn State (8), Purdue (14) and Michigan (22).Â
MINNESOTA DUO RECEIVES WEEKLY BIG HONORSÂ Â Â Â Â Â
Stephanie Samedy was named Player of the Week and Kylie Miller was named Setter of the Week. It marks both Samedy's and Miller's third honor this season.Â
   Despite not playing on Friday against Rutgers, Samedy led the Gophers in kills this past weekend. She established 21 kills in 40 attempts and hit .475 in the Penn State match. It was Samedy's first match in which she hit over .400 in 12 matches and second time this season she had 21 kills in a match. She also added an ace and block and collected her 10th double-double of the season.
   Miller averaged 11.71 assists per set as the Gophers hit .318 on the weekend against Rutgers and Penn State. Against the Scarlet Knights, Miller had 33 assists, two aces and helped Minnesota hit .382. She followed with a 49-assist performance against Penn State and completed the double-double with 10 digs. She also had a Minnesota-best five blocks in the win. The Gophers hit .284 in the match.
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