University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, November 4
Columbus, OH
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Ohio State
Players Mentioned
Opposite
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Outside
/ Volleyball
Gophers Hit the Road to Play OSU and Illinois
11/3/2021 10:10:00 AM | Volleyball
Minnesota is in a stretch of five ranked opponents in six matches
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 11 Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-6, 9-3 Big Ten) heads east for two crucial conference matchups at No. 7 Ohio State (18-4, 8-4 Big Ten) on Thursday and No. 25 Illinois (16-7, 8-4 Big Ten) on Saturday. The Gophers are 3-1 in the midst of a 12-game stretch in which they'll play eight top-25 ranked opponents to end their Big Ten regular season slate. As it stands, the 'U' is in third place in the conference standings behind No. 4 Wisconsin (18-2, 10-2 Big Ten) and No. 9 Nebraska (16-5, 10-2 Big Ten).
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday, Nov. 4
No. 11 Minnesota at No. 7 Ohio State | 6 p.m. CT | BTN
Covelli Arena
Columbus, Ohio
BTN Broadcasters: Connor Onion (PBP) and Emily Ehman (Analyst)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday, Nov. 6
No. 11 Minnesota at No. 25 Illinois | 6 p.m. CT | B1G+
Huff Hall
Champaign, Ill.
B1G+ Broadcasters: TBA
LAST TIME OUT
• The No. 11 Minnesota Golden Gophers have won three straight and 12 of their last 15 since starting 1-3. They took down No. 6 Nebraska in five sets on Saturday night in an all-time thriller at the Pav.
• The Golden Gophers (14-6, 9-3 Big Ten) were paced by redshirt senior opposite Stephanie Samedy, who registered 20 kills and a season-high 26 digs. Jenna Wenaas had a career-high 22 kills while Melani Shaffmaster tallied three kills, 45 assists, 21 digs and four blocks. Minnesota hit .168 with 59 kills, eight aces, 107 digs and 10 blocks.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
• The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (18-4, 8-4 Big Ten) are off to a great start in 2021. They went a perfect 10-0 in non-conference play and have consistently been a tough out in Big Ten play. They've won eight of their last 10 conference games since dropping their first couple to Purdue and Illinois. OSU is 9-0 at home this year.
• OSU is led by second year head coach Jen Flynn Oldenberg, who is 34-8 in her two years in charge.
• The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in kills (14.91 k/s) and assists (13.89 a/s). They're paced by Emily Londot, who ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 3.66 kills per set. Middle blocker Rylee Rader ranks second in the league with an excellent .465 hitting percentage on 374 swings. Mac Podraza averages 11.88 assists per set.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
• The No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini (16-7, 8-4 Big Ten) entered the top-25 for the first time this season on the back of a four match winning streak. They recently took down No. 13 Penn State on the road in four sets.
• Illinois is led by fifth year head coach Chris Tamas, who is 94-47 during his tenure in Champaign. He led the Ilini to the 2018 Final Four and a 32-4 record during his best season thus far there.
• DS/L Taylor Kuper has done a great job of holding down the defense, ranking third in the B1G in digs per set at 4.41. The Illini are the best serving team in the conference, notching a league-high 1.93 service aces per set.
GOPHERS HISTORY AGAINST OHIO STATE AND ILLINOIS
• Minnesota is 47-36 all-time against Ohio State, including a 14-1 mark under Hugh McCutcheon. The Gophers have won nine straight in the series. Under Hugh, Minnesota is 8-0 at home and 6-1 on the road against the Buckeyes.
• The Gophers lead the all-time series vs. Illinois, 41-40-1, including a 12-2 record under Hugh. Minnesota has won five in-a-row and nine of the last 10 against the Illini. The lone loss in that stretch came in 2017. The Gophers are 4-2 under Hugh when playing in Champaign.
GOPHERS IN BIG TEN PLAY
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is 141-40 (.779) in Big Ten competition. In his nine seasons prior to 2021, the Gophers have had eight seasons above .500 in conference play. In all eight of those seasons, the 'U' went 15-5 or better in conference play, with the best being 19-1 in 2018.
• The Gophers won Big Ten titles in 2016 and 2018 and have finished either first, second or third in eight of the last nine seasons.
HAPPY HUGHVEMBER
• Now in year 10 under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota has been a team that consistently gets better throughout the course of the season. Under Hugh, the Gophers are 53-16 (.768) in the month of November. Since 2015, Minnesota is 34-7 (.829) in November, including a 19-3 (.863) record at home and a 15-4 (.798) record on the road.
SAMEDY TAKES HER GAME TO ANOTHER LEVEL IN 2021
• Stephanie Samedy currently ranks sixth among NCAA active leaders in career kills (1,828), eighth in total attacks (4,783), 24th in matches played (134) and 52nd in digs (1,405). She also ranks 18th in kills per set (3.81).
• In 2021, Samedy ranks 14th in the nation in points per set (5.18), 12th in kills per set (4.70) and 11th in attacks per set (12.34). She leads the Big Ten in each offensive category.
SAMEDY AND WENAAS COMBINING AS LETHAL DUO
• Minnesota opposite Stephanie Samedy and outside Jenna Wenaas have combined for 583 of Minnesota's 1023 kills (.569). They've reached double digit kills a combined 31 times this season while Samedy has hit the 20-kill mark in nine of her 19 matches. Statistically, they're the top attacking duo in the Big Ten Conference.
TOP BIG TEN ATTACKING DUOS (BY % OF TEAM'S KILLS; As of Nov. 1)
1. Samedy/Wenaas (MINN) - 583/1023 (.569)
2. Paige Jones/Jess Mruzik (MICH) - 524/975 (.537)
3. Caitlyn Newton/Grace Cleveland (PUR) - 532/1943 (.531)
4. Sam Csire/Paula Neciporuka (UMD) - 530/1024 (.525)
5. Courtney Buzzerio/Addie VanderWeide (Iowa) - 478/943 (.507)
6. Temi Thomas-Ailara/Hanna Lesiak (NW) - 586/1163 (.504)
7. Mady Saris/Breana Edwards (IND) - 517/1047 (.493)
TIME TO DIG IT OUT
• The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank No. 21 nationally in digs per set (16.92). CC McGraw leads the team (4.55) while Samedy (3.81) and Melani Shaffmaster (2.84) are right around four and three per set.
• CC McGraw ranks fourth in the conference in digs (346) and second in digs per set (4.55).
• The Gophers had a season-high 107 digs on Saturday vs. Nebraska, their most digs since they had 108 on Feb. 5, 2021 at Purdue. The 107 digs was a Big Ten match high for the season.
DIFFICULT SCHEDULE AWAITS MINNESOTA TO FINISH 2021
• The No. 11-ranked Gophers have a gauntlet of schedule once again. In addition to playing 20 conference games in the always difficult Big Ten slate, they played eight non-conference matches, including five against AVCA top-25 ranked teams.
• Minnesota is set to take on seven teams ranked in the AVCA preseason top-10 (second most top-10 games in the country). The Gophers have 13 ranked opponents out of 28 games on their schedule.
• In their final 12 matches of this season, the Gophers will face eight ranked opponents. So far in the 12 game stretch, Minnesota is 3-1 with two ranked victories (Ohio State, Nebraska).
WHAT'S NEXT
• Minnesota plays at Iowa on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. on B1G+.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday, Nov. 4
No. 11 Minnesota at No. 7 Ohio State | 6 p.m. CT | BTN
Covelli Arena
Columbus, Ohio
BTN Broadcasters: Connor Onion (PBP) and Emily Ehman (Analyst)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday, Nov. 6
No. 11 Minnesota at No. 25 Illinois | 6 p.m. CT | B1G+
Huff Hall
Champaign, Ill.
B1G+ Broadcasters: TBA
LAST TIME OUT
• The No. 11 Minnesota Golden Gophers have won three straight and 12 of their last 15 since starting 1-3. They took down No. 6 Nebraska in five sets on Saturday night in an all-time thriller at the Pav.
• The Golden Gophers (14-6, 9-3 Big Ten) were paced by redshirt senior opposite Stephanie Samedy, who registered 20 kills and a season-high 26 digs. Jenna Wenaas had a career-high 22 kills while Melani Shaffmaster tallied three kills, 45 assists, 21 digs and four blocks. Minnesota hit .168 with 59 kills, eight aces, 107 digs and 10 blocks.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
• The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (18-4, 8-4 Big Ten) are off to a great start in 2021. They went a perfect 10-0 in non-conference play and have consistently been a tough out in Big Ten play. They've won eight of their last 10 conference games since dropping their first couple to Purdue and Illinois. OSU is 9-0 at home this year.
• OSU is led by second year head coach Jen Flynn Oldenberg, who is 34-8 in her two years in charge.
• The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in kills (14.91 k/s) and assists (13.89 a/s). They're paced by Emily Londot, who ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 3.66 kills per set. Middle blocker Rylee Rader ranks second in the league with an excellent .465 hitting percentage on 374 swings. Mac Podraza averages 11.88 assists per set.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
• The No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini (16-7, 8-4 Big Ten) entered the top-25 for the first time this season on the back of a four match winning streak. They recently took down No. 13 Penn State on the road in four sets.
• Illinois is led by fifth year head coach Chris Tamas, who is 94-47 during his tenure in Champaign. He led the Ilini to the 2018 Final Four and a 32-4 record during his best season thus far there.
• DS/L Taylor Kuper has done a great job of holding down the defense, ranking third in the B1G in digs per set at 4.41. The Illini are the best serving team in the conference, notching a league-high 1.93 service aces per set.
GOPHERS HISTORY AGAINST OHIO STATE AND ILLINOIS
• Minnesota is 47-36 all-time against Ohio State, including a 14-1 mark under Hugh McCutcheon. The Gophers have won nine straight in the series. Under Hugh, Minnesota is 8-0 at home and 6-1 on the road against the Buckeyes.
• The Gophers lead the all-time series vs. Illinois, 41-40-1, including a 12-2 record under Hugh. Minnesota has won five in-a-row and nine of the last 10 against the Illini. The lone loss in that stretch came in 2017. The Gophers are 4-2 under Hugh when playing in Champaign.
GOPHERS IN BIG TEN PLAY
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is 141-40 (.779) in Big Ten competition. In his nine seasons prior to 2021, the Gophers have had eight seasons above .500 in conference play. In all eight of those seasons, the 'U' went 15-5 or better in conference play, with the best being 19-1 in 2018.
• The Gophers won Big Ten titles in 2016 and 2018 and have finished either first, second or third in eight of the last nine seasons.
HAPPY HUGHVEMBER
• Now in year 10 under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota has been a team that consistently gets better throughout the course of the season. Under Hugh, the Gophers are 53-16 (.768) in the month of November. Since 2015, Minnesota is 34-7 (.829) in November, including a 19-3 (.863) record at home and a 15-4 (.798) record on the road.
SAMEDY TAKES HER GAME TO ANOTHER LEVEL IN 2021
• Stephanie Samedy currently ranks sixth among NCAA active leaders in career kills (1,828), eighth in total attacks (4,783), 24th in matches played (134) and 52nd in digs (1,405). She also ranks 18th in kills per set (3.81).
• In 2021, Samedy ranks 14th in the nation in points per set (5.18), 12th in kills per set (4.70) and 11th in attacks per set (12.34). She leads the Big Ten in each offensive category.
SAMEDY AND WENAAS COMBINING AS LETHAL DUO
• Minnesota opposite Stephanie Samedy and outside Jenna Wenaas have combined for 583 of Minnesota's 1023 kills (.569). They've reached double digit kills a combined 31 times this season while Samedy has hit the 20-kill mark in nine of her 19 matches. Statistically, they're the top attacking duo in the Big Ten Conference.
TOP BIG TEN ATTACKING DUOS (BY % OF TEAM'S KILLS; As of Nov. 1)
1. Samedy/Wenaas (MINN) - 583/1023 (.569)
2. Paige Jones/Jess Mruzik (MICH) - 524/975 (.537)
3. Caitlyn Newton/Grace Cleveland (PUR) - 532/1943 (.531)
4. Sam Csire/Paula Neciporuka (UMD) - 530/1024 (.525)
5. Courtney Buzzerio/Addie VanderWeide (Iowa) - 478/943 (.507)
6. Temi Thomas-Ailara/Hanna Lesiak (NW) - 586/1163 (.504)
7. Mady Saris/Breana Edwards (IND) - 517/1047 (.493)
TIME TO DIG IT OUT
• The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank No. 21 nationally in digs per set (16.92). CC McGraw leads the team (4.55) while Samedy (3.81) and Melani Shaffmaster (2.84) are right around four and three per set.
• CC McGraw ranks fourth in the conference in digs (346) and second in digs per set (4.55).
• The Gophers had a season-high 107 digs on Saturday vs. Nebraska, their most digs since they had 108 on Feb. 5, 2021 at Purdue. The 107 digs was a Big Ten match high for the season.
DIFFICULT SCHEDULE AWAITS MINNESOTA TO FINISH 2021
• The No. 11-ranked Gophers have a gauntlet of schedule once again. In addition to playing 20 conference games in the always difficult Big Ten slate, they played eight non-conference matches, including five against AVCA top-25 ranked teams.
• Minnesota is set to take on seven teams ranked in the AVCA preseason top-10 (second most top-10 games in the country). The Gophers have 13 ranked opponents out of 28 games on their schedule.
• In their final 12 matches of this season, the Gophers will face eight ranked opponents. So far in the 12 game stretch, Minnesota is 3-1 with two ranked victories (Ohio State, Nebraska).
WHAT'S NEXT
• Minnesota plays at Iowa on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. on B1G+.
Cinematic Recap: Buckeye Sweep
Tuesday, October 14
Highlights: Gophers 3, Ohio State 0
Sunday, October 12
Highlights: Gophers 0, UCLA 3
Wednesday, October 08
Highlights: Gophers 3, Northwestern 1
Sunday, October 05