What: Penn State @ Minnesota
Where: Minneapolis, MN (Sports Pavilion)
When: Saturday — 11-16-13 (8:30 p.m. ET)
Media: TV: Big Ten Network; CBSsports.com’s GameTracker
The Buzz on Minnesota: The AVCA #11-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers tuned up for tonight’s match against Penn State by sweeping Ohio State (25-19, 25-19 and 25-15). It was an impressive performance against a good Ohio State team (we know they’re 4-11 in the B1G, and they have their weaknesses, but the Buckeyes are not pushovers). Minnesota hit .336 (and limited Ohio State to a .175 attack %), almost doubled-up the Buckeyes in blocks, 9.5 to 5.0, and sided-out at 70% compared to Ohio State’s 50%.
Minnesota was led by 6-0 Sr. OH Ashley Wittman (13 kills, 15 digs, 3 blocks), 6-3 Jr. Opp Adrianna Nora (12 kills, 3 blocks, 4 digs), 6-3 Sr. MB Tori Dixon (.643 attack %), 6-2 Fr. MB Hannah Tapp (6 blocks, 7 kills, .417 attack%), and Daly Santana (3 service aces, 5 kills, 14 digs). .
Notwithstanding Coach Rose’s view (which we share), some folks think Penn State has already established itself as the best team in the B1G — one that can pretty much “make a meal” of its opponents. After last night’s match against Wisconsin, in which the Badgers pressed the Nittany Lions to the max in set 1 (which Penn State won 25-23 after leading 19-12) and set 2 (which Penn State managed to grind out a 27-25 win), no one should be harboring that kind of culinary fantasy.
Still, Penn State (23-2, 14-1 in the B1G ), did win the match 3-0. 6-2 So. OH Megan Courtney (15 kills, .400 attack %, 11 digs) was a difference-maker throughout the match, as were 5-11 Jr. setter Micha Hancock (32 assists, 12 digs, 2 service aces), and 6-6 Sr. MH Katie Slay (8 total blocks). 6-1 Sr. OH Deja McClendon totaled 8 kills and 15 digs, 6-2 Jr. MH Nia Grant registered 7 kills (.312 attack %), 6-4 Sr. Opp/RS Ariel Scott had 7 kills, 4 digs and 4 blocks, and 5-6 Jr. libero Dom Gonzalez totaled 9 digs. Penn State won the block battle with 12 team blocks to only 4 for the Badgers.
And one could point to statistics that illustrate, at least on paper, how dominant the Nittany Lions have been since the 3-2 loss to Michigan State . Penn State is ranked #2 in the latest AVCA poll , it sports a 23-2 overall record (14-1 in the B1G), a .323 team hitting % prior to the Wisconsin match (1st in the B1G) and has limited its opponents to a .128 hitting % (also prior to the Wisconsin match, 1st in the B1G).
But Minesota has racked-up some impressive statistics of its own, and from a statistical perspective, there’s virtually no space between the two teams in so many areas. Penn State’s .323 attack % was tops in the conference as of 11/10/13, but Minnesota was right behind at .287. Penn State had limited its opponents to a .128 attack % (best in the B1G), but Minnesota had held its opponents to a .1569attack % (3rd in the B1G). Blocking is much the same story: Penn State is first in the B1G with 3.10 blocks/set; Minesota is 2nd at 2.82. The Nittany Lions have a bit of an edge in serving, ranking 2nd in the B1G with 1.42 aces/set (thank you Micha Hancock – leading the league with .71 aces/set), with Minnesota at 1.13 aces/set (6th in the B1G), but Daly Santana (.38 aces/set — 2nd in the B1G) and Tori Dixon can both bring it from behind the line.
We’re going with Penn State in five sets — and we think it will be a hard-fought five sets.
Stat Joust
B1G Team Stats (as of 11/10/13)
B1G Individual Stats (as of 11/10/13)
Minnesota Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Yr. | Hometown (Last School) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Bohl, Morgan |
Outside Hitter | 6-0 | JR | Centennial, Colo. (Eaglecrest HS) | |||
| 18 | De Felice, Clelia |
Middle Blocker | 6-2 | SO | Milan, Italy (Oregon) | |||
| 6 | Dixon, Tori | Middle Blocker | 6-3 | SR | Burnsville, Minn. (Burnsville HS) | |||
| 2 | Hauer, Karlie |
Outside Hitter | 5-11 | SO | Andover, Minn. (Andover HS) | |||
| 20 | Howard, Sydney | Setter | 5-11 | SO | Cedar Falls, Iowa (Cedar Falls) | |||
| 9 | Israel, Karyn |
Setter | 6-0 | SO | Huntington Beach. Calif. (Edison HS) | |||
| 14 | Jack, Brittany | Defensive Specialist | 5-5 | FR | Sydney, Australia (Bridgeway Academy) | |||
| 11 | Lawmaster, Lindsey | DS/Libero | 5-5 | SO | Los Alamitos, Calif. (Los Alamitos HS) | |||
| 10 | Mau, Kalei |
Outside Hitter | 6-1 | FR | Kahaluu, Hawaii (Henry Kaiser) | |||
| 16 | Nora, Adrianna |
Middle Blocker/Opposite | 6-3 | JR | Stillwater, Minn. (Baylor) | |||
| 21 | Palmer, Alexandra | Setter | 5-7 | SR | Laguna Beach, Calif. (Santa Clara) | |||
| 1 | Santana, Daly |
Outside Hitter | 6-1 | SO | Corozal, Puerto Rico (Bayamon Military Academy) | |||
| 3 | Schau, Katie | Setter | 5-8 | FR | Richland, Mich. (Gull Lake HS) | |||
| 7 | Tapp, Hannah | Middle Blocker | 6-2 | FR | Stewartville, Minn. (Stewartville HS) | |||
| 4 | Tapp, Paige | Middle Blocker | 6-1 | FR | Stewartville, Minn. (Stewartville HS) | |||
| 5 | White, Kalysta |
DS/Libero | 5-5 | SO | Laguna Beach, Calif. (Laguna Beach) | |||
| 8 | Wilhite, Sarah | Outside Hitter | 6-1 | FR | Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie HS) | |||
| 13 | Wittman, Ashley | Outside Hitter | 6-0 | SR | Shakopee, Minn. (Shakopee HS) |
