Gopher Volleyball 2016

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/110916aaa.html

Gophers sign six:

University of Minnesota volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon has announced his recruiting class, featuring six individuals set to join the 2017 Gopher volleyball team. Gopher Volleyball welcomes

Lauren Barnes (Naperville, Ill.),
Sydney Kleinman (Frisco, Texas),
Jasmyn Martin (Brooklyn Park, Minn.),
Sara Nielsen (Glen Ellyn, Ill.),
Stephanie Samedy (Clermont, Fla.)
Alice Zeimann (Christchurch, New Zealand) to the program.

Another very good recruiting class for coach McCutcheon and the volleyball program. The headliners are Samedy and Martin (Samedy is a top-10 recruit nationally while Martin is ranked in the top-20). Kleinman and Nielsen are both top-70 recruits as well according to prepvolleyball.com. Don't know much about Zeimann since she's from New Zealand, but she apparently has international experience. She's also from Hugh's hometown, so it'll interesting to see how she develops in coming years.
 

Another very good recruiting class for coach McCutcheon and the volleyball program. The headliners are Samedy and Martin (Samedy is a top-10 recruit nationally while Martin is ranked in the top-20). Kleinman and Nielsen are both top-70 recruits as well according to prepvolleyball.com. Don't know much about Zeimnann since she's from New Zealand, but she apparently has international experience. She's also from Hugh's hometown, so it'll interesting to see how she develops in coming years.

I trust Hugh. We seem to be in a good rut for top talent. Exciting times ahead.
 

I trust Hugh. We seem to be in a good rut for top talent. Exciting times ahead.

Agreed. Have full confidence in Hugh. Apparently, a number of high level recruits do as well since he has some excellent verbals lined up in coming years as well. :D
 

Minnesota defeated Illinois 19, 18, 20 and heads to Northwestern for the season's final B1G road match. It looked like an efficient match tonight even though it was a little hard to follow in Illini vision and no sound.
 



Last night Northwestern extended Wisconsin to five sets before losing to the Badgers. Tonight, in Evanston, Minnesota swept the Wildcats 14, 13, 10. Sarah Wilhite posted 12 kills, 10 digs, and 4 aces. The Gophers hit .475 in the seasons final B1G road match. Now it's back to Minneapolis and the exciting four match finale to the regular season.
 


RPI is a joke and anyone following Volleyball knows it. not that it matter for us. We're almost for sure hosting a regional and look headed to another final four...
 




http://www.twincities.com/2016/11/1...oad-to-final-four-runs-through-the-pavillion/

Pioneer Press article on Gopher Volleyball.

For the Gophers’ volleyball team, the path to the Final Four runs through their home court, the Sports Pavilion.

Ranked second in the AVCA coaches’ poll and fourth in RPI, Minnesota plays its last four Big Ten Conference matches in the Pav. As a likely Top 16 NCAA tournament seed, they’re also likely to host first- and second-round matches, and maybe even regional semifinal and final matches because for the first time, those will be hosted by the top four seeds remaining.

Even better? The Gophers have the longest home winning streak in Division I volleyball. They have not lost a match at the Sports Pavilion since dropping a five-setter to Nebraska way back on Oct. 22, 2014...


...It starts with crowds at the Pavilion, the fourth-largest in the nation (leaders Nebraska, Hawaii and Wisconsin all play in larger venues). With all four of the remaining home matches either sold out or a handful of seats from being sold out, the Gophers will average about 4,400 fans per match in 2016, breaking last season’s attendance record of 4,172.

“The fan support we get is wonderful. To be consistently in the top five in the nation in attendance and have the number of people in the community who care about what we’re doing is great,” Gopher coach Hugh McCutcheon said...

...“It’s one of the places our kids like to play. It’s a nice floor, there are no obstructions, there’s no low ceiling, the fans are great,” said Rosen, adding that catcalling from the student section, situated right next to the court, is more likely to amp up the players than faze them. “They’re all big girls. Athletes at this level like the attention.”

Some Big Ten venues present challenges. Maryland’s small, noisy court makes it tough for the players to hear each other, Rosen said, and the combination of a low ceiling and harsh lighting makes it easy to lose track of balls at Indiana. Minnesota is free from those issues.
 

Gophers survive a squeaker 18-16 in the 5th set against #13 Michigan St. Absolutely had to have this one. Both teams had match points, but Minnesota held on late.
 

Minnesota finally put away Michigan State in five sets. The fifth was 16-14 and match point took skill and some luck. It was a strange match. The Gophers dominated the first two sets with an air of confidence 17, 18. Then, in the third set, Michigan States servers put the Gophers on their heels (25-21 MSU). That was followed by a Gopher fourth set collapse where the Gophers looked worse than Rutgers (25-19). Everyone seemed a bit frustrated. But Minnesota recovered in a tight fifth set and kept its home winning streak alive.
 

It appears that the win today against Michigan was a carbon copy of the win against MSU Friday: Gophers go up 2-0, then allow Michigan to get back in it and it goes to the fifth set. Despite being down 8-6 and 11-10 in the final set the gophers pull out a 15-12 victory against the Wolverines. I followed on twitter - can anyone give us a live recap?
 



NCAA RPI through games of 20 November:

1 Wisconsin
2 Texas
3 Nebraska
4 Minnesota
5 Florida
6 Kansas
7 Missouri
8 BYU
9 Stanford
10 North Carolina
 

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Go Gophers!!
 


Amazing scene:

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Go Gophers!!
 

Wow! Hugely entertaining match. Coming back from the brink is a great sign for the Gophs!
 

Up next - Wisconsin (ranked 3rd) on Sat 27, 7:30p at the Pavilion, final match of the regular season. Sold out, but will be broadcast on BTN

Let's hope for a Badger sports sweep this Saturday!
 

That sure was fun-a #1 versus #2 match living up to its billing. The Gophers came out aggressive and erratic in the first set and gave up a lead late in the second. Then, after winning 3 and 4 the Gophers toughed out set 5. I think Minnesota hit .200 for the match and Nebraska some what less. Just some terrific volleyball at the Pav.
 

I just took a look at the replay of the disputed point at 11-8 in the fifth and yes the Nebraska player double contacted the ball (once on the shoulder and then with the elbow). It seemed obvious at the Pav and especially obvious to the Gopher bench; but it was not reviewable-I guess.
 

Hugh did a good job of using the green card tonight. You can not challenge a double hit call.
 



Another exciting 5th set win! What a week!!

Go Gophers!!
 

Go Gophers! Time to take out the badgers. Also Go Michigan!

MN gets it done with Killhite n Tapp. Great W on senior night. Gophers have some good momentum going into the tourney n should be playing a lot of matches @ the Pav.
 

Great night of volleyball for the lady gophers. Wilhite was and absolute beast in the 4th and 5th games. Paige was great all night. Nice to have one team take out the badgers today!!
 

Another fun night at the Pav (okay, not the third set). Just about the time I thought Carlini was having her best Minneapolis match the Gophers got rolling. Paige Tapp was sensational. I especially loved her fifth set back row kill during her service run.
 

Congrats the the ladies tonight. They rocked out another 5 setter. Glad to see the Wisconsin fans get to grumble about Wilhite, whom was absolutely on fire the last 2 games. We're the #2 seed in the tournament and won't have to face Nebraska until the championship, assuming we both get there.
 


Match highlights concluding with Paige's fifth set back row kill. Paige's calls for the ball and delivers.
 




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