University of Minnesota Athletics
Wednesday, October 26
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Michigan State
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Photo by: Christopher Mitchell
'U' to Host 'Volleyball for All' Match vs. MSU
10/25/2022 11:43:00 AM | Volleyball
First serve is set for 7 p.m. on B1G+
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 9 Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-6, 7-3 Big Ten) will host a 'Volleyball for All' match on Wednesday night against Michigan State (10-11, 1-9 Big Ten). B1G+ will provide streaming coverage for the match, which begins at 7 p.m. CT. Emma Carpenter (play-by-play) and Meredith Nelson-Uram (analyst) will be on the call.
MICHIGAN STATE BROADCAST INFORMATION
No. 9 Minnesota vs. Michigan State | 7 p.m. CT | B1G+
Wednesday, Oct. 26
Maturi Pavilion
Minneapolis, Minn.
Broadcasters: Emma Carpenter (Play-By-Play) and Meredith Nelson-Uram (Analyst)
Radio: Tanner Hoops (Play-By-Play)
NUMBERS TO KNOW:
267 -- Minnesota head coach Hugh McCutcheon holds a 267-71 (.788) collegiate coaching record and has led Minnesota to two Big Ten Championships, three Final Fours, nine trips to the Sweet 16 and five to the Elite Eight. He joins Mike Hebert (1996-2011; 381-136 (.737)) and Stephanie Schleuder (1982-1994; 263-173 (.603)) as the third coach in Minnesota history to win 260 matches. Hebert also led the 'U' to three Final Fours.
26 --The 2021 season marked the 26th year the Golden Gophers advanced to the NCAA tournament. Minnesota has also advanced to the tournament in seven-straight seasons and nine of 10 seasons under head coach Hugh McCutcheon.
11 -- Of Minnesota's first 18 matches were versus ranked opponents. The Gophers are 6-5 in those contests.
8 -- Melani Shaffmaster now ranks 8th all-time in Minnesota history with 2,573 career assists.
7 -- Of Minnesota's eight non-conference matches were against teams that made the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Seven of the teams were ranked or receiving votes when Minnesota played.
6 -- Of Minnesota's last seven matches have been victories.
6 -- Different Gophers have reached double figures in kills this year (Carter Booth, Naya Gros, Julia Hanson, Taylor Landfair, Jenna Wenaas, Mckenna Wucherer).
4 -- Graduate libero CC McGraw now ranks No. 4 all-time at Minnesota with 1,753 career digs. She passed Jessica Granquist (2008-11) for No. 4 all-time on Saturday. Dalianliz Rosado (1,870) ranks No. 3.
4 -- Of the past seven matches, the Gophers have hit over .300 as a team. They've done so eight times this season, posting an 8-0 record in those contests.
4 -- Minnesota's rank in the Big Ten standings. Nebraska (10-0), Wisconsin (9-1) and Ohio State (9-1) are the three teams ahead.
2 -- Hugh McCutcheon became the second winningest coach in Minnesota history with last Sunday's win over Michigan State, his 264th win at the helm of Minnesota.
VOLLEYBALL FOR ALL MATCH VS. MSU
• Minnesota will wear Pride warmup shirts and Fanatics will sell Pride t-shirts. The first 500 fans will get progress Pride Flags and event staff will wear pride lanyards. Both coaching staffs will wear Pride lapel pins. There will be in-venue activations from the UMN Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life.
HUGH'S LAST HURRAH
• The 2022 season will be head coach Hugh McCutcheon's last as the man in charge of Minnesota's volleyball program, he announced on Sunday, Oct. 16. Associate head coach Matt Houk will serve as interim head coach of the program after the season while a national search is conducted.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Gophers continued their strong play with a sweep over Iowa on the road last Wednesday. Minnesota hit .294, paced by 13 kills and eight blocks from Taylor Landfair and 29 assists, 10 digs from Mel Shaffmaster.
• Minnesota tallied its sixth ranked win of the year with a four set takedown of No. 12 Purdue on Saturday night at the Pav. Landfair had 21 kills while Shaffmaster went for 47 assists and 20 digs. Mckenna Wucherer tied her career-high with 16 kills. Lauren Crowl also came off the bench to post career-highs in kills (7) and blocks (2).
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
• Michigan State is led by first year head coach Leah Johnson, who spent the past five years at Illinois State, leading the Redbirds to four NCAA Tournament appearances.
• The Spartans went 9-2 in non-conference play, but did not take down a high-major opponent. MSU earned its first and only Big Ten win at Maryland on Sept. 30 in a five set win.
• Sophomore Aliyah Moore leads the team at 2.80 kills per set after playing her freshman year at Illinois State in 2021. Setter Zoe Nunez ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 8.07 digs per set.
HISTORY VS. MICHIGAN STATE
• Minnesota is 59-19 all-time against Michigan State. They've won seven straight and eight of the last nine in the series, including a three set win on Oct. 9. Under coach McCutcheon, the Gophers are 13-3 against MSU.
LANDFAIR NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
• For the first time in her career, Taylor Landfair was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 10. Landfair averaged a team-best 5.00 kills per set in sweeps over No. 24 Michigan and Michigan State last weekend. She also tallied 5.75 points, 1.17 digs and 0.67 blocks per set. Twice she won B1G Freshman of the Week.
• She earned the honor again on Oct. 24 after posting 5.79 points, 4.86 kills, 1.57 blocks and 0.86 digs per set last week in pacing Minnesota to wins over Iowa and No. 12 Purdue.
MCGRAW MOVES HER WAY UP RECORD BOOKS
• CC McGraw now ranks No. 4 in Gophers history with 1,753 digs. CC is now 247 digs away from becoming just the 10th player in B1G Volleyball history and second Gopher ever to reach 2,000 in her career.
• McGraw ranks 22nd among active Division I players in digs and first in the Big Ten.
• In three of her four seasons, McGraw has made Minnesota's top-20 list for most digs in the season. In 2018, she had 428 (18th), 450 (16th) in 2019 and a career-best 510 in 2021 (12th). She's the second Gopher to have three-or-more seasons with 400-or-more digs. So far in 2022, McGraw has tallied 198 digs.
GOPHERS IN BIG TEN PLAY
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is 153-45 (.773) in Big Ten competition. In his 10 seasons prior in charge, the Gophers have had nine seasons above .500 in conference play. In nine of those seasons, the 'U' went 15-5 or better in conference play, with the best being 19-1 in 2018.
• Minnesota is 7-3 in Big Ten play in 2022 through the halfway point. In 2021 the Gophers were also 7-3 (finished 15-5). Minnesota was 9-1 in spring 2021 (15-2) and 9-1 in 2019 (17-3) through nine games.
• 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.
BLOCK PARTY IN MINNESOTA
• In 2021, the Gophers ranked No. 7 in the B1G and No. 40 nationally in blocks with 289.5 and 2.47 per set.
• So far in 2022, Minnesota ranks No. 4 in the Big Ten and No. 6 nationally with 2.82 blocks per set.
• Naya Gros leads the Gophers and ranks 6th in the B1G with 1.42 blocks per set.
GETTING HOT AT THE RIGHT TIME
• Minnesota has won six of its last seven matches entering Wednesday's match with MSU. In four of those matches, the Gophers swept their opponents.
SHAFFMASTER SETTING THE TABLE
• A 6-foot-3 setter, Melani Shaffmaster ranks second in the Big Ten this year with 10.54 assists per set.She already ranks No. 8 in program history in assists (2,573). She became the 12th Gopher to reach 2,000 career assist with her fourth of the match against Florida.
• Mel earned Big Ten Setter of the Week and the Best Setter Award at the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge after tallying 74 assists in two matches, averaging nearly 11 per set. She set a season-high with 53 assists on Sunday vs. Iowa at home.
• Shaffmaster has tallied 30+ assists 16 times, 40+ five times and 50+ two times in 2022.
• She's been perhaps Minnesota's best all-around player, registering 10+ digs nine times this year and 3+ blocks 12 times. She's posted 3+ kills 12 times as well.
BIG TEN KEEPS STACKING ATTENDANCE NUMBERS
• So far in 2022, Wisconsin leads the nation in attendance (8,293) with Nebraska in second (8,186). Minnesota comes in at No. 4 (4,738). Hawaii (5,771) is just above the Gophers.
GOPHERS HEATING UP HITTING
• Minnesota is up to No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 32 nationally in hitting percentage at .260 for the year. Only Wisconsin (.270) and Northwestern (.261) rank ahead of the Gophers.
• The 'U' has hit .300-or-better eight times this year, and has done so in four of its past six outings.
• The Gophers are up to fifth in the conference with 12.45 assists per set.
UP NEXT
• The Gophers travel to Wisconsin to take on the No. 5 Badgers (15-3, 9-1 Big Ten) on Saturday, Oct. 29. The match will be a 5:30 p.m. start on BTN.
MICHIGAN STATE BROADCAST INFORMATION
No. 9 Minnesota vs. Michigan State | 7 p.m. CT | B1G+
Wednesday, Oct. 26
Maturi Pavilion
Minneapolis, Minn.
Broadcasters: Emma Carpenter (Play-By-Play) and Meredith Nelson-Uram (Analyst)
Radio: Tanner Hoops (Play-By-Play)
NUMBERS TO KNOW:
267 -- Minnesota head coach Hugh McCutcheon holds a 267-71 (.788) collegiate coaching record and has led Minnesota to two Big Ten Championships, three Final Fours, nine trips to the Sweet 16 and five to the Elite Eight. He joins Mike Hebert (1996-2011; 381-136 (.737)) and Stephanie Schleuder (1982-1994; 263-173 (.603)) as the third coach in Minnesota history to win 260 matches. Hebert also led the 'U' to three Final Fours.
26 --The 2021 season marked the 26th year the Golden Gophers advanced to the NCAA tournament. Minnesota has also advanced to the tournament in seven-straight seasons and nine of 10 seasons under head coach Hugh McCutcheon.
11 -- Of Minnesota's first 18 matches were versus ranked opponents. The Gophers are 6-5 in those contests.
8 -- Melani Shaffmaster now ranks 8th all-time in Minnesota history with 2,573 career assists.
7 -- Of Minnesota's eight non-conference matches were against teams that made the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Seven of the teams were ranked or receiving votes when Minnesota played.
6 -- Of Minnesota's last seven matches have been victories.
6 -- Different Gophers have reached double figures in kills this year (Carter Booth, Naya Gros, Julia Hanson, Taylor Landfair, Jenna Wenaas, Mckenna Wucherer).
4 -- Graduate libero CC McGraw now ranks No. 4 all-time at Minnesota with 1,753 career digs. She passed Jessica Granquist (2008-11) for No. 4 all-time on Saturday. Dalianliz Rosado (1,870) ranks No. 3.
4 -- Of the past seven matches, the Gophers have hit over .300 as a team. They've done so eight times this season, posting an 8-0 record in those contests.
4 -- Minnesota's rank in the Big Ten standings. Nebraska (10-0), Wisconsin (9-1) and Ohio State (9-1) are the three teams ahead.
2 -- Hugh McCutcheon became the second winningest coach in Minnesota history with last Sunday's win over Michigan State, his 264th win at the helm of Minnesota.
VOLLEYBALL FOR ALL MATCH VS. MSU
• Minnesota will wear Pride warmup shirts and Fanatics will sell Pride t-shirts. The first 500 fans will get progress Pride Flags and event staff will wear pride lanyards. Both coaching staffs will wear Pride lapel pins. There will be in-venue activations from the UMN Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life.
HUGH'S LAST HURRAH
• The 2022 season will be head coach Hugh McCutcheon's last as the man in charge of Minnesota's volleyball program, he announced on Sunday, Oct. 16. Associate head coach Matt Houk will serve as interim head coach of the program after the season while a national search is conducted.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Gophers continued their strong play with a sweep over Iowa on the road last Wednesday. Minnesota hit .294, paced by 13 kills and eight blocks from Taylor Landfair and 29 assists, 10 digs from Mel Shaffmaster.
• Minnesota tallied its sixth ranked win of the year with a four set takedown of No. 12 Purdue on Saturday night at the Pav. Landfair had 21 kills while Shaffmaster went for 47 assists and 20 digs. Mckenna Wucherer tied her career-high with 16 kills. Lauren Crowl also came off the bench to post career-highs in kills (7) and blocks (2).
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
• Michigan State is led by first year head coach Leah Johnson, who spent the past five years at Illinois State, leading the Redbirds to four NCAA Tournament appearances.
• The Spartans went 9-2 in non-conference play, but did not take down a high-major opponent. MSU earned its first and only Big Ten win at Maryland on Sept. 30 in a five set win.
• Sophomore Aliyah Moore leads the team at 2.80 kills per set after playing her freshman year at Illinois State in 2021. Setter Zoe Nunez ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 8.07 digs per set.
HISTORY VS. MICHIGAN STATE
• Minnesota is 59-19 all-time against Michigan State. They've won seven straight and eight of the last nine in the series, including a three set win on Oct. 9. Under coach McCutcheon, the Gophers are 13-3 against MSU.
LANDFAIR NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
• For the first time in her career, Taylor Landfair was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 10. Landfair averaged a team-best 5.00 kills per set in sweeps over No. 24 Michigan and Michigan State last weekend. She also tallied 5.75 points, 1.17 digs and 0.67 blocks per set. Twice she won B1G Freshman of the Week.
• She earned the honor again on Oct. 24 after posting 5.79 points, 4.86 kills, 1.57 blocks and 0.86 digs per set last week in pacing Minnesota to wins over Iowa and No. 12 Purdue.
MCGRAW MOVES HER WAY UP RECORD BOOKS
• CC McGraw now ranks No. 4 in Gophers history with 1,753 digs. CC is now 247 digs away from becoming just the 10th player in B1G Volleyball history and second Gopher ever to reach 2,000 in her career.
• McGraw ranks 22nd among active Division I players in digs and first in the Big Ten.
• In three of her four seasons, McGraw has made Minnesota's top-20 list for most digs in the season. In 2018, she had 428 (18th), 450 (16th) in 2019 and a career-best 510 in 2021 (12th). She's the second Gopher to have three-or-more seasons with 400-or-more digs. So far in 2022, McGraw has tallied 198 digs.
GOPHERS IN BIG TEN PLAY
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is 153-45 (.773) in Big Ten competition. In his 10 seasons prior in charge, the Gophers have had nine seasons above .500 in conference play. In nine of those seasons, the 'U' went 15-5 or better in conference play, with the best being 19-1 in 2018.
• Minnesota is 7-3 in Big Ten play in 2022 through the halfway point. In 2021 the Gophers were also 7-3 (finished 15-5). Minnesota was 9-1 in spring 2021 (15-2) and 9-1 in 2019 (17-3) through nine games.
• 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.
BLOCK PARTY IN MINNESOTA
• In 2021, the Gophers ranked No. 7 in the B1G and No. 40 nationally in blocks with 289.5 and 2.47 per set.
• So far in 2022, Minnesota ranks No. 4 in the Big Ten and No. 6 nationally with 2.82 blocks per set.
• Naya Gros leads the Gophers and ranks 6th in the B1G with 1.42 blocks per set.
GETTING HOT AT THE RIGHT TIME
• Minnesota has won six of its last seven matches entering Wednesday's match with MSU. In four of those matches, the Gophers swept their opponents.
SHAFFMASTER SETTING THE TABLE
• A 6-foot-3 setter, Melani Shaffmaster ranks second in the Big Ten this year with 10.54 assists per set.She already ranks No. 8 in program history in assists (2,573). She became the 12th Gopher to reach 2,000 career assist with her fourth of the match against Florida.
• Mel earned Big Ten Setter of the Week and the Best Setter Award at the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge after tallying 74 assists in two matches, averaging nearly 11 per set. She set a season-high with 53 assists on Sunday vs. Iowa at home.
• Shaffmaster has tallied 30+ assists 16 times, 40+ five times and 50+ two times in 2022.
• She's been perhaps Minnesota's best all-around player, registering 10+ digs nine times this year and 3+ blocks 12 times. She's posted 3+ kills 12 times as well.
BIG TEN KEEPS STACKING ATTENDANCE NUMBERS
• So far in 2022, Wisconsin leads the nation in attendance (8,293) with Nebraska in second (8,186). Minnesota comes in at No. 4 (4,738). Hawaii (5,771) is just above the Gophers.
GOPHERS HEATING UP HITTING
• Minnesota is up to No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 32 nationally in hitting percentage at .260 for the year. Only Wisconsin (.270) and Northwestern (.261) rank ahead of the Gophers.
• The 'U' has hit .300-or-better eight times this year, and has done so in four of its past six outings.
• The Gophers are up to fifth in the conference with 12.45 assists per set.
UP NEXT
• The Gophers travel to Wisconsin to take on the No. 5 Badgers (15-3, 9-1 Big Ten) on Saturday, Oct. 29. The match will be a 5:30 p.m. start on BTN.
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