From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
Minnesota Golden Gopherswomen's volleyball
Minnesota Golden Gophers logo.svg
UniversityUniversity of Minnesota
Head coachHugh McCutcheon (7th season)
ConferenceBig Ten
LocationMinneapolis, MN
Home arenaMaturi Pavilion (Capacity: 5,700)
NicknameGolden Gophers
ColorsMaroon and Gold[1]
         
AIAW/NCAA Tournament runner-up
2004
AIAW/NCAA Tournament semifinal
2003, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2019
AIAW/NCAA Regional Final
2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2019
AIAW/NCAA Regional Semifinal
1989, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020*
AIAW/NCAA Tournament appearance
1989, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020*
Conference regular season champion
2002, 2015, 2018


Played in Spring 2021*

Minnesota Golden Gophers volleyball is the NCAA Division I women's volleyball team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The program began its first season in 1972 under head coach Dee Jilek. Its current head coach is Hugh McCutcheon, who took over the team after the 2012 Olympics. Previous coach Mike Hebert had led the Golden Gophers to every NCAA Tournament, with the exception of 1998, when he was head coach of the team. His tenure was highlighted by back-to-back NCAA Final Four appearances in 2003 and 2004. Hebert also led Minnesota the program's first Big Ten title in 2002.

At the conclusion of the 2010 season, Hebert announced his retirement.

Final Four appearances[edit]

2003[edit]

Even with a 13 overall tournament seed, Minnesota beat Washington in the regional final in five games to advance to the school's first NCAA Final Four. In the national semifinals, Minnesota played top ranked and undefeated Southern California tough, but fell in three games. Minnesota was led by Cassie Busse with 23 kills and Erin Martin with 11.[2]

2004[edit]

The tournament's #4 overall seed, Minnesota defeated fifth-seeded Ohio State in the regional final to advance to their second straight national semifinal. Once again, they met Southern California, but the outcome was different than the previous year. Behind 18 kills from Minnesota's Erin Martin, the Golden Gophers defeated the two-time defending NCAA Champions in four games to advance to the program's first NCAA National Championship.

In the final against Stanford, Minnesota could not stop Ogonna Nnamani and struggled to find an offensive rhythm, falling in three straight games to finish as national runners-up. Despite leaving the match against Stanford with a neck injury, Minnesota All-American libero Paula Gentil set an NCAA tournament record for digs in the NCAA tournament with 173 total in six matches.

2009[edit]

Minnesota, the 11th seed, earned its third Final Four appearance since 2003 by defeating 3rd seeded Florida State 3–1 (25–20, 25–7, 18–25, 25–17). This appearance marks the second time Minnesota has qualified for the Final Four via playing on its home court: "The Sports Pavilion" – the first time occurred during the 2004 tournament. Minnesota was knocked out of the National Semifinals by Texas in three sets.

2015[edit]

After a frustrating 2014 season that saw the Golden Gophers miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998, Minnesota started the season unranked in the AVCA preseason poll,[3] and was picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten.[4] Under the stewardship of Big Ten Coach of the Year[5] and AVCA Coach of the Year[6] Hugh McCutcheon, and led by the play of four AVCA All-Americans,[7] Minnesota trumped all expectations, on its way to an 18–2 Big Ten conference record that was the best in its history and earned the program its second-ever Big Ten conference championship, the first one since 2002.[8] The Golden Gophers entered the NCAA Tournament with a 26–4 record that earned them the top seed in their bracket and the No. 2 overall seed. After dropping just one set in regional play,[9] Minnesota arrived at the Final Four in Omaha, Nebraska,[10] where it lost in the National Semifinals to the Texas Longhorns.[11]

2016[edit]

Minnesota lost 3-1 to eventual national champion Stanford in the 2016 NCAA semifinals. Minnesota had been ranked #1 in the final AVCA regular-season poll, but were seeded #2 going into the tournament, behind #1 Nebraska.

All-Americans[edit]

A list of first, second, or third team AVCA All-American volleyball players.[12]

  • 1996 – Katrien DeDecker (1st team)
  • 1999 – Nicole Branagh (2nd team)
  • 2000 – Nicole Branagh (2nd team); Stephanie Hagen (2nd team)
  • 2002 – Cassie Busse (2nd team); Paula Gentil (3rd team)
  • 2003 – Cassie Busse (1st team); Paula Gentil (2nd team)
  • 2004 – Kelly Bowman (1st team); Paula Gentil (1st team); Erin Martin (honorable mention)
  • 2005 - Paula Gentil (Honorable Mention)
  • 2006 – Meredith Nelson (2nd team)
  • 2008 – Brook Dieter (2nd team); Lauren Gibbemeyer (3rd team)
  • 2009 – Lauren Gibbemeyer(1st team); Taylor Carico (3rd team)
  • 2011 – Ashley Wittman (2nd team); Tori Dixon (Honorable Mention)
  • 2012 – Katherine Harms (1st team); Tori Dixon (2nd team); Ashley Wittman (Honorable Mention)
  • 2013 - Tori Dixon (1st team); Ashley Wittman (2nd team); Adrianna Nora (Honorable Mention)
  • 2014 - Paige Tapp (3rd team); Daly Santana (Honorable Mention)
  • 2015 – Hannah Tapp (1st team); Daly Santana (1st team); Samantha Seliger-Swenson (2nd team); Paige Tapp (3rd team)
  • 2016 - Sarah Wilhite (1st team); Samantha Seliger-Swenson (1st team); Hannah Tapp (2nd team); Alexis Hart (Honorable Mention) Molly Lohman (Honorable Mention)
  • 2017 - Stephanie Samedy (1st team); Samantha Seliger-Swenson (2nd team); Alexis Hart (3rd team); Molly Lohman (Honorable Mention)
  • 2018 - Stephanie Samedy (1st team); Samantha Seliger-Swenson (1st team); Regan Pittman (2nd team); Alexis Hart (Honorable Mention); Adanna Rollins (Honorable Mention); Taylor Morgan (Honorable Mention)

Season-by-season results[edit]

SeasonCoachRecordPostseason
OverallConference
(Conf. Standing)
1972Dee Jelik8–3–
1973Dee Jelik16–11–
1974Linda Wells31–6–1–
1975Rosie Wegrich35–13–
1976Rosie Wegrich36–17–1–
1977Linda Wells43–21–2–
1978Linda Wells58–14–
1979Linda Wells39–16–2–
1980Linda Wells37–19–
1981Linda Wells37–198–6 (4th)
1982Stephanie Schleuder23–98–5 (T-2nd-West)
1983Stephanie Schleuder15–166–7 (3rd-West)
1984Stephanie Schleuder16–164–9 (4th-West)
1985Stephanie Schleuder22–1211–7 (4th)
1986Stephanie Schleuder21–1113–5 (2nd)
1987Stephanie Schleuder24–1112–6 (3rd)
1988Stephanie Schleuder21–1011–7 (T-2nd)
1989Stephanie Schleuder29–913–5 (T-2nd)NCAA Second Round
1990Stephanie Schleuder8–262–16 (9th)
1991Stephanie Schleuder14–1611–8 (5th)
1992Stephanie Schleuder25–1213–7 (4th)
1993Stephanie Schleuder14–1014–6 (T-3rd)NCAA Regional Semifinal
1994Stephanie Schleuder21–1510–10 (6th)
1995Pam Miller-Dombeck13–177–13 (8th)
1996Mike Hebert24–1114–6 (4th)NCAA Second Round
1997Mike Hebert23–1012–8 (T-5th)NCAA Second Round
1998Mike Hebert17–147–13 (8th)
1999Mike Hebert27–915–5 (2nd)NCAA Regional Semifinal
2000Mike Hebert30–417–3 (2nd)NCAA Regional Semifinal
2001Mike Hebert19–1310–10 (T-6th)NCAA Second Round
2002Mike Hebert32–617–3 (1st)NCAA Regional Semifinal
2003Mike Hebert26–1115–5 (T-2nd)NCAA Final Four
2004Mike Hebert33–517–3 (T-2nd)NCAA Runners-Up
2005Mike Hebert25–814–6 (T-3rd)NCAA Second Round
2006Mike Hebert26–817–3 (T-2nd)NCAA Regional Final
2007Mike Hebert18–1311–9 (T-3rd)NCAA First Round
2008Mike Hebert27–716–4 (2nd)NCAA Second Round
2009Mike Hebert28–915–5 (3rd)NCAA Final Four
2010Mike Hebert26–914–6 (T-2nd)NCAA Regional Semifinal
2011Laura Bush20–1211–9 (5th)NCAA Regional Semifinal
2012Hugh McCutcheon27–815–5 (3rd)NCAA Regional Final
2013Hugh McCutcheon29–715–5 (3rd)NCAA Regional Semifinal
2014Hugh McCutcheon19–129–11 (8th)
2015Hugh McCutcheon30–518–2 (1st)NCAA Final Four
2016Hugh McCutcheon29-517-3 (2nd)NCAA Final Four
2017Hugh McCutcheon28-615-5 (3rd)NCAA Regional Semifinal
2018Hugh McCutcheon27-419-1 (1st)NCAA Regional Semifinal

See also[edit]

  • List of NCAA Division I women's volleyball programs

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Colors and Type | University Relations | University of Minnesota, Twin Cities". Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  2. ^ Minnesota vs. USC boxscore
  3. ^ "Six Big Ten Programs Crack Top-25 in AVCA Preseason Poll"
  4. ^ "Penn State Selected as Preseason Volleyball Favorite by Big Ten Coaches"
  5. ^ ""Big Ten Announces 2015 Postseason Volleyball Honors"". Archived from the original on 2016-06-12. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  6. ^ ""MCCUTCHEON NAMED NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR"". Archived from the original on 2016-06-26. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  7. ^ "FOUR NAMED AVCA ALL-AMERICANS"
  8. ^ "GOPHER VOLLEYBALL WINS BIG TEN TITLE"
  9. ^ "GOPHERS TRAVEL TO OMAHA FOR FINAL FOUR"
  10. ^ "GOPHERS FINAL FOUR BOUND"
  11. ^ "MINNESOTA FALLS TO TEXAS IN NATIONAL SEMIFINAL"
  12. ^ "Minnesota volleyball awards & honors"

External links[edit]

  • Official website