Ignatius L Hoops
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http://www.startribune.com/volleyball-is-no-1-in-many-ways-for-minnesotans/461165003/
Minnesota has become a national volleyball hotbed, and the temperature keeps rising, with college programs thriving at all levels, fueled by a pipeline of in-state talent ranking among the nation’s best.
Volleyball is now Minnesota’s most popular girls’ high school sport, drawing more participants (16,222) last school year than track and field, basketball, softball or hockey.
When it comes to high-end talent, UCLA coach Mark Sealy said Minnesota is “definitely one of the top three to five states out there.” Texas and California are widely considered the best, but coaches are beating a well-worn path into Minnesota’s volleyball gyms.
“The good news is I’ll be looking there continuously,” Sealy said. “The bad news is I’ll be standing next to every other Top 25 team looking there also. Minnesota’s no secret.”...
...The secret of Minnesota’s booming high school talent already was leaking out by 1996, when former Gophers women’s athletic director Chris Voelz hired Mike Hebert, who had steered Illinois to two Final Fours and four Big Ten titles.
“Minnesota was already established as an important pin on your map,” Hebert said. “Particularly the Twin Cities area, there was really a lot of interest in the sport.”
Hebert built up the Gophers volleyball booster club and held free clinics for the growing number of club teams in the Twin Cities area. Under his guidance, the Gophers made the Final Four in 2003, 2004 and 2009.
Samantha Seliger-Swenson was a 7-year-old, watching on TV, when Minnesota made its run to the 2004 NCAA title game before losing to Stanford. She had a poster of that team, autographed by every player, on her bedroom wall. Ten years later, she ranked as the nation’s No. 8 recruit and knew she wanted to play for Minnesota.
Minnesota has become a national volleyball hotbed, and the temperature keeps rising, with college programs thriving at all levels, fueled by a pipeline of in-state talent ranking among the nation’s best.
Volleyball is now Minnesota’s most popular girls’ high school sport, drawing more participants (16,222) last school year than track and field, basketball, softball or hockey.
When it comes to high-end talent, UCLA coach Mark Sealy said Minnesota is “definitely one of the top three to five states out there.” Texas and California are widely considered the best, but coaches are beating a well-worn path into Minnesota’s volleyball gyms.
“The good news is I’ll be looking there continuously,” Sealy said. “The bad news is I’ll be standing next to every other Top 25 team looking there also. Minnesota’s no secret.”...
...The secret of Minnesota’s booming high school talent already was leaking out by 1996, when former Gophers women’s athletic director Chris Voelz hired Mike Hebert, who had steered Illinois to two Final Fours and four Big Ten titles.
“Minnesota was already established as an important pin on your map,” Hebert said. “Particularly the Twin Cities area, there was really a lot of interest in the sport.”
Hebert built up the Gophers volleyball booster club and held free clinics for the growing number of club teams in the Twin Cities area. Under his guidance, the Gophers made the Final Four in 2003, 2004 and 2009.
Samantha Seliger-Swenson was a 7-year-old, watching on TV, when Minnesota made its run to the 2004 NCAA title game before losing to Stanford. She had a poster of that team, autographed by every player, on her bedroom wall. Ten years later, she ranked as the nation’s No. 8 recruit and knew she wanted to play for Minnesota.