Other Gopher Sports
As strong as the defense was on Friday night, it was only a sneak peak at what was in store for Saturday night’s match-up with the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan came into the match at 10-1, and a strong contender for a rating in the top 25. The Wolverines soon found out that there would be no solving Minnesota All-American libero Paula Gentil. Gentil recorded a school-record 39 digs, an almost unheard of amount for a 3 game match, as the Gophers swept Michigan 30-26 30-17 30-27. Paula spearheaded the defense that held a talented Michigan squad to a paltry .062 hitting percentage. The Wolverines played strong defense of their own, holding Minnesota to a .173 percentage, but Michigan had no player to counter Gentil. The Gophers were once again led by Erin Martin on offense, who recorded 19 kills to go along with 4 blocks. Kelly Bowman chipped in her fourth triple-double of the year with 10 kills, 21 assists and 12 digs. For her heroics on the weekend, Paula Gentil was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the second time this season.
This weekend, Minnesota faces its toughest competition of the Big Ten season with road matches at Ohio State and Penn State. These two teams combine for a 22-0 record, and both are ranked in the top 16. On Friday night, Minnesota takes on the 16th ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State at St. John’s Arena in Columbus. Last season the Buckeyes struggled to a lower tier Big Ten finish. However, over the off-season, Ohio State added two big transfers and picked up one of the top recruiting classes in America. These players have helped compliment and take the pressure off of one of the all time greatest players in Big Ten history, Stacey Gordon. So far this season, Gordon has amassed numbers that are almost unheard of from her position as a left-side hitter, leading the conference in kills (271), hitting percentage (.426) and ranking second in service aces (19). The Buckeyes’ offense is run by Xavier-transfer and sophomore Marissa Main, who was an All-Atlantic 10 conference performer as a freshman last season. Along with Gordon, Main has strong offensive choices in freshmen Danielle Meyer and Ami Stevens, and in NC State transfer Maya Mapp.
If facing the 12-0 and 16th ranked Buckeyes wasn’t a stiff enough test for the top-ranked Gophers, on Saturday night Minnesota visits the Rec Hall at State College, PA for a huge test against the 4th ranked Penn State Nittany Lions (10-0), marking the highest-ranked match-up in Big Ten history. The Lions are led by their outstanding All-American setter, junior Sam Tortorello. Through Tortorello, the Lions run an efficient offense, effectively using all of their options to keep the defense at bay. Left-side Ashley Pederson leads the way for the Lions with 149 kills, but is hitting at a rather average .245 clip for the season. Middle hitters Kim Holm and reigning Big Ten freshman of the year Cassy Salyer will attempt to keep the Gopher defense honest as they both hit successfully out of the middle.
The keys for the weekend for the Gophers all rest on the defense. Stacey Gordon will give Minnesota all it can handle, as she’s easily the toughest hitter in American this season. In order to defeat the Buckeyes, Minnesota will have to force the OSU freshmen to make plays, as Gordon can be expected to rack up her usual stat-line. The Gophers will be by far the toughest team that Ohio State has faced this season and if the Buckeyes have to rely solely on Gordon, Minnesota will walk away with a victory. On Saturday, the Minnesota defense will have to face a different style of play as they face the balanced attack of the Lions. What makes Penn State so tough is that they always have strong offensive options in the front row, and a setter who can find any of them with a perfect ball. If the Gophers can shut down Penn State’s middle attack, Ashley Pederson will have a tough time leading PSU to victory on her own. The Gophers offense will also have to play smart, as the Lions are one of the league’s top blocking teams.
If the Gophers can get through this weekend unscathed, they will be the talk of the Big Ten and will solidify their #1 ranking. However, if the Gophers happen to lose at Ohio State or Penn State, not much is lost. Both teams must still play in the Sports Pavilion, and the twenty-game Big Ten season is just getting underway. All eyes of the volleyball world are focused on how the Gophers fare this weekend. Friday night’s match with Ohio State can be seen on tape-delay, Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm on Fox Sports North.