Gophers Sweep Badgers and Wildcats

Minnesota is starting to dominate the series with the hated Badgers. On Friday night, the Gophers dispatched of Wisconsin (8-5) 30-22 30-26 31-29 behind a balanced effort. The match was evenly played, which has become a common occurrence in this series with the Badgers over the last couple of years. Minnesota once again commanded the upper hand in the mental game and won the match with key plays at key moments to come out on top, running their win streak over Wisconsin to five.

The first game went easily to the Gophers behind a strong offensive showing, as Minnesota out-hit Wisconsin .300 to .190. Wisconsin stepped up their offense in the second game although they could not finish, as the Gophers made a late run to take control and win 30-26. Although they were down two games to none, the Badgers came out and played inspired defense in game three. The back and forth game was close the entire way and came down to a controversial ending. At 29-29, Wisconsin’s Jill Odenthal hit a hard cross court shot which was called in by the line judge, but was subsequently overruled by the referee. After the confusion, Minnesota won the match on an ace, 31-29.

For the night, Minnesota was led by junior middle blocker Jessica Byrnes who had another solid outing with 12 kills while hitting .400. Erin Martin added 11 kills but hit only .103 for the match. Lindsey Taatjes had an excellent night, with 6 kills at a .455 clip and adding 16 assists, 13 digs and 3 blocks. The Gophers balance on offense was important in keeping the Wisconsin block in check, as the Badgers are particularly talented at shutting down left-side hitters. Maria Carlini led the Badgers with 13 kills, while senior All-American Jill Odenthal pitched in 10 kills in the losing effort.

On Saturday, Minnesota squared off against cellar-dweller Northwestern. The Gophers prevailed easily 30-21 30-26 30-27 after displaying a rather lackluster effort. Erin Martin had a great offensive night hitting .412 while tallying 18 kills. Trisha Bratford hit a season-high .500, collecting 16 kills of her own, and Jessica Byrnes continued her stellar weekend with 9 kills at a .438 clip. However, the Gophers did not exhibit their usual stingy defense and let the Wildcats hang around in every game. Lindsay Anderson led the Wildcats with 12 kills.

Tonight, Minnesota plays the hapless Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City. The biggest challenge for the evening will be staying intense while playing in a cavernous and empty Carver Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is led by senior Carolyn Giese, but if Minnesota brings their game, this one should be over in a hurry.

Hey Gopher Fans: Can you spare $1? Do you have a couple hours free on Saturday night? Come on down to Williams Arena and help the volleyball team break the school attendance record as they have a 7 pm Saturday night showdown with the 23rd ranked Fighting Illini. Illinois started the season on a tear and eventually knocked off the top-ranked USC Trojans, ending their NCAA record win streak. However, Illinois lost setter Erin Virtue and have not been the same team since.

Illinois is known for their height, this year they’re led by 6-4 middle hitter Rachel Belter, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, and 6-3 Rachel Van Meter. Illinois has two other solid options on offense, as Rasa Virsilaite and Meghan McDonald are both capable of putting down a kill at any moment.

To win this match, Minnesota will have to feed off the anticipated record crowd and keep their offense unpredictable. Illinois has the height but lack the speed of some other teams in the Big Ten. The loss of Erin Virtue has hurt Illinois, but her replacement Stephanie Obermeier would like to make herself known with an upset that would rival their earlier triumph over USC. A win in this match will be key for the Gophers to stay near the top of the Big Ten standings.