In this issue
From
Coach Hebert:
After climbing all the way back to #12 in the national poll the Gophers finally hit the wall against Michigan. I’m sure that many of you want to know what happened!
Well … there were two forces at work. First, we were a step slow to the ball on defense. Our usual alertness as a serve-block-defend team was not there. But second, and more importantly, Michigan played flawlessly and with a lot of emotion. They were, as they say, en fuego. No one has hit for such a high percentage (.368) against us all season. Not Nebraska, not Penn State, not Wisconsin … MICHIGAN. They were impressive and I tip my hat to them.
On the other hand, we were methodical against MSU. We mowed them down. Based on their performance against us earlier this season at the Pavilion, I would have anticipated that MSU would have been the tougher of the two matches. But this was not the case. The level of play by the Wolverines was as good as anything we have seen this year.
One of the pleasant developments this season has been the evolution of a solid passing game. Our four primary passers, Peniata, Bowman, Cumpston and Tan have combined to accumulate a 2.4 average (3.0 being perfect, and anything above 2.25 being acceptable). Their numbers rival anything we ever did during the Paula Gentil years. We have also managed to piece together a consistently aggressive serving effort. Meredith Nelson, for example, was a serving liability last year (sorry Meredith). But this year her serve has become a weapon. Cumpston’s jump serve, also new this year, is very effective. Christine Tan has added stability with her consistently tough and accurate jump floater. Bowman, Peniata and Hartmann have also been very reliable.
The Gophers are hanging in there at 17-7 (11-3). It looks like a Big Ten title is out of our reach. But we have so much to play for. Second place in the Big Ten is there for the taking. So is a berth in the NCAA Tourney. We could even qualify to host a first round NCAA Tourney matchup. This is going to be FUN!
The Gophers have seen it all this year. We are confident in our resilient mentality. We may not win every remaining match, but we will be competing with everything we have. I hope you will get behind the Gophers as we settle in for the late season push.
See you at the Pavilion this weekend!
Head Coach
Minnesota Volleyball
From John Oravis:
Hello Golddiggers!
Well, the 2006 season ride got a bit bumpier than expected with a tough 5-game home loss to #2-ranked Penn State two weekends ago, and the 4-game loss at Michigan this past weekend. What a great crowd for the PSU match though! Thanks for attending the post-match reception after the loss and supporting our Gophers. My wife and I had the privilege of being Guest Associate Coaches for the PSU match and we thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience -- well, except for the loss, of course. We don’t know much about volleyball but we can tell you that -- win or lose -- you can be very proud of our Minnesota volleyball student-athletes!
Every remaining conference match is important at this point as the Gophers look to possible post-season NCAA tournament selection and play. We hope that you will continue your great support and enthusiasm. Consider making the road trip to Madison next Wednesday for the match vs. #10 Wisconsin. It’s a great experience if you’ve never made the trip.
Please remember the Locker Room Renovation/Ribbon-Cutting event in the Sports Pavilion on Friday, November 17th (6:00 - 8:00 pm, with a short program at 6:30 pm). You can call the Golden Gopher Fund office’s main number and RSVP to Becky for the event ((612) 626-4653). Please RSVP for the ribbon-cutting event by Monday, November 13th. A reminder that there is no match on Friday, November 17th.
Don’t forget about “Senior Night” on Saturday, November 18th (vs. Iowa). The program will formally recognize seniors Kelly Bowman, Meghan Cumpston, Meredith Nelson and Malama Peniata after the match. We also look forward to hearing from them at the Golddiggers post-match reception later that evening.
Did you ever wonder how someone gets to serve on the Golddiggers Board of Directors? No, it isn’t a community service “sentence”! Our booster club directors serve because we love the sport and we love our Golden Gophers. Several directors’ positions are opening up later this season. We invite you to check us out and to volunteer for the Board if you are interested. You can discuss the board and director responsibilities with any of our current members at any time:
President -- John Oravis
Vice President & Membership -- Jerry Byrnes
Treasurer -- John “'JT” Thompson
Secretary -- Wayne Miller
Public Relations/Marketing -- Larry Mickelson
Post-Match Receptions/Special Events Coordinator -- DuAnn Thompson
Booster Club Clothing -- Betty Cipperly
Ball Girl Program -- Jim and Bev Manship
Membership Cards -- Mark Eastom
Student Representative -- Anton Halvorson
Booster Club Liaison Coach -- Nao Ikeda
Friend of the Board/Newsletter Editor -- Matt Leach
Finally, this year’s schedule has our Gophers finishing their regular season on the road at Purdue and Indiana over Thanksgiving weekend (November 24-25th). I don’t know any details about the NCAA post-season selection announcement at this point. Perhaps sometime on Sunday, November 26th? I will find out and let you know, especially if it is open to the general public. More details on that later via e-mail, newsletter and/or a link to our website.
Thanks again for all of your great support and enthusiasm.We appreciate it!
Go Gophers!
Point U!
John Oravis, President, Golddiggers
Reception
A Golddiggers
reception is scheduled for Saturday night, after the Northwestern match, in
the Pavilion Clubroom. Remember, while
the receptions are for Golddigger boosters, you can bring guests -- with a $2 (per guest) charge paid at the
reception.
Parents’ Night/Senior Night
The current schedule, as we understand it, has Parents’ Night this Saturday, November 11th, with parents being introduced prior to the match against Northwestern.
Senior Night will be Saturday, November 18th, with the senior recognition taking place after the match with Iowa. The seniors will also be honored at the post-match Golddiggers reception.
Hearing the Boos
The last Chalk Talk of the season, with Associate Head Coach Dave Boos, is scheduled for the Williams Arena Media Room. Be thar or be rectangu-lar:
- Saturday, November 11th Prior to the Northwestern match (8:00pm start), 6:30-7:15pm
Road Trip to Madison
The Golddiggers have organized a trip to Madison for the Wednesday 11/15 match against the Badgers. If you are interested in joining us on this bus trip, please let John Thompson know ASAP (jt@golddigger-boosters.org).
Locker
Room Ribbon-Cutting
The ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for the women’s volleyball locker room renovation is scheduled for Friday, November 17th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in the Sports Pavilion. Please RSVP to the Golden Gopher Fund office by Monday, November 13th (612.626.4653). All Golddigger members are invited and this is a free event. Please note that there is no match on November 17th.
Also, we would very much like to hear from YOU! Former Gophers, out-of-town members, Hollywood celebrities -- whomever -- please email us at the address below, let us know what you are up to, pass on suggestions or questions for the Point U!(betcha), or hammer the coaching staff for their time-out usage -- it’s up to you. The coaching staff has also generously offered to answer questions submitted to them through this newsletter.
We look forward to all your input.
The past two weeks have presented the Gopher fan with a veritable smorgasbord of results. There’s been the truly delicious -- such as 3-0 wins over Ohio State and Michigan State; there’s been a dish that didn’t sit so well at first, but could have been a heckuva lot worse -- the 2-3 loss to Penn State; and there was also, unfortunately, some three-day-old lutefisk available -- that 1-3 loss to Michigan.
However, without overlooking the Boilermakers (or this weekend’s matches, of course), it would appear that we’re about to be served a meal we have had many, many times before: The Gophers and Badgers are once again about to battle for second place in the conference. Seem familiar? That’s because it is. Take a look at the finishes for these two teams since 1999:
|
Big10
Records |
||||
|
|
Gophers |
Badgers |
||
|
Year |
W/L Record |
Place |
W/L Record |
Place |
|
2005 |
14-6 |
3rd |
15-5 |
2nd |
|
2004 |
17-3 |
2nd |
13-7 |
4th |
|
2003 |
15-5 |
2nd |
13-7 |
4th |
|
2002 |
17-3 |
1st |
14-6 |
2nd |
|
2001 |
10-10 |
6th |
19-1 |
1st |
|
2000 |
17-3 |
2nd |
18-2 |
1st |
|
1999 |
15-5 |
2nd |
14-6 |
3rd |
We can probably safely say that this Gopher-Badger deal qualifies as a bona fide rivalry. Too obvious?
How about this for further proof, even if more is not necessary: The all-time series record between the two teams stands at 29-30, in Wisconsin’s favor.
That’s why a busload of boosters will be heading to Madison -- on a Wednesday no less -- to sing the Rouser, spell M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A a few hundred times and cheer for the Maroon and Gold. It’s the least we can do to turn up the fire under this already overheated rivalry. It’s time to tie up the series! Time to belly on up to the buffet for some dessert!
Bon appétit and ...
Go Gophers!
Illinois FRIDAY
November 10th 7:00pm
The Illini broke a three match losing streak by defeating the Hawkeyes last Saturday night. They dropped the first game, but won the next three -- with each game closer than the previous, including 39-37 in the 4th. Illinois, at 5-9 in the conference and 14-10 overall, probably needs to finish strong to make the NCAAs and a win over the Gophers would certainly be a good start -- for them, of course.
It’s going to be an over-simplification for us to say that Illinois is mostly about offense, and not much for defense, but there is still some truth in that statement. The Illini are third in the conference in kills per game (16.53), but they are eighth in opponent hitting percentage (.245).
Vicki Brown is hitting .341 for the year and Kayani Turner is averaging 4.73 kills per game. In conference play, Lizzie Bazzetta leads all setters with 14.06 assists per game, and Ashley Edinger is third in digs per game, at 4.72. Edinger is also this week’s Big10 Defensive Player of the Week.
Northwestern SATURDAY
November 11th 8:00pm
The Wildcats are one of the hotter teams in the conference headed into this weekend. They have won three matches in a row to bring their Big10 record back to .500 at 7-7 and greatly enhance their chances for a bid to the NCAA tournament. Even so, their 13-10 overall record means they need to go at least 2-4 in the last six matches just to qualify -- and that schedule is Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State and Penn State, with only the Boilermakers and Hoosiers headed to Evanston. In short, they will be the undercats in every match except against Indiana -- they need an upset. No doubt Northwestern also is out to avenge their 3-2 loss to the Gophers to kickoff the Big10 season.
They are ninth in conference hitting percentage (.184), but fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.199), so it’s a good bet we will see more than our fair share of long rallies Saturday night. They are also a surprisingly effective blocking team, third in the conference.
Chelsy Hyser is having an exceptional year for them, hitting .302 (.308 in the Big10) and averaging 1.20 blocks per game. Katie Nobilio is second in the Big10 in digs per game, at 4.91. (Malama Peniata is first, by the way, with 5.13.)
Wisconsin WEDNESDAY November 15th 7:00pm (@
Madison)
Assuming the Badgers and Gophers make it through the weekend with wins over the Illini and Wildcats, this match shapes up as the tussle for second place in the Big10 -- and, conceivably, could all but guarantee the winner a seed in the NCAAs. Worth a bus trip? You bet it is!
Wisconsin is second in conference hitting percentage (.284) and third in opponent hitting percentage (.180). The Gophers, by contrast, are fourth (.230) and second (.178), respectively. Wisconsin is first in three other categories: assists per game (16.04), kills per game (17.07) and blocks per game (3.47 -- tied with PSU).
Taylor Reineke has had some very good matches since the Badgers were in town, raising her Big10 hitting percentage to .354 (fifth in the conference) and her blocks per game to 1.87 (first in the conference). Setter Jackie Simpson was the AVCA/Division I National Player of the Week following the Badgers’ wins over PSU and OSU.
Iowa SATURDAY
November 18th 7:00pm
The Hawkeyes then come to town for the Gophers’ last Big10 home match of the season. They moved out of the Big10 cellar with their second sweep of Indiana 10/28. However, the Hoosiers remain the only Big10 opponent Iowa has defeated this year.
They are tenth in hitting percentage (.171) and ninth in opponent hitting percentage (.250), a formula which almosts guarantees a 2-12 record, or worse. The one bright spot appears to be their defense, which is second in the conference with 16.78 digs per game.
Emily Hiza is fifth in the Big10 in digs per game, at 4.69.
The Gophers head to Purdue and Indiana for matches November 24th and 25th, respectively. These matches will close out the regular season schedule for the team. After that? The NCAA selections.
The CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll #10 was released 11/6/2006. The link to the complete rankings follows, but the top 10 were: 1--Nebraska, 2--Stanford, 3--Penn State, 4--Washington, 5--UCLA, 6--USC, 7--Florida, 8--Texas, 9--Utah and 10--Wisconsin. The Gophers are at #13 (down from #12 last week), Purdue is #16 and Ohio State is #23.
The Gophers are #11 in the RichKern.com Volleyball Poll, after two weeks at #9.
Finally, the Gophers, who had risen all the way to #6 in the Pablo rankings, are at #9 this week.
Conference standings from around the country as of 11/5/06:
|
Big 12 |
W/L |
Overall |
|
Pac10 |
W/L |
Overall |
|
SEC |
W/L |
Overall |
|
|
Nebraska |
14-0 |
22-0 |
|
Stanford |
11-1 |
20-2 |
|
Florida |
15-1 |
22-2 |
|
|
Texas |
12-3 |
17-5 |
|
UCLA |
11-2 |
24-2 |
|
LSU |
13-3 |
21-4 |
|
|
Oklahoma |
11-3 |
20-5 |
|
Washington |
11-2 |
21-3 |
|
Alabama |
10-6 |
15-10 |
|
|
Iowa State |
9-5 |
17-7 |
|
USC |
10-3 |
21-3 |
|
Kentucky |
9-7 |
16-8 |
|
|
Colorado |
9-6 |
13-9 |
|
Oregon |
7-5 |
17-5 |
|
Arkansas |
8-8 |
15-9 |
|
|
Missouri |
9-6 |
15-9 |
|
California |
6-6 |