In this issue

Announcements

Point U!(betcha)

Upcoming Match Previews

Rankings

Coach’s Corner

How ‘bout them Gophers! What a clutch performance by the team this past weekend. We got over the hump against a very good Indiana team. But we all knew that Purdue would provide an even greater challenge on Saturday night. West Lafayette is not an easy place to play. But we maintained our composure throughout and stood tall during the critical points in the match.

As I told the team in the locker room after the Purdue match, this was one of the most gratifying wins during my time at Minnesota. I felt this way because this team has experienced more frustration and bad luck than any of my Gopher squads. As the season unfolded, the hole kept getting deeper, making the climb out of the hole that much tougher. It took a great deal of character for us to win so convincingly over the weekend. I was proud of the team’s effort. They got rid of a lot of demons.

We decided to move Brook Dieter back to the left side. It turned out to be a great decision because Brook transformed herself into the player that you all watched earlier in the season. She set personal records in kills on both nights (23 vs. Indiana, and 24 vs. Purdue). Kyla Roehrig brought her hitting and blocking skills to a new level as well. Our passing and setting were stable. But most importantly, the team played with an enthusiasm that had been so elusive for the past several weeks. It looked like the Gopher Team Chemistry that has been so prevalent over the past several years. As I have been telling folks all along, sometimes we just have to be patient. Sometimes it takes a little longer for things to settle.

Anyway, the two wins move us into a tie for third place with four matches to play. We can’t win the Big Ten title. But we can surely qualify for the NCAA Tournament. I will begin to feel comfortable if we can win at least two more matches. This would put us at 17-13, and this would probably be enough to get us in. But hey, two more wins will not come easy. Remember, we lost to this weekend’s opponents (Michigan State and Northwestern) earlier in the season. They are both playing very, very well. But our players feel good about themselves right now and plan to play at the top of their game.

As it turns out, this will be the most important weekend of the season. It will likely determine whether or not we get an NCAA bid. I want to encourage all of you to come out to the Pavilion to support the team. They feed off of your energy. So we’ll see you on Friday night! Don’t forget to bring some friends. These matches will be all out volleyball warfare!

From Coach Hebert:

Head Coach

Minnesota Volleyball

From the Golddiggers’ President

From Larry Mickelson:

Hard to believe that we are coming up on the final regular season home stand of the year. I am already lamenting the opportunity to see the Gophers in action and not being able to see my Golddigger friends for a while.

BUT ENOUGH OF THE WHINING!!! This promises to be a great weekend for volleyball. The Gophers have been playing better and seeing some positive results. This weekend’s matches are key for them and their efforts to make the NCAA tournament. I hope we see huge crowds at the Pavilion this weekend to cheer on our team. To be honest, I have been a little disappointed in the attendance this year and I am hoping for packed houses both nights.

In addition to the big matches, this is a big weekend for the players as they honor their parents on Friday evening. It will be an emotional evening, I’m sure, for parents and players.

And as emotional as Friday may be, it won’t hold a candle to Saturday evening as we honor our seniors Jessy Jones and Kelly Roysland. It has been fun to watch Kelly play this year and I am glad she has had the opportunity. However, I feel the night will belong to Jessy Jones. It seems like only yesterday she came bounding onto the court against Stacy Gordon and Ohio State in the regional final. Gordon had her way all night, especially from the back row. But that all change when Gordon attacked again from the back row only to have Jessy say “access denied! Password required!!” And she’s been doing it ever since.

I almost hate senior night. It reminds us that we will have few opportunities to cheer on our seniors, that we may not get to see them in live action again. And I hope that Jessy leaves us with the same impression that she treated us to that December night four years ago.

In the meantime, save your voices. You will need them this weekend!

Point U!

Larry Mickelson, President, Golddiggers

Meet the Gophers

Jess Jones (WHO? JESS JONES!)

Note: Photo courtesy of the University of Minnesota (although we didn’t actually ask for permission).

Seems just like yesterday you were put into the line-up in the regional final against Ohio State and were blocking Stacy Gordon. Has the time gone that quickly for you?

Unbelievably fast, I am having a really hard time still grasping the fact that this time next year I will be watching the game from the audience. It is incredibly hard for me to except and everyday it gets even harder. Just filling this questionnaire out thinking it is going out for my senior night is ridiculously hard for me to do. My senior night is going to be a very hard thing for me to go through and I just can’t believe it is already here. You are going to see a very emotional Jessy Jones on Saturday for the reception.

What has been the best part of your time with the Gophers?

Becoming the person I am today. Being a part of this team is not just about volleyball, statistics, wins and losses…it’s about growing and learning. Making some of the best friendships that will last a lifetime is something I will always be thankful for.

When you came into the program as a freshman, were there any particular players who helped you get acclimated to the college game?

Jessica Byrnes and Meredith Nelson! I love them so much!

What was harder – the college game itself or adapting to college life with volleyball?

Adapting to college life with volleyball. It’s weird to all a sudden to be in charge of your own life! Going to class, working out, eating well, studying…Its crazy everything becomes your fault when things go wrong, there is no one else to blame it on. You have to take responsibility for your own actions.

Which team have you enjoyed playing the most? The least?

I love playing anyone is going to compete and play with heart. I don’t enjoy playing teams that looks as if they are going through the motions because they are not playing for each other. They play as if it is a job and college volleyball is so far from that.

How do you want Gopher fans to remember you as a player?

I want them to remember me as someone who was fun to watch, had a crazy passion for the game, and who did whatever she could to help her team win the match.

I want my teammates to remember be as someone who always tried to lighten the mood in the practice gym and who loved them so much and still does.

Why the change in hair color this year?

Oh...ok.

For the summer my "theme" was change. I needed to change my attitude and

get back to what I believed in before I was in college. I believed that I

could do anything and the more I grew and matured the more I put limits on

myself. The truth is I STILL can do ANYTHING, anyone can achieve anything

they want if they put their mind to it. Back to the hair thing...It is

always something I said I wanted to do and I was sick of saying I was going

to do it. I seized my someday!

You seem to be the “go to” player for Mike during our receptions. How do you like public speaking?

Ehhhh…its ok. When it comes to volleyball I can talk for hours and it does not bother me that much, but if I have to go up in front of a bunch of strangers then I will be really, really nervous and talk too fast. If I have confidence in my knowledge of the material I will be speaking about then I am ok. I am no Meredith because she is just much more professional than me, I am too much of a goofball.

What are your plans for the future?

My volleyball days are not over. I will try playing professionally overseas and I really think I am going to enjoy this experience. After the season ends I will be coaching and continue training but I am also going to give my body and break and let it heal from pretty much 16 years of getting beat up! My sister is pregnant again, so I also will wait until the baby is born to go overseas.

My passion for volleyball is too large to just leave it behind and “move on” because that would lead to me having an empty feeling inside. I will keep coaching, possibly at the collegiate level as a recruiter. Going along with the coaching, I want to be a high school teacher and eventually an athletic director.

I guess I have some sort of direction in my life, but I change my mind A LOT!

Now for the fun stuff!

If I didn’t play volleyball I would… Be playing basketball

When I need to relax I… listen to John Mayer, Rascal Flatts, or Colbie Caillat. I also just go find one of my roommates and start talking and laughter is bound to happen!

My favorite food is… gumbo and grilled cheese!

The movie I could watch again and again is... too many, 300, Hook, Love Actually, Any Disney movie

If I could go anywhere in the world for vacation I would go to... if I was not with my family I would go home. But if they were with me then…Fiji (just because the water makes it look so pretty!)

What people don’t know about me is… I take a great deal of pride in being a good friend. I want to be that friend that I would appreciate. I think getting a phone call at 2:00am starting with, “I didn’t know whom to call, but I thought of you” is probably the best gift anyone could ever get. I love making those unexpected gestures and making people feel special.

Announcements

Reception

We will be holding a Golddigger reception after the Northwestern match on Saturday night. This will be the final regularly scheduled reception of the year and we will take the opportunity to recognize our two seniors – Jessy Jones and Kelly Roysland. As this is usually one of the larger receptions of the year DuAnn is looking for extra angels this week to help with the reception. If you are willing/able to help please let DuAnn know on Friday or by e-mailing us.

Also, remember that non-Golddigger guests are always welcome but we do need to collect $2/guest to satisfy NCAA requirements. If you are bringing a number of guests to the reception please let DuAnn or I know so we can be prepared.

+ + +

Bus Trip to Wisconsin

Unfortunately, the bus trip to Wisconsin has been scrapped. We have contacted those who had signed up and will look into setting up car pools for those interested.

+ + +

Chalk Talk Scheduled for this Saturday, November 17th!!!

The final Chalk Talk featuring Associate Head Coach Scott Swanson will be held this Saturday in the Williams Arena Media Room:

Saturday, November 17th Prior to the Northwestern match 5:30-6:15 PM

This is a great opportunities to find out what the team’s strategy will be for that night. Very good stuff!

Please note: You will need to enter thru the Daily Entrance area along University Ave. You will need your ticket to get into the Pav, into Williams’ Arena, AND back into the Pav. Be sure to keep your ticket with you at all times.

+ + +

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)

From Betty Cipperly:

I've been asked the question many times - "how did you guys become so interested in volleyball?" Well folks, some of the time that's a polite way of asking "how come someone as old as you follows volleyball so intensely!"" Well look around at the games. I'm sure you'll see that our "senior section" is well represented - and by that I mean anyone over 50. Age is not a pre-requisite for loving this game. That's the beautiful part of it - you play at a young age and watch and enjoy at an old age! (Although my husband played well into his 60's) but I can testify that the old bones sure hurt him for the following 3 days! Larry started playing the game in the early 70's, then went on to coaching (first our sons and then our granddaughters in JO
programs). He was also a referee for the State High School League for numerous years. (All the time playing the game himself). Unfortunately the era I came from did not have female sports so if you were athletic at all - you were a cheerleader. And not today’s "dancing darlings" but the kind that know the game and really yell at the games (you were always hoarse the next day). I was one of these kind of cheerleaders all through high school. When we yelled "Hold that line and hit'em hard!” we knew we were on defense at at football game - not offense!! I so much envy the gals of today to have the opportunities they have. I have always encouraged my Granddaughters to take advantage of every opportunity they have to excel at whatever sport they wish to pursue - and luckily it's been volleyball! It's wonderful to see the pride of the parents whose daughters are playing in the program and also to see the enthusiasm of the young people who attend matches and embrace this great sport. But don't ever forget that we "seniors" also love this sport and are the backbone of every good program. So I encourage all you seniors to stand proud and loud and volunteer anyway you can to promote and encourage growth in the wonderful world of volleyball!!

Rankings

Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	2007 Record	Last Week
1	Penn State (35)	24-2	1
2	Nebraska (19)	23-1	2
3	Texas (6)	20-3	3
4	Stanford	24-2	5
5	Washington	23-2	4
6	California	20-6	7
7	Florida	24-1	8
8	Southern California	21-4	6
9	Wisconsin	22-3	11
10	UCLA	17-8	9
11	Hawai'i	21-5	10
12	Kansas State	20-7	12
13	New Mexico State	24-4	13
14	Oregon	18-9	20
15	Ohio	23-4	15
16	Dayton	28-1	16
17	Colorado State	19-5	18
18	San Diego	19-7	19
19	Cal Poly	19-7	22
20	St. John's	28-3	21
21	Louisville	20-5	17
22	Oklahoma	19-7	23
23	Wichita State	24-4	24
24	Duke	20-6	14
25	UNLV	21-3	25

Others Receiving Votes and appearing on two or more ballots: Clemson 105; Long Beach State 50; Michigan 47; Minnesota 41; Middle Tennessee 37; Santa Clara 19; LSU 18; Michigan State 12; BYU 5; Georgia Tech 4; Purdue 2.

Six schools were listed on only one ballot for a total of 31 points.

Dropped out: none

National Update

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

Penn State – see below

Nebraska – Things have changed somewhat since we last visited Husker Nation. They were swept by Texas which knocked them out of their number one perch but then followed up the loss with a pair of five game matches vs. un ranked Missouri (in Lincoln) and at #12 Kansas State. The Huskers bounced back last week with sweeps over Colorado and Iowa State. Nebraska travels to College Station on Wednesday to face Texas A&M before hosting #22 Oklahoma on Saturday.

Texas – Texas has ridden their huge victory over Nebraska to the #3 spot. The Longhorns showed no let down after that match as they swept conference rivals Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas State along with non-conference foe, Florida A&M. They also beat Texas A&M in four. Up next for the Longhorns are in-state rivals Texas Tech on Wednesday and Baylor on Saturday.

Stanford – Stanford gained a measure of revenge this past weekend as they invaded Washington’s home and beat the Huskies in another five game match. It was Stanford’s first win in Huskyville since 2002. The win puts Stanford and Washington in a virtual tie for first place in the Pac-10. However, Stanford would appear to have the advantage the rest of the way as they host Arizona and Arizona State this weekend and California on November 23^rd.

Washington – As mentioned above, Washington lost to Stanford at home for the first time since 2002 and the first time against anyone since November, 2004, a streak of 39 matches. When Washington lost game 1 to Stanford it was the first time they had lost a game at home this year. The Huskies bounced back nicely the following evening as they took down California in four games for their own revenge as Cal had beaten them earlier in the year. Washington definitely has the tougher schedule for rest of the way as they head to Los Angeles this weekend to take on #8 USC and #10 UCLA before hosting Oregon State and #14 Oregon.

California – Only in the Pac-10 can a team lose and yet rise in the standings. On Thursday, Cal beat Washington State who is winless in the Pac-10 before getting beat by Washington. Like Stanford, Cal hosts the Arizona teams before facing off against their Bay rival.

Florida – After sweeping South Carolina Florida gained revenge against Arkansas who had handed Florida their only conference loss of the season. Since then, Florida also notched victories over Tennessee and Kentucky en route to winning their 17^th straight SEC title. The sweep over TN and KY also gave Florida the program’s 700^th victory. Florida wraps up their SEC season this weekend with matches against Alabama and Mississippi State. The Gators end their regular season with matches against Yale and Long Beach State in Long Beach, CA.

USC – The enigma continues. After this newsletter stated that we weren’t sure how good the Trojans were they promptly went out and beat Cal, Stanford, and UCLA. However, USC then dropped a four game match to Oregon. They still have a slim chance at a share of the Pac-10 title as they trail both Stanford and Washington by two matches in the loss column. However, Stanford would have to suffer a major upset to one of the AZ teams for this to happen. USC can help its cause this weekend as they host Washington and Washington State before ending the season at Arizona State and Arizona.

Wisconsin – see below

UCLA – #14 Oregon showed no favoritism this past weekend as they upset not only USC but UCLA. UCLA has lost four out of their past five and six out of their last eight, still not enough to cost them a spot in the top 10. Things won’t get much easier this weekend as they host Washington State (OK, that shouldn’t be too tough) and #5 Washington. They then take on non-conference foe Pepperdine before going to Arizona to end their season.

Upset of the Week – Utah State (a team MN swept earlier this year) took time out of their vacation to sweep then #10 ranked Hawai’i. Utah State had a “power ranking” of 150 vs. Hawai’i’s power ranking of 14. The loss marked the first time Hawai’i had ever lost a home WAC match since joining the league in 1996, a stretch of 108 matches. The loss also marked the second time the Wahine were swept at home this year, Oregon State did the favor on opening weekend. Not sure which is more shocking – Utah State’s win or the fact that with a power ranking of 150 Utah State was third in their conference.

Matches of note this week

We will try to identify some of the top matches of the upcoming weekend. This is not an all inclusive list!

Pac 10

Friday – Washington @ USC

Saturday – Washington @ UCLA

Big 10

All of them! But especially these:

Friday – Wisconsin @ Penn State (Wisconsin’s hopes for a share of the title evaporate with a loss)

Michigan @ Purdue (Both teams currently tied with MN for third place)

Big10 Update

The conference standings as of Nov 11, 2007:

                        Conference  Games           Overall   Games

  Institution               W-L    For Opp   Pct      W-L    For Opp   Pct

  -----------               ---    --- ---   ---      ---    --- ---   ---

  PSU.................     16-0     48   4 1.000     24-2     74  14  .923

  WIS.................     14-2     45  17  .875     22-3     71  22  .880

  MICH................      8-8     32  29  .500     20-8     68  36  .714

  MINN................      8-8     31  27  .500     15-11    55  38  .577

  PUR.................      8-8     27  29  .500     15-12    51  47  .556

  NU..................      7-9     27  37  .438     16-11    55  45  .593

  ILL.................      7-9     34  32  .438     15-11    62  41  .577

  MSU.................      7-9     26  30  .438     16-12    55  42  .571

  IND.................      6-10    23  37  .375     15-13    50  53  .536

  OSU.................      6-10    25  36  .375     12-13    45  45  .480

  IOWA................      1-15     7  47  .062      9-18    35  61  .333

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

Last week’s results (home team in bold):

November 7 Wisconsin 3, Illinois 0

November 9 Michigan State 3, Ohio State 0
Purdue 3, Iowa 0
Minnesota 3, Indiana 0
Penn State 3, Northwestern 0
Wisconsin 3, Michigan 2

November 10 Michigan 3, Illinois 0
Indiana 3, Iowa 0
Penn State 3, Michigan State 0
Minnesota 3, Purdue 1
Northwestern 3, Ohio State 1

This week’s matches:

Wed	11/14/07	Indiana @ Purdue
Fri	11/16/07	Illinois @ Ohio State
		Michigan @ Purdue
		Wisconsin @ Penn State
		Michigan State @ Minnesota
		Northwestern @ Iowa
Sat	11/17/07	Illinois @ Penn State
		Michigan @ Indiana
		Michigan State @ Iowa
		Northwestern @ Minnesota
Mon	11/19/07	Wisconsin @ Ohio State

Upcoming Match Previews

Michigan State

The Spartans opened the season by dropping three in a row during a west coast swing. Then they won their next nine non-conference matches before opening the Big Ten season by losing six of their first eight matches. However, they have had much better success since then with wins over MN, Michigan in Ann Arbor, and Wisconsin in Madison.

MSU is led offensively by senior OH Ashley Schatzle and senior OH Katie Johnson who average 4.44 and 4.45 kills/game respectively and also rank 4^th and 5^th in Big Ten conference play in the kills department. With Schatzle at 6’1” and Johnson at 6’3” they bring some size to that position. Freshman setter Lauren O’Reilly distributes the ball to the hitters and is second in the Big Ten in assists/game with 13.54 in conference play. MSU is also third in the conference in hitting percentage as a team with a hitting percentage of .242 trailing only Penn State and Wisconsin.

However, the Spartans aren’t as adept defensively. In conference play they rank 11^th in opponents’ hitting percentage against (.246), 9^th in blocks (2.54 blocks/game), and 9^th in digs (14.82 digs/game). Contrast that with MN’s opponents’ hitting percentage against at .181 (second in the league), 3.41 blocks/game (2^nd), and 16.10 digs/game (3^rd). So, while Michigan State can score they are also scored upon quite often.

The latest RPI power rankings have MSU at #32 with MN at #33 so this could be an explosive match and close match. In East Lansing earlier this year MN hit .313 only to see MSU hit .400. MN has been playing better defense as of late and this could turn the results to their favor.

Northwestern

The Wildcats may have turned their season around starting with the five game win over Minnesota a month ago. Prior to that win Northwestern had lost seven straight matches but then won five straight, three of which were five game matches, before losing to Wisconsin in five at Madison. Northwestern came oh so close to beating Wisconsin as they lost game five 15-17 in a game that saw Northwestern have two match points. NU lost the following week to Penn State (as has everyone) before bouncing back to beat Ohio State in four.

Northwestern is led offensively by senior OH Lindsay Anderson who is averaging 3.69 kills/game and is the only Wildcat to appear in every NU game this year. However, while Anderson is leading the team in kills she is only hitting .196. The fortunes of Northwestern appeared to change when Naomi Johnson, a freshman from Bloomington Kennedy, was inserted into the starting line-up. Another force for Northwestern is junior MB Chelsy Hyser who leads the team block shots and is second on the team in hitting percentage at .308. Dispersing the ball is freshman setter Elyse Glab. When MN gets around the Hyser’s block they will need to contend with libero Kate Nobilio who is Big Ten in digs averaging 5.23 digs/game in conference action.

Northwestern, at 7-9 in the Big Ten, is only one game out of third place and with a 16-11 overall record will be fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament. Wins over Iowa and Minnesota would go a long way towards that goal so they will be ready to play. But Minnesota also needs the win and will be looking to play the ungracious host in their final home match of the year.

Illinois

Here are Illinois’ conference results thus far: L, L, W, W, L, L, W, W, L, L, W, W, L, W, L, L. In other words, they have matched each losing streak with a similar winning streak. The other odd thing? The Illini are 1-6 at home while 6-2 on the road. Will the trend continue this weekend? Well, they have Ohio State on Friday and Penn State on Saturday. Who knows what will happen if they beat OSU on Friday. Oh, yeah, both matches are on the road.

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

Indiana’s promising start has gone by the wayside recently with a six match losing streak which they snapped against Iowa. This week will be equally tough as they face Purdue on Wednesday evening at Purdue before hosting Michigan. Purdue and Michigan are tied for third with MN meaning they will be anxious for wins against the Hoosiers.

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

Iowa is, well, Iowa. Another lost year for the Hawkeyes.

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

At 8-8 in Big Ten play and a 20-8 overall record it would seem as though the Wolverines are a lock for the NCAA tourney. However, should they go 0-4 over the next two weeks all bets are off. Their final two weeks should be interesting as they face Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, and Penn State.

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

See above.

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

See above.

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

I don’t think this is the ending coach Jim Stone envisioned when he announced his retirement earlier this year. At 6-10 in the Big Ten and 12-13 overall, the Buckeyes will probably be watching the tournament from home this year. They finish the season hosting Illinois, Wisconsin, and Penn State before traveling to Michigan for their final match. I can think of easier ways to finish the 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

Big match this Friday in Happy Valley as the Lions host Wisconsin. A win for PSU all but assures them of their fifth straight solo conference championship. They follow that match with Illinois before ending the season at Ohio State and Michigan. Likely a top four seed in the tournament, things are lined up for them to make an appearance in the final four as they will be hosting a regional championship. But stranger things have happened such as 2005 when they lost the regional championship to Tennessee (has anyone heard of them lately?) on their home court.

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 had a chance to gain sole possession of third place with a win against MN last week. At 8-8 they are now tied with MN and MI and will play Michigan on Friday. At 15-12 overall, Purdue is in a similar position as MN – they need to have a strong final two weeks to make the tournament.

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

Wisconsin will be looking for revenge this week as they visit Penn State. They suffered their first conference loss to PSU on a controversial non-call on match point. They have had a week to get ready for Friday’s match and it should be a good one.

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)

Inside the Game

From Matt Leach:

Without actually mining the history of Big Ten volleyball -- or even asking someone who might know -- we’re going to venture to guess that there has never been a tighter race for third place in the conference, this late in the season. Just take a gander at the conference standings as of Tuesday 11/13.

Team	Won	Lost
Penn State	16	0
Wisconsin	14	2
Michigan	8	8
Minnesota	8	8
Purdue	8	8
Northwestern	7	9
Illinois	7	9
Michigan State	7	9
Indiana	6	10
Ohio State	6	10
Iowa	1	15

There are a few things we know already, and we don’t mean the obvious points such as Penn State’s success going beyond annoying and Iowa’s lack of success becoming one of Life’s certainties, right up there with Death, Taxes and GameTracker freezing up. Nope, not those. These:

ü There will not be a tie for third with EIGHT teams finishing 10-10. The wins and losses will not add up. There are 22 matches left and even if Wisconsin and PSU both went 0-4, we would still only have 21 losses. It can’t happen.

ü There COULD be an eight-way tie for third with all the teams finishing 9-11, however.

ü Penn State and Wisconsin need to learn to share.

So how do we get to this eight-way tie for third? Well, as long as we’re taking ganders, let’s grab another one, this time at the remaining schedules for those eight teams (bye-bye, Lions, Badgers and Hawkeyes!):

Team	Remaining matches
Michigan	@ Purdue, @ Indiana, OSU, PSU
Minnesota	MSU, Northwestern, @ Illinois, @ Wisconsin
Purdue	Indiana, Michigan, @ MSU, @ Northwestern
Northwestern	@ Iowa, @ Minnesota, Indiana, Purdue
Illinois	@ OSU, @ PSU, Minnesota, Iowa
Michigan State	@ Minnesota, @ Iowa, Purdue, Indiana
Indiana	@ Purdue, Michigan, @ Northwestern, @ MSU
Ohio State	Illinois, Wisconsin, PSU, @ Michigan

Next, what is the most likely scenario for this to happen? There may be other ways to have each team finish at 9-11, but this is what we came up with (bold type represents a WIN):

Team	Remaining matches
Michigan	@ Purdue, @ Indiana, OSU, PSU
Minnesota	MSU, Northwestern, @ Illinois, @ Wisconsin
Purdue	Indiana, Michigan, @ MSU, @ Northwestern
Northwestern	@ Iowa, @ Minnesota, Indiana, Purdue
Illinois	@ OSU, @ PSU, Minnesota, Iowa
Michigan State	@ Minnesota, @ Iowa, Purdue, Indiana
Indiana	@ Purdue, Michigan, @ Northwestern, @ MSU
Ohio State	Illinois, Wisconsin, PSU, @ Michigan

A few disclaimers:

ü Obviously, we want Minnesota to finish 12-8. This is purely hypothetical, done solely for the odd aesthetics of an eight-way tie. No hate mail, please!

ü Ohio State needs to beat either Wisconsin or Penn State for this to happen. They will be playing at home, however. They also have to win at Michigan. Simply put, the Buckeyes are the shakiest playing card in our house of cards.

ü Northwestern has the assignment to lose at Iowa City. Good luck, Wildcats, with this bit of bad luck.

[Remember, emails to newsletter@golddigger-boosters.org or we’ll just keep picking the topic.]

Travels with JT

Road wins are sweet. Pairs of road victories are even sweeter.

So, Indiana and Purdue universities were the latest stops on the Gopher volleyball circuit. It’s a fairly easy trip to make when these two teams are partnered up. Fly into Indianapolis, and then you’ve got an hour drive to get to either school. This year I decided to get a hotel room in each city, but next year, I may copy some of the parents, and get a hotel room in Indianapolis near the airport. You have to drive at night after the match, but you don’t have to worry about leaving early enough to get to the airport for the return flight, putting in extra time for delays along the way.

I got down to Bloomington (Indiana University) with plenty of time to spare, mainly because I’ve finally learned, and allow for the flight to be delayed by a couple hours, the car rental to take three quarters of an hour, and for the roads to be torn up, flooded out, or just backed up with traffic. Now that I’ve done that, things have gone smoothly for flights, car rentals, and road conditions. There’s probably some underlying rule of the cosmos at work here.

The match went well (for Gopher fans, anyway). I don’t know how the team and coaches felt, but I never wondered whether we’d end up with a W or an L at the end of the night. It’s a good feeling, and I want to get used to it. J After the match, the team went out for Coldstone Creamery ice cream (an incentive given by the coaches, and it appears to have worked), and then had dinner at their hotel. Since the parents and fans weren’t going to be able to eat with the team (it was catered by the hotel staff) we went our separate ways. I went to Hardees and picked up what was surely a nutritious dinner. Yeah, right.

Late the next morning, I checked out of my hotel. The Iowa team had bused down the night before and were at the hotel, along with a couple of the parents. I wished them luck, and headed off to West Lafayette and Purdue. Two hours later, I pulled in to the new hotel. I was a bit too early to check in, so I got some suggestions on restaurants, and wandered off to find McCord Candies. (No, I’m not that unhealthy when I eat on the road... they have a old style café and soda shop, in addition to the candies they make.) If you’re ever in Lafayette, I’d suggest stopping by. They’ve got simple but good choices on the menu, and their prices are amazingly low. I had a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich, side of chips, cottage cheese, and a large vanilla shake, and the total cost was just a bit over seven dollars. Their candy looked good, too, but I resisted temptation.

Purdue has some funny rules for parking. There’s a huge lot next to the volleyball facility, but if there was a football game earlier in the day (there was) they have people there to keep the lot empty. Instead, they tell you to park down on the far side of the basketball arena, where they have signs up saying it’s a tow-away zone on football game days. They’ve never towed my car, but I always feel a bit nervous leaving it there. The match against Purdue was tough, as most of you have heard. In the second game, my confidence wavered a bit, but Mike and the Gophers righted the ship, and with it, my confidence.

Even though the match started late (we had to accommodate the football schedule, of course), we all went out to eat afterwards. I’m not sure how the wait staff figures it all out, since players and parents change tables, wander off to visit each another, and in general, unintentionally make life confusing for the servers. Then, they have to figure out who is included on the team’s bill, and how everyone else gets divided up on other bills. Somehow, they managed.

The flight back was uneventful, which is always nice. It rounded out a weekend trip that was nearly flawless. The planes were on time, the weather was fine (okay... it rained on Sunday). Most importantly, though, the weekend ended with two Gopher victories.

Life is good.