University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, September 5
Gainesville, FL
1:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Florida
Players Mentioned
Outside
/ Volleyball
Opposite
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Outside
/ Volleyball
Gophers Travel to Florida to Take on Gators
9/3/2021 9:55:00 AM | Volleyball
It's Minnesota's second top-10 matchup of the week
GAINESVILLE, Florida -- The No. 10-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten) are looking for a signature win over a top-10 team when they travel to Florida this weekend to play the Gators (3-1, 0-0 SEC). Minnesota went 1-1 on opening weekend in Madison. The Gators are coming off a mid-week loss to No. 20 Stanford in four sets.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
No. 10 Minnesota at No. 5 Florida | 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET | ESPNU
Stephen C. O'Connell Center
Gainesville, Fla.
Play-By-Play: Paul Sunderland
Color Analyst: Jenny Hazelwood
SERIES INFORMATION
• Minnesota is 5-1 all-time against Florida.
• Last Meeting: 2019; First Meeting: 1984
• They last played in 2019 in the Sweet 16 in Austin, Texas. The Gophers won in five sets despite trailing 2-1 after three.
• Minnesota also beat UF in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The Gators only win over the Gophers was in 2003, a home game in which Florida won in three sets.
SCOUTING THE GATORS
• No. 5 Florida started the season 3-0 before falling this week to Stanford in four sets at home. They're led by three-time AVCA Coach of the Year Mary Wise, who sits less than 20 wins away from 1,000 in her career.
• The Gators returned .805 percent of its kills, .627 percent of its service aces, .893 percentage of its solo blocks, .777 percent of its block and .904 percent of its assists from last year.
• UF returns AVCA All-Americans T'ara Ceasar and Thayer Hall on the outside and three experienced middle blockers in Lauren Dooley, Lauren Forte and Nnedi Okammor.
• The Gators hold a 537-71 (.885) record at home since the inception of the program in 1984.
LANDFAIR, SAMEDY AND WENAAS COMBINING AS LETHAL TRIO
• Minnesota opposite Stephanie Samedy and outside hitters Taylor Landfair and Jenna Wenaas have provided most of the offense for the Gophers so far in 2021. They've all reached double digits in kills in every match thus far and have combined for 120 of Minnesota's 142 kills (.845).
ACES ALL AROUND
• Through three matches, Minnesota has executed well on the serve, ranking second in the Big Ten in aces (21) and fourth in aces per set (1.91). Seven different players have registered aces this season and six have three-or-more. Melani Shaffmaster (5) leads the team.
BLOCK PARTY IN DINKYTOWN
• The Gophers rank sixth in the conference in blocks in 2021, notching 2.91 per set. Four different players (Husemann, 1.67), Myers (1.18), Rubright (1.00) and Samedy (1.00) average over one block per set.
GOPHERS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is a superb 93-20 (.823) in non-conference competition.
• Of their 20 non-conference losses, six have come to Stanford (1-6) and four have come to Texas (1-4).
• Minnesota has played ranked non-conference opponents in all 10 seasons under coach McCutcheon. In their last full non-con slate in 2019, the Gophers went 10-3 in out-of-conference play, going 3-2 against ranked opponents.
SAMEDY RETURNS AS REIGNING BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• After an outstanding 2021 spring season, senior opposite hitter Stephanie Samedy was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. It marks Samedy's first-ever player of the year and Minnesota's seventh in school history. Of the seven, four have come under head coach Hugh McCutcheon. Samedy averaged a league-best 4.15 kills per set and 4.69 points per set.
• Samedy garnered American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-America honors in 2020-21, the fourth All-America honor of her career, including three on the first team. She also won the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award. The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I women's volleyball coaches, national volleyball media, and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I women's volleyball.
• She currently ranks 10th among NCAA active leaders in career kills (1,518), 9th in total attacks (3,971), 24th in matches played (117) and 49th in digs (1,152).
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE AWAITS MINNESOTA
• The No.10-ranked Gophers have a gauntlet of schedule once again. In addition to playing 20 conference games in the always difficult Big Ten slate, they'll play 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.
LANDFAIR AND SAMEDY MAKE PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
• Sophomore Taylor Landfair and redshirt senior Stephanie Samedy both landed a spot on the Preseason All-Big Ten team. It is Landfair's first preseason all-league honor and Samedy's fourth.
• The Gophers, ranked No. 7 by the AVCA preseason poll, are tabbed to finish fourth in the league standings, which was voted on by the conference coaches. Wisconsin was predicted to win the conference, followed by Nebraska, Penn State, Minnesota and Purdue to round out the top five.
WHAT'S NEXT
• Minnesota will travel to Eugene, Ore., for the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge against Stanford and Oregon next weekend. Both matches will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
Make sure to follow the Golden Gophers Volleyball team on Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok @GopherVBall to catch up with the latest happenings in the program.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
No. 10 Minnesota at No. 5 Florida | 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET | ESPNU
Stephen C. O'Connell Center
Gainesville, Fla.
Play-By-Play: Paul Sunderland
Color Analyst: Jenny Hazelwood
SERIES INFORMATION
• Minnesota is 5-1 all-time against Florida.
• Last Meeting: 2019; First Meeting: 1984
• They last played in 2019 in the Sweet 16 in Austin, Texas. The Gophers won in five sets despite trailing 2-1 after three.
• Minnesota also beat UF in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The Gators only win over the Gophers was in 2003, a home game in which Florida won in three sets.
SCOUTING THE GATORS
• No. 5 Florida started the season 3-0 before falling this week to Stanford in four sets at home. They're led by three-time AVCA Coach of the Year Mary Wise, who sits less than 20 wins away from 1,000 in her career.
• The Gators returned .805 percent of its kills, .627 percent of its service aces, .893 percentage of its solo blocks, .777 percent of its block and .904 percent of its assists from last year.
• UF returns AVCA All-Americans T'ara Ceasar and Thayer Hall on the outside and three experienced middle blockers in Lauren Dooley, Lauren Forte and Nnedi Okammor.
• The Gators hold a 537-71 (.885) record at home since the inception of the program in 1984.
LANDFAIR, SAMEDY AND WENAAS COMBINING AS LETHAL TRIO
• Minnesota opposite Stephanie Samedy and outside hitters Taylor Landfair and Jenna Wenaas have provided most of the offense for the Gophers so far in 2021. They've all reached double digits in kills in every match thus far and have combined for 120 of Minnesota's 142 kills (.845).
ACES ALL AROUND
• Through three matches, Minnesota has executed well on the serve, ranking second in the Big Ten in aces (21) and fourth in aces per set (1.91). Seven different players have registered aces this season and six have three-or-more. Melani Shaffmaster (5) leads the team.
BLOCK PARTY IN DINKYTOWN
• The Gophers rank sixth in the conference in blocks in 2021, notching 2.91 per set. Four different players (Husemann, 1.67), Myers (1.18), Rubright (1.00) and Samedy (1.00) average over one block per set.
GOPHERS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is a superb 93-20 (.823) in non-conference competition.
• Of their 20 non-conference losses, six have come to Stanford (1-6) and four have come to Texas (1-4).
• Minnesota has played ranked non-conference opponents in all 10 seasons under coach McCutcheon. In their last full non-con slate in 2019, the Gophers went 10-3 in out-of-conference play, going 3-2 against ranked opponents.
SAMEDY RETURNS AS REIGNING BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• After an outstanding 2021 spring season, senior opposite hitter Stephanie Samedy was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. It marks Samedy's first-ever player of the year and Minnesota's seventh in school history. Of the seven, four have come under head coach Hugh McCutcheon. Samedy averaged a league-best 4.15 kills per set and 4.69 points per set.
• Samedy garnered American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-America honors in 2020-21, the fourth All-America honor of her career, including three on the first team. She also won the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award. The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I women's volleyball coaches, national volleyball media, and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I women's volleyball.
• She currently ranks 10th among NCAA active leaders in career kills (1,518), 9th in total attacks (3,971), 24th in matches played (117) and 49th in digs (1,152).
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE AWAITS MINNESOTA
• The No.10-ranked Gophers have a gauntlet of schedule once again. In addition to playing 20 conference games in the always difficult Big Ten slate, they'll play 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.
LANDFAIR AND SAMEDY MAKE PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
• Sophomore Taylor Landfair and redshirt senior Stephanie Samedy both landed a spot on the Preseason All-Big Ten team. It is Landfair's first preseason all-league honor and Samedy's fourth.
• The Gophers, ranked No. 7 by the AVCA preseason poll, are tabbed to finish fourth in the league standings, which was voted on by the conference coaches. Wisconsin was predicted to win the conference, followed by Nebraska, Penn State, Minnesota and Purdue to round out the top five.
WHAT'S NEXT
• Minnesota will travel to Eugene, Ore., for the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge against Stanford and Oregon next weekend. Both matches will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.
Make sure to follow the Golden Gophers Volleyball team on Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok @GopherVBall to catch up with the latest happenings in the program.
Cinematic Recap: Diet Coke Classic
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Highlights: Gophers 3, SDSU 1
Sunday, September 14
Highlights: Gophers 3, Dayton 0
Saturday, September 13
Highlights: Gophers 3, South Florida 0
Friday, September 12