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2010-2019: Gopher Volleyball Decade of Excellence
12/31/2019 2:50:00 PM | Volleyball
2010-2019: Gopher Volleyball Decade of Excellence
As we wrap up the decade, we take a look back at the past decade through Gopher Volleyball. Through coaching changes, to NCAA Final Four appearances and Big Ten titles, the Gophers have continued to build its program into one of the best in the nation. Over the past decade, Minnesota has gone to three NCAA Final Fours, eight NCAA tournament appearances, two Big Ten titles, 33 All-America honors, 41 All-Big Ten accolades, three Big Ten Players of the Year, one AVCA National Player of the Year and one AVCA National Coach of the Year. Take a stroll down memory lane as we look back this past decade.
Notables From Each Season
2010- Minnesota closed out the Big Ten season with a 3-2 win over Penn State in a come-from-behind win on Nov. 27 in front of a sold out Pavilion crowd; The Gophers advanced to the Sweet 16 and finished the season with a 26-9 record; Lauren Gibbemeyer became the all-time leader in blocks; following the NCAA tourney, head coach Mike Hebert announced his retirement from coaching after 15 years with the Gophers. He posted a 381-137 Gopher record.
2011 – University of Minnesota announced the hiring of head coach Hugh McCutcheon in January. He would take over the Gopher reigns following his commitment as head coach of the Team USA's women's Olympic Team in 2012; Laura Bush was announced as the interim head coach for the 2011 season as she guided the team to a 20-12 record and a spot in the NCAA Sweet 16; The Gophers defeated their highest-ranked opponent to date when they swept No. 3 Illinois that season in Champaign, Ill.; Minnesota advanced to the NCAA Semifinal with a dramatic come-from-behind win over Washington; Ashley Wittman garnered All-America honors.
2012 – On Aug. 31, 2012, head coach Hugh McCutcheon took over the Golden Gopher program and earned his first-career collegiate win as the Gophers opened the home season against LIU Brooklyn; The Gophers earned a 3-1 win over Texas in the non-conference season and finished the year with a 27-8 overall record and went 15-5 in his first year in the Big Ten Conference; Minnesota advanced to the Elite Eight that season with a 3-1 win over Purdue and fell to Penn State. Katherine Harms and Tori Dixon each received All-America honors.
2013 – Minnesota went 29-7 and 15-5 in 2013. The Gophers advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 after they fell to Stanford in the Regional Semifinal. Minnesota earned a spot to the Sweet 16 with a 3-2 win over Colorado that year. Tori Dixon and Ashley Wittman were named All-Americans that season.
2014 – In a year of rebuilding, Minnesota missed the tournament for the first time since 1997 in 2014. Despite going 3-1 in the final four matches of the season, the Gophers posted a 19-12 record and a 9-11 mark in conference action. Paige Tapp garnered All-America honors that season.
2015 – The Gopher volleyball team returned in a big way and went on to the NCAA Championship in; Despite starting the season 0-2, Minnesota went 30-5 overall and won the Big Ten championship with an 18-2 mark in league action; The Gophers earned wins over Wisconsin (twice), at Nebraska and home against Penn State; In fact, Minnesota went undefeated in 15-straight Big Ten matches, a school record; The Gophers solidified the Big Ten championship outright with a 3-0 win over Indiana in the final conference match of the season; Daly Santana was named Big Ten Player of the Year; the Gophers received the No. 2 overall seed, their highest seed ever in the NCAA Tournament; Minnesota's road to the Final Four included wins over Jackson State (First Round), Marquette (Second Round), Illinois (Third Round), Hawaii (Fourth Round); Head coach Hugh McCutcheon was named AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year that season; Santana, Hannah Tapp, Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Paige Tapp were named All-Americans that year; Minnesota also enjoyed an international trip to Japan that spring season.
2016 – Minnesota again had another banner season with its second-straight NCAA Final Four appearance; The Gophers finished the year with a 29-5 overall record and went 17-3 in Big Ten action; The Gophers went 8-1 in non-conference action that season; The Gophers finished the conference season with a 10-match win streak, including four-straight five-set wins over ranked Michigan State, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin; in the win over Nebraska, the Gophers were down 0-2 as Nebraska was up 23-20 before it mounted the comeback; the No. 2 overall seed, Minnesota defeated North Dakota (First Round), Hawaii (Second Round), Missouri (Third Round) and UCLA (Fourth Round) to punch its ticket to the Final Four; Sarah Wilhite was named AVCA National Player of the Year, Minnesota's first and only recipient; She was also named Big Ten Player of the Year; Wilhite, along with Samantha Seliger-Swenson, and Hannah Tapp were named All-Americans that season.
2017 - Minnesota went 28-6 overall and 15-5 during the 2017 season; The Gophers went 11-0 in non-conference action, including a 3-1 win over Texas in Austin, Texas; Despite a 1-2 start in the Big Ten, the Gophers went on an 11-match Big Ten win streak; The Gophers advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 that season when it traveled to Gainesville, Fla., and fell to USC to end the season; Stephanie Samedy, Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Alexis Hart all earned All-America honors that season.
2018 – Big Ten champions once again! Minnesota finished the season with a 27-4 overall record and a 19-1 mark in Big Ten play to win the championship; In fact, the Gophers didn't drop a Big Ten match until Nov. 23 that season, and set a school record 18-match win streak that year; The Gophers went 6-2 in non-conference action and didn't lose a match for 19-straight; The Big Ten championship marked Minnesota's second in three years, the first since 2015; With the No. 2 overall seed, Minnesota advanced to the Sweet 16 and fell to Oregon, 3-1, to end the season; Samantha Seliger-Swenson was named Big Ten Player of the Year; Seliger-Swenson, Stephanie Samedy and Regan Pittman were named All-Americans that season; head coach Hugh McCutcheon was also inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame that season; Minnesota also enjoyed an international trip to Japan during the spring season.
2019 – Final Four bound! After a season battling injuries and adversity, the Gophers advanced to their sixth Final Four in program history and third within this decade; As the Gophers were without their starting setter, Kylie Miller, Minnesota still managed to produce a 27-6 season and 17-3 in the Big Ten, which tied for second in league standings; The Gophers accomplished their first program win over No. 1 Stanford in non-conference action and also garnered their first win over Penn State in State College since 2004 to end the conference season; Receiving the No. 7 overall seed, Minnesota defeated Fairfield (First Round), Creighton (Second Round), Florida (Third Round) and Louisville (Fourth Round) to advance to the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh; Minnesota fell to eventual champion Stanford in the National Semifinal; Minnesota had three garner All-America honors in Regan Pittman, Stephanie Samedy and Alexis Hart; The Gophers, lost former head coach and hall of famer Mike Hebert. He passed away at the age of 75 surrounded by his family; renovations of Maturi Pavilion also occurred in 2019; a new weight room, athletic medicine, locker room and club room added to the facility as well as air conditioning in the Pav.
2020 – The Gophers will look forward to another upcoming decade and season. The Gophers welcome four outstanding student-athletes to the storied program in Cami Appiani, Taylor Landfair, Melani Shaffmaster and Jenna Wenaas; Landfair and Shaffmaster join the program already in January!
As we wrap up the decade, we take a look back at the past decade through Gopher Volleyball. Through coaching changes, to NCAA Final Four appearances and Big Ten titles, the Gophers have continued to build its program into one of the best in the nation. Over the past decade, Minnesota has gone to three NCAA Final Fours, eight NCAA tournament appearances, two Big Ten titles, 33 All-America honors, 41 All-Big Ten accolades, three Big Ten Players of the Year, one AVCA National Player of the Year and one AVCA National Coach of the Year. Take a stroll down memory lane as we look back this past decade.
Notables From Each Season
2010- Minnesota closed out the Big Ten season with a 3-2 win over Penn State in a come-from-behind win on Nov. 27 in front of a sold out Pavilion crowd; The Gophers advanced to the Sweet 16 and finished the season with a 26-9 record; Lauren Gibbemeyer became the all-time leader in blocks; following the NCAA tourney, head coach Mike Hebert announced his retirement from coaching after 15 years with the Gophers. He posted a 381-137 Gopher record.
2011 – University of Minnesota announced the hiring of head coach Hugh McCutcheon in January. He would take over the Gopher reigns following his commitment as head coach of the Team USA's women's Olympic Team in 2012; Laura Bush was announced as the interim head coach for the 2011 season as she guided the team to a 20-12 record and a spot in the NCAA Sweet 16; The Gophers defeated their highest-ranked opponent to date when they swept No. 3 Illinois that season in Champaign, Ill.; Minnesota advanced to the NCAA Semifinal with a dramatic come-from-behind win over Washington; Ashley Wittman garnered All-America honors.
2012 – On Aug. 31, 2012, head coach Hugh McCutcheon took over the Golden Gopher program and earned his first-career collegiate win as the Gophers opened the home season against LIU Brooklyn; The Gophers earned a 3-1 win over Texas in the non-conference season and finished the year with a 27-8 overall record and went 15-5 in his first year in the Big Ten Conference; Minnesota advanced to the Elite Eight that season with a 3-1 win over Purdue and fell to Penn State. Katherine Harms and Tori Dixon each received All-America honors.
2013 – Minnesota went 29-7 and 15-5 in 2013. The Gophers advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 after they fell to Stanford in the Regional Semifinal. Minnesota earned a spot to the Sweet 16 with a 3-2 win over Colorado that year. Tori Dixon and Ashley Wittman were named All-Americans that season.
2014 – In a year of rebuilding, Minnesota missed the tournament for the first time since 1997 in 2014. Despite going 3-1 in the final four matches of the season, the Gophers posted a 19-12 record and a 9-11 mark in conference action. Paige Tapp garnered All-America honors that season.
2015 – The Gopher volleyball team returned in a big way and went on to the NCAA Championship in; Despite starting the season 0-2, Minnesota went 30-5 overall and won the Big Ten championship with an 18-2 mark in league action; The Gophers earned wins over Wisconsin (twice), at Nebraska and home against Penn State; In fact, Minnesota went undefeated in 15-straight Big Ten matches, a school record; The Gophers solidified the Big Ten championship outright with a 3-0 win over Indiana in the final conference match of the season; Daly Santana was named Big Ten Player of the Year; the Gophers received the No. 2 overall seed, their highest seed ever in the NCAA Tournament; Minnesota's road to the Final Four included wins over Jackson State (First Round), Marquette (Second Round), Illinois (Third Round), Hawaii (Fourth Round); Head coach Hugh McCutcheon was named AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year that season; Santana, Hannah Tapp, Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Paige Tapp were named All-Americans that year; Minnesota also enjoyed an international trip to Japan that spring season.
2016 – Minnesota again had another banner season with its second-straight NCAA Final Four appearance; The Gophers finished the year with a 29-5 overall record and went 17-3 in Big Ten action; The Gophers went 8-1 in non-conference action that season; The Gophers finished the conference season with a 10-match win streak, including four-straight five-set wins over ranked Michigan State, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin; in the win over Nebraska, the Gophers were down 0-2 as Nebraska was up 23-20 before it mounted the comeback; the No. 2 overall seed, Minnesota defeated North Dakota (First Round), Hawaii (Second Round), Missouri (Third Round) and UCLA (Fourth Round) to punch its ticket to the Final Four; Sarah Wilhite was named AVCA National Player of the Year, Minnesota's first and only recipient; She was also named Big Ten Player of the Year; Wilhite, along with Samantha Seliger-Swenson, and Hannah Tapp were named All-Americans that season.
2017 - Minnesota went 28-6 overall and 15-5 during the 2017 season; The Gophers went 11-0 in non-conference action, including a 3-1 win over Texas in Austin, Texas; Despite a 1-2 start in the Big Ten, the Gophers went on an 11-match Big Ten win streak; The Gophers advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 that season when it traveled to Gainesville, Fla., and fell to USC to end the season; Stephanie Samedy, Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Alexis Hart all earned All-America honors that season.
2018 – Big Ten champions once again! Minnesota finished the season with a 27-4 overall record and a 19-1 mark in Big Ten play to win the championship; In fact, the Gophers didn't drop a Big Ten match until Nov. 23 that season, and set a school record 18-match win streak that year; The Gophers went 6-2 in non-conference action and didn't lose a match for 19-straight; The Big Ten championship marked Minnesota's second in three years, the first since 2015; With the No. 2 overall seed, Minnesota advanced to the Sweet 16 and fell to Oregon, 3-1, to end the season; Samantha Seliger-Swenson was named Big Ten Player of the Year; Seliger-Swenson, Stephanie Samedy and Regan Pittman were named All-Americans that season; head coach Hugh McCutcheon was also inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame that season; Minnesota also enjoyed an international trip to Japan during the spring season.
2019 – Final Four bound! After a season battling injuries and adversity, the Gophers advanced to their sixth Final Four in program history and third within this decade; As the Gophers were without their starting setter, Kylie Miller, Minnesota still managed to produce a 27-6 season and 17-3 in the Big Ten, which tied for second in league standings; The Gophers accomplished their first program win over No. 1 Stanford in non-conference action and also garnered their first win over Penn State in State College since 2004 to end the conference season; Receiving the No. 7 overall seed, Minnesota defeated Fairfield (First Round), Creighton (Second Round), Florida (Third Round) and Louisville (Fourth Round) to advance to the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh; Minnesota fell to eventual champion Stanford in the National Semifinal; Minnesota had three garner All-America honors in Regan Pittman, Stephanie Samedy and Alexis Hart; The Gophers, lost former head coach and hall of famer Mike Hebert. He passed away at the age of 75 surrounded by his family; renovations of Maturi Pavilion also occurred in 2019; a new weight room, athletic medicine, locker room and club room added to the facility as well as air conditioning in the Pav.
2020 – The Gophers will look forward to another upcoming decade and season. The Gophers welcome four outstanding student-athletes to the storied program in Cami Appiani, Taylor Landfair, Melani Shaffmaster and Jenna Wenaas; Landfair and Shaffmaster join the program already in January!
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