No. 3 Gophers to Host Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge

MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-2, 0-0 Big Ten) will close out the non-conference slate by taking on No. 22 Pepperdine (7-2, 0-0 WCC) and RV Washington State (7-1, 0-0 Pac-12) in the Diet Coke Classic. Last year, the Gophers swept St. Thomas and Iowa State to go undefeated in the event.

PEPPERDINE BROADCAST INFORMATION
No. 6 Minnesota vs. No. 22 Pepperdine | 7 p.m. CT | B1G+
Thursday, Sept. 15
Maturi Pavilion
Minneapolis, Minn.
Radio: Tanner Hoops (Gopher Radio Network)

WASHINGTON STATE BROADCAST INFORMATION
No. 6 Minnesota vs. (RV) Washington State | 7:30 p.m. CT | B1G+
Saturday, Sept. 17
Maturi Pavilion
Minneapolis, Minn.
Radio: Tanner Hoops (Gopher Radio Network)

NUMBERS TO KNOW:
259 -- Minnesota head coach Hugh McCutcheon holds a 259-67 (.800) 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 250 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.
19 -- Of Minnesota's 31 scheduled games are against 2021 NCAA Tournament teams. 12 of those matches are against teams that advanced to the Sweet 16 or further.
16 -- 16 of the Gophers' 31 games are versus teams that finished in the AVCA Top-25. Seven of those matches are against teams that finished in the top-10.
7 -- Of Minnesota's eight non-conference matches are against teams that made the 2021 NCAA Tournament. TCU is the only team that failed to qualify.
6 -- Of the eight team's Minnesota will have played in non-conference play will be ranked at the time of their matchup.
5 -- Fifth-year senior libero CC McGraw ranks No. 5 all-time at Minnesota with 1,619 career digs. She's just 381 away from becoming the second Gopher and 10th Big Ten player all-time to reach that mark.
4 -- Transfers were added to the mix in 2022. Arica Davis (MB, Ohio State), Elise McGhie (S, Kansas), Miranda Wucherer (S/RS, N. Kentucky) and Naya Gros (MB, Michigan State) are the additions.
3 -- Gophers earned All-Big Ten honors last season. Five-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree Stephanie Samedy departs, but CC McGraw (first team) and Jenna Wenaas (second team) return.
2 -- Conference opponents Minnesota plays twice: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin.
1 -- Conference opponents Minnesota plays once: Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Gophers took down No. 18 Oregon on Friday night at the Pav to open the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge. Taylor Landfair had a career-high 28 kills with nine digs while Mel Shaffmaster had 51 assists with 21 digs (tied career-high) in the four set win.
• Minnesota stumbled on Saturday night against No. 11 Stanford, falling in four sets. Landfair led the Gophers, who hit a season low .107 on the night, with 15 kills.

SCOUTING PEPPERDINE
• Pepperdine is led by alum Scott Wong, who was named the Waves' head coach in December of 2014. He enters his eighth season at the helm of the Waves' program in 2022.
• Last season in 2021, Wong led Pepperdine to the team's third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years after compiling a 22-6 overall record with a 14-4 WCC output and 2nd place in the league.
• The Waves were highlighted on the All-WCC Preseason Team by three players - Rachel Ahrens, Meg Brown and Isabel Zelaya. They had all garnered postseason accolades after the 2021 campaign, with Ahrens earning AVCA All-American honorable mention status.

SCOUTING WASHINGTON STATE
• WSU is led by 12th-year head coach Jen Greeny, who has garnered two Pac-12 Coach of the Year awards from the sidelines while leading the Cougars to an unprecedented six-consecutive (and counting) NCAA postseason appearances.
• The Cougars finished 2021 at No. 23 in the nation after a postseason run to the NCAA tournament second round and a 20-12 overall record
• Seniors Magda Jehlarova and Pia Timmer were each named to the Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference team. Jehlarova is a two-time AVCA All-American while Timmer earned AVCA honors last year after leading the team with 3.79 kills per set.

HISTORY VS. PEPPERDINE AND WASHINGTON STATE
• The Gophers are 3-0 all-time vs. Pepperdine and have never played Washington State. Minnesota last played Pepperdine in 2003, a five-set victory in Long Beach, Calif.
• The first meeting against Pepperdine came in 1980, another five set win at a tournament in San Diego. They also played in 2002 at the Pav in the State Farm Volleyball Classic, when the 'U' won in straight sets.

GOPHERS IN THE DIET COKE CLASSIC
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is 22-0 in the Diet Coke Classic. They're 57-7 all-time.

LANDFAIR LEADS GOPHERS IN THIRD YEAR ON CAMPUS
• The No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2020, Taylor Landfair had an excellent true freshman season in the spring of 2021. She ranked second on the Gophers in kills per set and made First Team All-Big Ten and AVCA All-America honorable mention.
• Last fall wasn't quite as fun for Landfair as she sat out most of the year (played just nine games) with an abdominal injury.
• She's back and better than ever in 2022, leading the 'U' in kills with 4.48 per set so far this year. She's also averaging 1.91 digs and 0.74 blocks per set, playing all six rotations. Landfair was named MVP of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge after leading all players in points and kills. She's led Minnesota in kills 5/6 games in 2022.
• Landfair ranks second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally with 4.48 kills per set. Her 5.11 p/s ranks 28th.

MCGRAW MOVES HER WAY UP RECORD BOOKS
• CC McGraw ranks No. 5 in Gophers history with 1,619 digs. CC is now 381 digs away from becoming just the 10th player in B1G Volleyball history and second Gopher ever to reach 2,000 in her career.
• 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.

RECORD WATCH
• CC McGraw ranks No. 5 in Minnesota history with 1,619 digs. She's behind only Paula Gentil (2002-05) 2,791, Christine Tan (2006-09) 1,927, Dalianliz Rosado (2014-17) 1,870 and Jessica Granquist (2008-11) 1,737.
• McGraw ranks in the top 30 at Minnesota in matches played (108). She is 25 games away from being inside the top 20 all-time.
• Melani Shaffmaster ranks 12th all-time at Minnesota in assists (2,113). Jennie Collings (1983-86) is just two ahead of her at 2,115 for 11th.

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.
• Ellie Husemann ranked seventh in the conference with 1.27 blocks per set while incoming transfers Naya Gros (1.31) and Arica Davis (1.28) ranked fifth and sixth, respectively. Those three and freshman Carter Booth will look to form one of the most lethal blocks in the Big Ten this fall.
• So far in 2022, Minnesota ranks No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 46 nationally with 2.54 blocks per set. Carter Booth ranks No. 9 in the Big Ten individually with 1.33 per set.

BOOTH BLOCKS OUT THE NOISE
• The No. 14 overall recruit in the class of 2022, middle blocker Carter Booth has made an immediate impact in the Gophers lineup. In her first collegiate match, she posted a Minnesota freshman record with 11 blocks against Baylor.
• She's had blocks in all six matches and leads the 'U' with 24 (1.33 ps) thus far. She ranks No. 45 in the nation and No. 9 in the Big Ten in blocks per set.

GOPHERS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
• Under Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota is a superb 104-23 (.824) in non-conference competition.
• Of their 23 nonconference losses, seven have come to Stanford (3-7) and five have come to Texas (1-5).
• Minnesota has played ranked non-conference opponents in all 11 seasons under coach McCutcheon. Out of eight non-conference matchups in 2022, six of Minnesota's opponents will be ranked at their time of competition. Only Ohio State (7) will have played more ranked non-con opponents.

GROS PROVIDES A SPARK
• Minnesota brought in four transfers in the off-season to plug some immediate holes in the lineup. Middle blockers Arica Davis (So., Ohio State) and Naya Gros (RSr., Michigan State) will look to provide increased talent, depth and experience to the position.
• Gros played for four seasons at Michigan State University, where she appeared in 107 matches (386 sets) and averaged 1.80 kills per set on .290 hitting while adding 1.20 blocks per set. She had her best season as a Spartan in 2021, tallying a career-best 1.31 b/s.
• Naya came off the bench on Sunday to provide a huge spark against Florida. In three sets played she tallied five kills and four blocks while hitting .444 in her first extended action in Minnesota.
• She kept up her strong play against Oregon, making her first start and tallying five blocks.

Follow along with the Gophers this season on Twitter (@GopherVBall), Instagram and TikTok (@gophervball).

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Players Mentioned

Carter Booth

Arica Davis

Naya Gros

Ellie Husemann

Taylor Landfair

Elise McGhie

CC McGraw

Stephanie Samedy

Melani Shaffmaster

Jenna Wenaas

Miranda Wucherer