University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, September 10
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Stanford
Players Mentioned
Libero/DS
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Outside
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Gophers to Play Stanford, Oregon in Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge
9/8/2021 12:32:00 PM | Volleyball
Minnesota opens against Stanford on Friday night
EUGENE, Oregon -- The No. 13-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-3, 0-0 Big Ten) will hit the road once again this weekend for the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge in Eugene, Ore. The Gophers will play No. 14 Stanford (3-1, 0-0 Pac-12) at 6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT on Friday before taking on No. 11 Oregon (5-0, 0-0 Pac-12) at 9 p.m. CT/7 p.m. PT on Saturday. The No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) are set to play Oregon on Friday and Stanford on Saturday. All matches will be streamed on the Pac-12 Network.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Friday, Sept. 10
No. 13Â Minnesota vs. No. 14 Stanford | 6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT | Pac-12 Network
Matthew Knight Arena
Eugene, Ore.
Play-By-Play: Rich Burk
Color Analyst: Nicole Rigoni
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday, Sept. 11
No. 13 Minnesota at No. 11 Oregon | 9 p.m. CT/7 p.m. PT | Pac-12 Network
Matthew Knight Arena
Eugene, Ore.
Play-By-Play: Rich Burk
Color Analyst: Nicole Rigoni
STANFORD SERIES INFORMATION
• Minnesota is 1-10 all-time against Stanford
• Last Meeting: 2019; First Meeting: 2001
• Since McCutcheon took over in 2012, Minnesota and Stanford have met seven times, with Stanford taking six of them. Minnesota is 0-3 at Stanford and 1-3 at neutral sites. Two of the matchups came in the 2016 and 2019 Final Fours, where the Cardinal took each in three sets. The two teams met twice in 2019, with Minnesota winning in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, 3-1 in University Park, Pa. The win stopped Stanford's 37-match win streak. Samedy tallied 21 kills while CC McGraw registered a match-high 20 digs. Minnesota hit .247 and held Stanford to .185.
• Stanford got revenge in the 2019 Final Four, winning 3-0 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Samedy led the 'U' with 13 kills while McGraw and Rachel Kilkelly combined for 21 digs.
OREGON SERIES INFORMATION
• Minnesota is 3-4 all-time against Oregon
• Last Meeting: 2019; First Meeting: 1988
• The Gophers are 3-4 all-time against Oregon, including a 1-2 record under coach McCutcheon.
• Minnesota dominated Oregon, 3-0, in their 2019 matchup in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, getting revenge for their 2018 Sweet 16 loss at the Pav. The Ducks defeated the Gophers 3-1 in their postseason matchup in addition to a 3-1 loss at the 2018 Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge at Stanford.
GOPHERS AGAINST THE PAC-12
• All-time, Minnesota is 21-34-1 (.384) against Pac-12 opponents. Under coach McCutcheon, Minnesota is 5-9 (.357). The Gophers are 1-6 against Stanford under Hugh and 1-2 against Oregon.
SCOUTING THEÂ CARDINAL
• The No. 14 Stanford Cardinal are led by fifth-year head coach Kevin Hambly, who was won two national titles and led his program to three straight national semifinals from 2017-19. Stanford went 2-8 in last year's COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
• This year, Stanford is 3-1 with a marquee win over Florida and a three set loss to Texas. The Cardinal also hold wins over Temple and Villanova. Junior Kendall Kipp was named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team, while the Cardinal was picked to finish fourth in the conference by the league's coaches.Â
SCOUTING THE DUCKS
• No. 11 Oregon is led by fifth-year coach Matt Ulmer. He's led UO to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight in 2018, a Sweet 16 last year and a Round of 32 trip in 2017, his first year as coach.
• The unbeaten Ducks have been relatively unchallenged thus far, defeating Portland State, Santa Clara, San Jose State, Rice and SMU. Rice took them four sets, but all other matches were finished in three.
• The Ducks are led by reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and two-time All-American Brooke Nuneviller.
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 combined for 154 of Minnesota's 191 kills (.806).
TIME TO DIG IT OUT
• The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank 52nd nationally in digs per set (16.33). Samedy leads the team with 3.87 per set while CC McGraw (3.73) and Melani Shaffmaster (3.20) are both over three.Â
GOPHERS INÂ NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is a superb 93-21 (.816) in non-conference competition.
• Of their 21 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.
SAMEDYÂ AMONG NCAA ACTIVE LEADERS AND 2021 NCAA LEADERS
• Stephanie Samedy currently ranks 9th among NCAA active leaders in career kills (1,570), 9th in total attacks (4,097), 24th in matches played (119) and 48th in digs (1,185).
• In 2021, Samedy leads the nation through four matches in points per set (6.33) and ranks second in kills per set (5.67) and attacks per set (14.33). She leads the Big Ten in each offensive category.
AVCA ALL-AMERICAN AND ALL-REGIONÂ HONORSÂ
• Stephanie Samedy garnered American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-America honors in 2020-21, the fourth All-America honor of here career, including three on the first team.
• Freshman Taylor Landfair was named AVCA All-America honorable mention in addition to being an All-Region selection and the AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year. The two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week averaged 3.03 kills per set and ranked second on the team in kills (212). She led the Gophers in match kills five times in 2020-21 and held double-digit kills 11 times.
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.
HOW TO WATCH ON PAC-12 NETWORK
• Gophers fans interested in watching the matches this weekend can go to fubu.tv. to start a FREE seven day trial. Along with the trial, fans will have access to the Pac-12 Network and both matches this weekend.
WHAT'S NEXT
• Minnesota will head home for the Diet Coke Classic on Thursday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 18. They'll take on St. Thomas and Iowa State in the three-team invite.
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
Friday, Sept. 10
No. 13Â Minnesota vs. No. 14 Stanford | 6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT | Pac-12 Network
Matthew Knight Arena
Eugene, Ore.
Play-By-Play: Rich Burk
Color Analyst: Nicole Rigoni
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday, Sept. 11
No. 13 Minnesota at No. 11 Oregon | 9 p.m. CT/7 p.m. PT | Pac-12 Network
Matthew Knight Arena
Eugene, Ore.
Play-By-Play: Rich Burk
Color Analyst: Nicole Rigoni
STANFORD SERIES INFORMATION
• Minnesota is 1-10 all-time against Stanford
• Last Meeting: 2019; First Meeting: 2001
• Since McCutcheon took over in 2012, Minnesota and Stanford have met seven times, with Stanford taking six of them. Minnesota is 0-3 at Stanford and 1-3 at neutral sites. Two of the matchups came in the 2016 and 2019 Final Fours, where the Cardinal took each in three sets. The two teams met twice in 2019, with Minnesota winning in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, 3-1 in University Park, Pa. The win stopped Stanford's 37-match win streak. Samedy tallied 21 kills while CC McGraw registered a match-high 20 digs. Minnesota hit .247 and held Stanford to .185.
• Stanford got revenge in the 2019 Final Four, winning 3-0 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Samedy led the 'U' with 13 kills while McGraw and Rachel Kilkelly combined for 21 digs.
OREGON SERIES INFORMATION
• Minnesota is 3-4 all-time against Oregon
• Last Meeting: 2019; First Meeting: 1988
• The Gophers are 3-4 all-time against Oregon, including a 1-2 record under coach McCutcheon.
• Minnesota dominated Oregon, 3-0, in their 2019 matchup in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, getting revenge for their 2018 Sweet 16 loss at the Pav. The Ducks defeated the Gophers 3-1 in their postseason matchup in addition to a 3-1 loss at the 2018 Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge at Stanford.
GOPHERS AGAINST THE PAC-12
• All-time, Minnesota is 21-34-1 (.384) against Pac-12 opponents. Under coach McCutcheon, Minnesota is 5-9 (.357). The Gophers are 1-6 against Stanford under Hugh and 1-2 against Oregon.
SCOUTING THEÂ CARDINAL
• The No. 14 Stanford Cardinal are led by fifth-year head coach Kevin Hambly, who was won two national titles and led his program to three straight national semifinals from 2017-19. Stanford went 2-8 in last year's COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
• This year, Stanford is 3-1 with a marquee win over Florida and a three set loss to Texas. The Cardinal also hold wins over Temple and Villanova. Junior Kendall Kipp was named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team, while the Cardinal was picked to finish fourth in the conference by the league's coaches.Â
SCOUTING THE DUCKS
• No. 11 Oregon is led by fifth-year coach Matt Ulmer. He's led UO to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight in 2018, a Sweet 16 last year and a Round of 32 trip in 2017, his first year as coach.
• The unbeaten Ducks have been relatively unchallenged thus far, defeating Portland State, Santa Clara, San Jose State, Rice and SMU. Rice took them four sets, but all other matches were finished in three.
• The Ducks are led by reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and two-time All-American Brooke Nuneviller.
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 combined for 154 of Minnesota's 191 kills (.806).
TIME TO DIG IT OUT
• The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank 52nd nationally in digs per set (16.33). Samedy leads the team with 3.87 per set while CC McGraw (3.73) and Melani Shaffmaster (3.20) are both over three.Â
GOPHERS INÂ NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is a superb 93-21 (.816) in non-conference competition.
• Of their 21 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.
SAMEDYÂ AMONG NCAA ACTIVE LEADERS AND 2021 NCAA LEADERS
• Stephanie Samedy currently ranks 9th among NCAA active leaders in career kills (1,570), 9th in total attacks (4,097), 24th in matches played (119) and 48th in digs (1,185).
• In 2021, Samedy leads the nation through four matches in points per set (6.33) and ranks second in kills per set (5.67) and attacks per set (14.33). She leads the Big Ten in each offensive category.
AVCA ALL-AMERICAN AND ALL-REGIONÂ HONORSÂ
• Stephanie Samedy garnered American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-America honors in 2020-21, the fourth All-America honor of here career, including three on the first team.
• Freshman Taylor Landfair was named AVCA All-America honorable mention in addition to being an All-Region selection and the AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year. The two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week averaged 3.03 kills per set and ranked second on the team in kills (212). She led the Gophers in match kills five times in 2020-21 and held double-digit kills 11 times.
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.
HOW TO WATCH ON PAC-12 NETWORK
• Gophers fans interested in watching the matches this weekend can go to fubu.tv. to start a FREE seven day trial. Along with the trial, fans will have access to the Pac-12 Network and both matches this weekend.
WHAT'S NEXT
• Minnesota will head home for the Diet Coke Classic on Thursday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 18. They'll take on St. Thomas and Iowa State in the three-team invite.
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
Wednesday, September 17
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