Our goal for the conference season has been to play with a strong constitution. We have managed to do this in 6 of our 7 matches (we unraveled against Cal). We head into our final weekend of pre conference play with a full head of steam. I like where we are right now.

We definitely have to fix some things.

a. Our passing has been erratic and streaky. This should calm down in time.

b. Our setting has been inconsistent. This is often the result of inconsistent passing.

c. We have not yet found an answer to the right side position. But this too will be resolved soon.

d. Our block and defense is close to becoming elite. We have out blocked every opponent (except Cal). We need a little more time to allow our back row defenders to become familiar with our blockers’ positioning.

e. Our serving has been very efficient. But we need to stress our opponents more than we have so far.

There has been lots of talk about our loss to Cal. Here is the straight scoop.

Cal is the best team we have played so far. On Saturday night they were better than Stanford. We got hit by a buzz saw. The locals declared to us that it was the best the Bears had played for a long, long time.

We did not respond with much determination. That was the disappointing part. Our freshmen were in a situation they had not been in before and played tentatively. We never got any traction in the match. The main reason was that Cal played flawlessly and with great emotion. It was a great preview of the kinds of matches we will see in the Big Ten, and therein lies the value of the weekend.

Don’t panic, folks. We are 4-3 after playing one of the nation’s strongest schedules. We have a chance to go 7-3 before entering conference play. We have been stressed in every way possible by the teams we have played. We will be ready for the Big Ten.

Head Coach

Minnesota Volleyball

From the Golddiggers’ President

From Larry Mickelson:

When I was a wee lad I was a huge Minnesota Viking fan. My dad and I attended training camps and I couldn’t wait for the football season to start. When the team won, I was ecstatic and it was a great week. When they lost, there was a cloud that followed me around for the week. And don’t even talk to me about the four Super Bowl losses!

As I have become older my interest in the team has waned substantially. No longer do I anxiously wait for training camp to open and for the season to begin. I sometimes ask myself why this is so. And I usually come back to the same reason. When I was younger the players were more accessible, they seemed to play because they enjoyed the game, and player movement was rare which allowed a fan to feel like they got to know the player and root for the player and team.

What, do you ask, has to do with this newsletter? As I reflect upon why I enjoy college volleyball in general and our favorite club specifically, I come upon the following conclusions: the players are accessible (even more so to Golddiggers!), they play because they enjoy the game, and, while players leave when their eligibility is up, they stay with us for four years which allows us to root for them and the team. In summary, the same reasons I was a diehard Viking fan so many years ago are the same reasons I am a diehard Gopher volleyball fan today.

Being a Golddigger allows you the opportunity to meet the players and coaches at our receptions. This is a great time to get to know the players “up close and personal”. I am always impressed by the way the players are willing to talk with Golddiggers and I hope you take advantage and get to know them.

On another note, when I sent out a previous e-mail that talked about televised Gopher matches I received a few replies that said “nice idea about checking in with neighbors that have the BTN. But I am kinda shy and am not sure how to approach them. Can you help?” Of course I can! In my line of work we are often provided with “scripts” to help us talk with new customers. I will offer you a sample of how this can work for you!

Knock on identified neighbor/friend/family member’s door.

Golddigger: HI! (must exhibit great enthusiasm at this stage) How are things going with you? (insert your family member’s name here) were just talking that we haven’t gotten together with (identified neighbor/friend/family member) for much too long and thought we would stop by and see what’s going on in your lives.

Identified neighbor/friend/family member: Uh, hello. Uh, why don’t you come on in? (identified neighbor/friend/family member will need to invite you into their home. Not to do so would be rude)

GD: Great. We brought some beverages along which we would like to share with you. (be sure you have beverages with you; this requires some advance planning. And, no, you cannot use leftover GD beverages for this!)

INFFM: Well, that was nice of you.

At this point, you are on your own for a few minutes. Talk about the weather, the evil neighbors/black sheep family members, whatever. Do this for 15-20 minutes. Don’t worry, you can do this!

Eventually the INFFM will feel obligated to ask what is new with you at which point you reply:

GD: We have been busy following the Gopher volleyball team. They are so much fun to watch, they are having a great season, and the girls are great people. Hey, you know what? They happen to be on the Big Ten Network in five minutes. Care to watch? I can fill you in on what’s going on and provide little tidbits on the players.

INFFM: That sounds wonderful! Why don’t you get the TV ready and I’ll make some popcorn!

This is guaranteed to work (at least that is what my people tell us when they give us a script). Helpful hint: Arrive at said INFFM’s doorstep 25 minutes prior to the match starting. Too early and you will have too much small talk to make. Too close to starting time, well, that would just be rude!

So, get out and identify those INFFM’s who have access to the Big Ten Network and GOOD LUCK!

Point U!

Larry Mickelson, President, Golddiggers

Meet the Gophers

Brook Dieter, Hailey Cowles, and Lauren Gibbemeyer are three players that will be linked together throughout their collegiate careers due primarily to their playing together with the same JO club, Northern Lights. Because of this, we thought we would ask each of them the same group of questions.

Hailey

Brook

Lauren

Note: Photos courtesy of (pilfered from?) the University of Minnesota (although we didn’t actually ask for permission).

How long have the three of you been playing together?

Brook and Hailey – 4 years

Brook and Lauren – 3 years

Hailey and Lauren – 3 years

When making your decision as to where you would play college volleyball did you make independent decisions or did you discuss the decision amongst yourselves and decide to attend the same school together?

Brook: Although Lauren and I made our decision at the same time, it was a personal decision. We both loved the U but not for all the same reasons. It was just a plus we could play college together, too. Once we heard Hails committed we were even more excited.

Hailey: It was a plus that both Brook and Lauren were going here already when I was making my decision on where to go to college. Adding that with the coaching staff here at the U of M, the decision was not too hard.

Lauren: Brook and I pretty much decided to go to the same school but our final decision was an individual choice.

Also, you made your decision (a good one, I may say) to come to MN fairly early. What factors went into your decision?

BD: Ever since I was 10 I have been going to Gopher games & I always pictured myself playing for MN. I loved the way the girls got along w/each other as well as the coaches. And I love the fact that we are considered “underdogs”.

HC: Again, the coaching staff is amazing here. I also fell in love with the campus when I came on my visit. It was the right fit for me.

LG: It’s close enough for friends and family to watch, it has some of the best coaches, and I really liked the girls (even though I wouldn’t be playing with some of them).

When did you start playing volleyball?

BD: 6^th grade

HC: I started playing volleyball when I was in the 3^rd grade.

LG: I played for my grade school in 8^th grade but didn’t start playing club ball until my sophomore year.

Each of you attended a different high school. Did you ever play against each other and, if so, what was that like?

BD: I played against both of them and it was very fun because you knew their tendencies and could tell by heir facial expressions what they were thinking. However, it is much more fun to play with them.

HC: I played against both Lauren and Brook in high school. It was fun when my team got to play them.

LG: Yes, we played each other. It was always really weird to play each other and we always laughed when we did. I definitely like playing on the same side of the net with them rather than against them!

Your 2006 JO season was remarkable, going undefeated against your age group and winning the national championship. What was that like? What do you feel you can take from that season and the following season and apply to your college careers?

BD: It was a year that I will always remember. I’ll never forget the feeling you get when you are confident, there is no team that you can’t beat. That confidence is what enabled us to be such a great team and I think that is something that would help us win our first national championship.

HC: It was one of the most amazing times of my volleyball career. We worked so hard all season long to achieve a goal and to reach our goal was so remarkable. I think I can take the knowledge of knowing how hard you have to work everyday to reach our goals.

LG: Winning nationals our 17s year was one of my favorite moments in volleyball. It was a moment that showed all of us how much it pays to work hard every day you’re in the gym. I feel that after experiencing this I have acquired a feel for what it takes to win a national championship. Everyone has to be determined about working towards the same goal and must work hard during every practice and match.

You will be playing against Naomi Johnson (Northwestern), Allie Oelke (Creighton), and Susan Halvorson (Ohio State) later this season. How do you think it will feel to line up on the other side of the net from them?

BD: I’m going to love it and hate it at the same time. It will be great to see them and see how they are doing with the adjustment but it’s going to be hard not playing with them.

HC: I played against them in high school but it will be a lot different at the college level. It should be fun.

LG: I think it will be a very interesting experience playing against our fellow teammates but I think it will give us an advantage because we know how they all play. It will definitely be good to see them again.

You have been practicing for three weeks now and have your first college match behind you. What are your impressions of college volleyball?

BD: It’s a mixture of club and high school volleyball only at a higher pace. In high school ball all your friends and family can come to the games just like college. And JO you travel all over just like here.

HC: College volleyball is a lot of fun. The speed of the game is way faster so getting used to that was my biggest challenge.

LG: I think college volleyball is definitely a HUGE time commitment and is also very tiring both mentally and physically. I love the drive and passion of my teammates as we really push each other to be the best we can.

What are you looking forward to in your first year as a Gopher?

BD: Meeting new friends and doing whatever I can to help us win a championship.

HC: I’m looking forward to going to the different places and seeing what kind of gyms everyone else gets to play in.

LG: In my first year as a Gopher I am looking forward to meeting a ton of people, winning a national championship, and managing my time as a student-athlete (get good grades, of course!).

Now the fun questions:

Brook:

If I didn’t play volleyball I would…be a professional dancer.

When I need to relax I…listen to music and read.

My favorite food is…pasta.

When watching “Caddyshack” I

____ I pull for the gopher

____ Carl all the way! Cinderella story and all that.

_X__ What is “Caddyshack”?

What people don’t know about me is…I’ve had pancakes every morning since kindergarten!

Hailey:

If I didn’t play volleyball I would…play another sport.

When I need to relax I…go in my room and listen to music.

My favorite food is…pizza.

When watching “Caddyshack” I

X I pull for the gopher

____ Carl all the way! Cinderella story and all that.

____ What is “Caddyshack”?

What people don’t know about me is…I HATE rides!

Lauren:

If I didn’t play volleyball I would…probably be playing college basketball somewhere.

When I need to relax I…listen to music and talk to my family.

My favorite food is…Chipotle burrito.

When watching “Caddyshack” I

_X__ I pull for the gopher

____ Carl all the way! Cinderella story and all that.

____ What is “Caddyshack”?

What people don’t know about me is…I was born in Rhode Island.

Announcements

Merchandise

We’re taking orders for Golddigger and Minnesota Volleyball apparel again this year. We have a very small window of time here in order to get the orders filled and delivered to boosters before it’s too far into the season. Check out the options at the link below -- and then place your order right away if interested!

http://www.golddigger-boosters.org/2007/announcements/GoldCountry_Merchandise.pdf

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Reception

We will host a Golddigger reception following the Saturday evening match vs. Creighton. DuAnn Thompson will be contacting her angels to arrange for what to bring. If you would like to volunteer to be one of DuAnn’s angels please see her at the reception.

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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.

Point U!(betcha)

Recruiting News (Oh, Canada!)

The latest news, according to PrepVolleyball.com, RichKern.com and even the StarTribune, is that 6’5” OH Tabitha Love from Dauphin, Manitoba has verbally committed to the Gophers for the 2009 season. Tabi has been a member of Canada’s Junior National Team for the past two years, was the MVP of their 17-and-under national tournament, and currently touches 10’ 4.5”.

Tabi joins a (still?) growing list of impressive and extremely athletic 2008 and 2009 recruits for the Gopher program:

Alex Blatt is a 5’10” 2008 setter from Orland Park, Illinois and 1st Alliance VBC.

Ariana Filho (pronounced Feelyo) is a 6’2” 2008 middle blocker from Colorado Springs, CO and the Front Range Volleyball Club.

Jessica Granquist is a 5’9” 2008 libero/DS from Blaine and M1 Juniors (and a defensive standout). Jessica was recently the #100 in the list of Senior Aces by Prepvolleyball.com

Katherine Harms is a 6’1” 2009 RS, now from St. Michael-Albertville, formerly of Little Falls, and Minnesota Select VBC.

Mia Tabberson is a 6’1” 2009 RS/S from Muncie, Indiana and Municiana juniors. Mia and Katherine are both left-handed.

Upcoming Match Previews

Charlotte

The Charlotte 49ers are 8-2 on the year. They were 20-12 overall in 2006 and 7-6 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, good for a 2nd place finish in the East Division. They have been picked to finish 2nd again this year, behind Temple, in the pre-season Atlantic 10 coaches’ poll.

The 49ers are coached by Chris Redding and this is his first year in charge. Outside hitter Alma Arroyo was the conference’s co-Player of the Week. Arroyo recorded 29 kills in the 49ers’ 5-game win over Morgan State 9/8. Courtney Cowles, Haley’s big sister, is currently 3rd on the team in digs.

Wisconsin-Green Bay

The Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix is 1-5 in 2007. They were 15-15 overall in 2006, 8-6 in the Horizon League. Although picked to finish 7th, the Phoenix landed in 2nd place, their best finish in school history. The conference coaches have picked them to come in 5th this year.

Debbie Kirch is in her 11th year as head coach. There are two Minnesotans on an otherwise all-Wisconsin roster. Setter Betty Slinger, the 2003 Miss Minnesota Volleyball award winner from Bethlehem Academy, is not only averaging 10.55 assists per game, but also is hitting a robust .377 and is 3rd on the team in kills. Fellow junior and Northern Lights teammate Leah Steinbauer, from Medford, Minnesota, plays MB for the Phoenix.

Creighton

The Creighton Bluejays, at 5-4 (1-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference) for 2007, should provide the toughest test of the weekend. Their difficult schedule has included Middle Tennessee, Nebraska, Cal Poly and Illinois, all 0-3 losses. However, they have beaten 2006 NCAA participants Iowa State and Tennessee. They opened their 2007 conference season Tuesday night with a 5-game win over Drake, taking the last game 17-15. The Jays were 21-10 in 2006, including 12-6 in the very competitive MVC. The coaches’ poll picked them for 3rd in 2007.

This is Kirsten Bernthal Booth’s 5th season as head coach. The Jays feature two Minnesotans: Chaska’s Allie Oelke, freshman OH and former teammate of Lauren Gibbemeyer, Brook Dieter and Haley Cowles with Northern Lights; and Bloomington Kennedy’s Jessica Houts, now a junior middle blocker. Kelly Goc, a 6’2” MB, was a 1st team All-MVC pick in 2006 and is hitting .327.

Rankings

1 Nebraska (56)	10 Michigan	18 San Diego
2 Stanford (4)	11 California	19 Kansas State
3 Penn State	12 BYU	20 Ohio State
4 Southern California	13 Minnesota	21 Dayton
5 UCLA	14 Cal Poly	22 Santa Clara
6 Florida	15 Hawai'i	23 St. John's
7 Texas	16 Duke	24 LSU
8 Washington	17 Ohio	25 Texas A&M
9 Wisconsin
*Others Receiving Votes and appearing on two or more ballots:* New Mexico State 91; Oregon 73; Wichita State 36; Middle Tennessee 33; Louisville 32; Colorado State 30; Purdue 18; Long Beach State 16; Pepperdine 14; Missouri State 9; Tulane 9; Utah 9; Notre Dame 8; Oklahoma 7; Tennessee 7; Loyola Marymount 6; Ole Miss 6.

National Update

A quick look at the AVCA’s top ten ranked teams (excluding the Big10 schools):

Nebraska: Will anyone be able to stop the Big Red Machine? 8-0 after Wednesday evenings sweep of #7 Texas, the Huskers have dropped only one game this season. So far this season they have beaten #5 UCLA and swept #3 Penn State and #17 Cal-Poly. However, Nebraska has yet to leave the friendly confines of the Cornhusker state with all matches being held in either Lincoln or Omaha. The biggest opponent Nebraska may face the rest of the season is boredom. Outside of Texas, the Big 12 isn’t exactly filled with top competition.

Stanford: Coming off a national semi-finalist season in 2006 and the #1 ranked recruiting class this year, the Cardinal is an impressive team. 8-0 after Wednesday’s sweep of Cincinnati, Stanford heads to New Haven for the Yale Classic where they will face #3 Penn State. Led by Cynthia Barboza, Foluke Akinradewo (named Pac 10 Player of the Week on 9/10), and Alex Klineman (Pac 10 POW on 9/4) Stanford could be headed for a showdown with Nebraska in the NCAA tournament.

Penn State: See below

USC: Another 8-0 team who has strayed too far from home with only one match being played away from their home court. Grabbing the #3 ranked recruiting class, the Women of Troy look to better last year’s disappointing end to their season when they loss in the third round of the NCAA tournament. USC got a scare earlier this year when Duke took them to five games before falling 19-17 in game 5. Like Stanford, UCLA, and Washington, USC will be tested often in the Pac 10 conference season.

UCLA: 7-1 thus far with the only loss coming to Nebraska 3-1 after winning the first game. The most impressive victory for the Bruins so far is a 3-0 sweep over Hawai’i. Hawai’i has struggled this year but any win, let alone sweep, over the Wahine in Hawai’i is something to be proud of. We will see how the Bruins hold up during the always tough Pac 10 conference season.

Florida: 7-0 during their non-conference schedule, the Gators are once again a top team in the country. Outside hitter Marcie Hampton raised some eyebrows earlier this season when she stated that they had the talent to be the best team ever. Not sure if she meant best Florida team or NCAA team. Either way, Florida has high hopes for the season. It may be hard to determine how good this team really is, however, as their non-conference schedules wasn’t very difficult and the SEC isn’t exactly fraught with pitfalls. However, LSU may give them a battle.

Texas: As an athletic team as you find and proud owners of the 2006 and 2007 #2 ranked recruiting classes, Texas sometimes has a hard time finding their way to victory. Currently 4-3 their only losses are to Penn State, twice, and Nebraska. With outside hitters Destinee Hooker and Ashley Engle, #2 and #3 ranked recruits in Juliann Faucette and Jennifer Doris, and senior setter Michelle Moriarty, the Longhorns have the talent to make a deep run in the tournament and possibly challenge Nebraska for the Big 12 title. They will, however, need to show the mental make up needed to overcome the top teams to be considered a contender for the national championship.

Washington: Yet another 8-0 team which is difficult to gauge at this point in the season. They have only dropped one game so far, vs. Long Beach, but the competition hasn’t been overly challenging. They shouldn’t run into any difficult opposition until the second week in October when they face Cal and Stanford. We should find out then how tough the Huskies will be this year.

Wisconsin: See below

Michigan (I can’t believe I put them here!): See below

Big10 Update

2007 conference statistics are at: http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2007-2008/confstat.html

Illinois

The Illini currently stand at 6-2 with their only losses coming at the hands of #21 Dayton and #24 LSU, both 5 game matches and both on the road. This past weekend they went 2-0 beating both Marquette and Creighton.

They finish the non-conference portion of their schedule with a Wednesday match against Southern Illinois and a Saturday match at Toledo.

http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/ill-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/ill-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2007-2008/teamcume.html (stats)

Indiana

The Hoosiers went 2-1 at the University of Tennessee tournament beating Belmont and Jacksonville State before falling to host Tennessee.

This past weekend they won the Valparaiso Tournament going 3-0 by beating Marshall, Valparaiso, and Western Michigan. Their overall record now stands at 7-2.

The Hoosiers are playing host this weekend at Indiana University addidas Classic featuring St. John’s, North Carolina Central, and East Tennessee.

On a totally unrelated note, why has addidas gone not capitalizing their name? Did e.e. cummings buy a controlling share in the company?

http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/ind-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/ind-w-volley-body.html (roster)

http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/ind-w-volley-body.html (stats)

Iowa

Over Labor Day weekend Iowa traveled to Greeley, CO where they weren’t gracious guests. They went undefeated thru the Northern Colorado Tournament beating UC-Riverside, St. Francis (PA), and Northern Colorado by identical 3-1 scores.

The Hawkeyes traveled to Des Moines last weekend to participate in the Hampton Inn State of Iowa Challenge where the competition included Drake, Iowa State, and LSU. Iowa started the weekend with high hopes by beating Drake before falling to both Iowa State and LSU. The LSU match was tight, a 3-2 affair with a fifth game score of 19-17.

Iowa now stands at 5-3 with two of their losses against ranked teams in five game affairs. They return home this weekend to host the Hawkeye-Holiday Inn Challenge. Competing teams include Texas-Arlington, Ball State (go Dave and Marci!), and the College of Charleston.

http://hawkeyesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/iowa-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://hawkeyesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/iowa-w-volley-body.html (roster)

http://hawkeyesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/iowa-w-volley-body.html (stats)

Michigan

Michigan continues their torrid start by remaining undefeated at 8-0 and cracking the top 10 in the most recent AVCA poll. Over Labor Day weekend, the Wolverines swept thru the Miami University Invitational by sweeping Miami (Ohio), Pittsburgh, and Wake Forest.

The maize and blue then returned home to host a pair of matches vs. Eastern Michigan and Xavier in the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge. They started the tournament by sweeping Eastern Michigan. They must have started to feel bored with all the sweeps as they spotted Xavier a 2 games to none lead and a 25-18 lead in game 3 before rallying to win the game 3-2 winning the final two games in convincing fashion. The Wolverines continue to be led by senior Katie Bruzdzinski.

Michigan wraps up their non-conference schedule with an away match vs. Oakland and hosting the Michigan/Nike Challenge with Utah Valley State, Temple, and Georgia Tech coming to Ann Arbor.

Michigan volleyball at 8-0 and ranked #10. Michigan football 0-2 and out of the top 25. Whodathunk?!

http://www.mgoblue.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=201&top=2&level=2 (website)

http://www.mgoblue.com/roster.cfm?section_id=340&top=2&level=3 (roster)

http://www.mgoblue.com/statistics.cfm?section_id=343&top=2&level=3 (stats)

Michigan State

After stumbling to an 0-3 start, the Spartans have rallied to win their next 8 matches, sweeping 6 of those matches. Labor Day weekend they hosted Missouri State, Florida State, and Kansas in the Spartan Invitational. They then traveled to Haahvaad University to beat up on the east coast competition – Wofford, Boston College, Delaware State, and Harvard. They then took on Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, making short work of the Eagles, 3-0.

Next up for MSU is a Saturday match against Central Michigan. They are currently 8-3.

http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/msu-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/msu-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2007-2008/teamcume.html (stats)

Northwestern

Northwestern followed Michigan State out to the left coast to participate in the Loyola Marymount Four Points Sheraton LAX Classic where they fared a slightly better than the Spartans. The Wildcats started 0-2 in the tournament by losing to Loyola Marymount and UNLV before beating UC-Santa Barbara.

The following weekend the Northwestern traveled to the other side of the country to play in the Georgetown Tournament in Washington, DC. There they went 3-0, sweeping all three of their opponents – Georgetown, Iona, and Towson.

Northwestern wraps up their non-conference schedule at home as they host Drake University, Western Michigan, and St. Louis University in the Northwestern Wildcat University.

http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/nw-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/nw-w-volley-body.html (roster)

http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2007-2008/teamstat.html (stats)

Ohio State

The last two days of August found the Buckeyes in Fort Collins, CO where they played in the Coors Classic. They rebounded from a stunning defeat by Colorado State in a sweep to come back and sweep Pacific. They returned home to beat Youngstown State in 3 and then back on the road to beat Illinois State.

This weekend they show off their 6-1 record and #20 ranking to the home folks as they host Pac-10 members USC and Oregon in the Sports Imports Classic.

The biggest news, however, for the program came off the court as long time coach, Jim Stone, announced that he will retire at the end of this season.

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&KEY=&SPID=10410&SPSID=89326 (website) http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&KEY=&SPID=10410&SPSID=89323 (roster)

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&KEY=&SPID=10410&SPSID=89325 (stats)

Penn State

In the past there have been some who have ridiculed Penn State’s non-conference schedule which has looked like former Gopher football coach, Glen Mason, did the scheduling. The same cannot be said for the Nittany Lions this season.

After hosting and beating the then ranked #4 Texas Longhorns in a pair of matches, PSU traveled to Nebraska to take on currently ranked #14 Cal-Poly and #1 Nebraska. They beat Cal-Poly in a 5 game match before being swept by Nebraska in the Nebraska Labor Day Tournament.

They then returned to Happy Valley to host the Penn State Classic and St. John’s, VCU, and Colgate, all of which they swept.

They may need the rest as they travel this weekend to New Haven, CT to face Yale, Delaware State, and #2 Stanford in the Yale Classic.

PSU is currently 6-1 and ranked #3.

http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/psu-w-volley-body.html (website)

http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/psu-w-volley-mtt.html (roster)

http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/stats/2007-2008/teamcume.html (stats)

Purdue

Purdue has had mixed results to open the season. Two weekends ago they 1-2 in their Mortar Board Premier tournament, losing to Dayton and Utah while beating North Carolina in five games. They followed up that tournament by traveling to Clemson to play in the Clemson Orange Crush Bash where they beat Furman and Florida A&M in sweeps and host Clemson in 5.

This weekend they travel to Columbus, OH to partake in the Big 10/Pac 10 Challenge with fellow Ohio State as they face USC and Oregon. In a show of Big 10 pride I must say GO OSU and GO PURDUE!

Purdue is currently at 6-3.

http://purduesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/pur-w-volley-frame.html (website)

http://purduesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/pur-w-volley-frame.html (roster)

http://purduesports.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/pur-w-volley-frame.html (stats)

Wisconsin

The Badgers have improved their record to 8-1 and their ranking to #9 over the past two weeks.

After opening the season at home Wisconsin traveled to Provo, UT where they lost a heartbreaking five game match to BYU. They rebounded well, however, by sweeping Northern Iowa and American.

The Badgers then became the third Big 10 team to travel to the City of Angels as they took on Tulane, Columbia, and Loyola Marymount in the Loyola Marymount Classic. They swept Tulane and Columbia and eked out a five game win over Loyola.

Next up for the Badgers is the Big 10 season as they take this weekend off.

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/vb/headlines/headlines.html?sportid=133 (website)

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/vb/bios/roster.html?sportid=133 (roster)

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/vb/stat_poll/?sportid=133 (stats)

Travels with JT

Point U!(betcha) is proud to present another report from our very own travelling booster, John “JT” Thompson.

Last newsletter, I said that at least things couldn't get worse. How could I have been so foolish???

Okay, to be honest, traveling to Berkeley wasn't as bad as the abortive attempt to visit Notre Dame and watch the Gophers there. But my road trips aren't off to a good start, that's for sure.

On Friday, I got to the assigned gate at MSP to find there was no plane waiting. "The inbound flight is delayed." Oh well, it's only an hour, and besides, San Francisco (where I was flying to) isn't nearly as far away from Berkeley as Chicago was to South Bend. And, when the plan actually arrived at our gate, there was indeed enough time to unload the plane, clean it, and get us loaded on, and still take off only an hour behind schedule... as long as there weren't any hitches.

But of course, there were. The plane didn't get unloaded as quickly as it could. It didn't get cleaned as quickly as it might have. And then, we got told that there were some springs on the trash can lids which weren't quite right, and they were going to fix them before we took off. We might be delayed some more, but at least the trash can lids won't be rattling around due to broken springs.

And so, almost two hours late, we pushed away from the gate. Unfortunately, that turned a 1:40pm original arrival to a 3:40pm scheduled arrival, which ended up being more like a 4:00pm actual arrival. There must have been headwinds. I could tell that the first game would likely start without me. And, since I was now going to drive in rush hour traffic, the second game was at risk, too.

The car rental place -- again -- had run out of compact cars, but instead of giving me a Jeep without asking, the agent asked if I wanted to wait twenty minutes for a compact car, or if I wanted a PT Cruiser convertible for the same price. Yup... I drove off in a PT Cruiser (with the roof up) a short time later. (A word of caution to others: the convertible has a teeny tiny rear window that you can't really see out of. Other than that, and the fact that the trunk is small because of the convertible top, it seems to be a nice car.)

About the time the Gophers were finishing up game two against Eastern Kentucky, I was pulling up to the Berkeley campus. A quick turn onto Oxford, go down a few blocks, and the parking lot is on my right. Except... the parking lot is a hole in the ground, with construction forms and fencing up around it to stop people from falling in. That doesn't seem the place to park. A quick look at the map showed me another public parking spot, and without too much difficulty, I got in, and walked the few blocks back to Haas Pavilion. The Gophers were, indeed, in game three of what turned out to be a sweep.

Saturday came, and with it, more parking problems. The ramp that former local-Gophers Wayne and Karen Miller had pointed out was now reserved for a baseball event. The next ramp I found had parking, but told me they were closing at 4pm. I had to circle around a bit (one way streets always go the wrong direction, it seems) but found another lot that would take my money and leave my car. I even got to Haas (barely) on time. The Gopher's first match of the day was .. interesting. There were two matches going on side by side. We played Utah State while California took on Eastern Kentucky. The only good thing about the format was that we were closer to the court. I'm not sure how the players could tell whether the whistle was for them, or the other court. However it worked, we won the match, and many of the Gopher faithful went off on sightseeing or shopping trips before the match between Minnesota and California. Me? I stayed on campus. There was no way I was going to leave and risk having a freak earthquake or tsunami trap me on the wrong side of the bay. I got back to the arena at 3pm, an hour before the first evening match between Utah State and Eastern Kentucky, and four hours before the Gophers were due to play.

The match against California was ... not pretty. I don't want to talk about it. We lost, and the only good thing is that it's early in the season, and we can learn from it. I took the red-eye flight back from San Francisco Saturday night, along with a few Gopher parents, and was back early Sunday morning, before DuAnn woke up.

The next road trip is to Iowa on September 26th. No planes to be delayed. No out-of-car rental companies to deal with. Just a quick drive down I-35 that I could do in my sleep. It better not rain... or snow.

Gopher Chatter

Alumna News

Amanda (Cipperly) Hokenson, head coach at College of St. Mary in Omaha, NE, brought her team to MN recently to compete in the Northwestern College Labor Day Tournament. The team went 3-1 for the weekend to take third place. Amanda is in her second year as head coach at College of St. Mary.

Saw Paula Gentil at the Diet Coke Classic. Paula is working in the genetic research department at the U of MN and is working on gaining her US citizenship. She may compete for a position on the Brazilian Olympic Team if she has not yet gained her US citizenship. Paula, if you need a sponsor for your citizenship application we could probably find someone!!!!

Miscellaneous

Important information to know regarding boosters!!!

Larry Mickelson and John (JT) Thompson recently attended a compliance meeting held by the U of MN for the school’s booster clubs. As a booster, there are certain things you cannot do. There are obvious infractions that can land a program and school in hot water with the NCAA – giving money to a student-athlete, providing an “extra benefit” to a student-athlete, buying them dinner, etc. There may be some things you would like to do for a student-athlete that you many not think twice about but you must. One example cited by the Compliance department was when a booster allowed a student-athlete the use of their computer for a couple of weeks. Seems harmless enough but it is considered an extra benefit. Before doing anything with or offering something to a student-athlete ask yourself this question – “How would this look if it made the front page of the paper?” Then check with a Golddigger board member before you do anything.

Prospects are also an area in which the NCAA governs closely. When a recruit attends a match and/or reception, you will often see the coaches shielding them from the general public. This is done to prevent a booster or season ticket holder from interacting with the recruit. NCAA prohibits interaction between booster members and recruits.

The best way we can impress a recruit is by attending matches and receptions and being loud and proud!