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Seliger-Swenson Named Big Ten's Player of the Year

Seliger-Swenson Named Big Ten's Player of the Year

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Eric Miller

VOLLEYBALL | 11/28/2018 1:46:00 PM

Senior setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Co-Setter of the Year, announced today by the conference office. Head coach Hugh McCutcheon was also named Coach of the Year by both media and coaches. In all, six individuals landed a spot on the First or Second All-Big Ten Team and two were named to the All-Freshman Team. All play an integral role on the Gopher team en route to a conference championship.

Seliger-Swenson, Stephanie Samedy and Regan Pittman were named First Team All-Big Ten, while Alexis Hart, Taylor Morgan and Adanna Rollins were on the Second Team. Rollins and CC McGraw were named to the All-Freshman Team. Seliger-Swenson and Samedy were two of 10 unanimous First Team selections.

Lauren Barnes, a sophomore defensive specialist from Naperville, Ill., also received Minnesota's Sportsmanship Award. One from every team chosen, these students are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These students must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

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Seliger-Swenson, a senior setter from Minnetonka, Minn., becomes Minnesota's third Big Ten Player of the Year since 2015, sixth in program history and first Gopher setter to win the award. She is also the first Big Ten setter to win the award since 2014. Helping Minnesota to a league title and a 19-1 Big Ten record, she also holds a team-best 31 aces and 239 digs. Evenly distributing the ball to five Gopher starters, Seliger-Swenson helped the team hit .300 in conference action. During the conference season, she was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week seven times. The three-time All-American had 11 double-doubles this year and added 1,141 assists. In her career, she enters the postseason with 5,557 career assists and over 1,130 career digs. A four-year starter for the Golden Gophers, Seliger-Swenson completed the trifecta as she was named the 2015 Freshman of the Year, a two-time Setter of the Year (2016, 2018) and now Big Ten Player of the Year.

Samedy, a sophomore opposite hitter from Clermont, Fla., receives her second All-Big Ten honor in two years as a Gopher. She leads the team with 326 kills and averages 3.51 kills per set while hitting .294 and 810 attempts. A Preseason All-Big Ten, Samedy also has 275 digs to average 2.96 per set and 0.76 blocks per set and 20 aces this year. Producing 14 double-doubles this season, Samedy has also led the Gophers in kills nine times this season. She earned AVCA National Player of the Week honors and Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors once this season as she led the team in points 10 times this season.

Pittman, a red-shirt sophomore middle blocker from Spring Hill, Kan., led the Gophers with a .407 hitting clip, which ranked second in the Big Ten. That number also ranks Averaging 1.11 blocks per set, Pittman also averages 2.59 kills per set this year. With a team-best 107 blocks, Pittman also has hit over .400 in 15 matches this season, including against ranked Big Ten teams in Purdue, Nebraska, Illinois and Michigan.

Hart, a junior outside hitter from Kansas City, Mo., ranks second in the team with 257 kills as she averages 2.92 kills per set. A Preseason All-Big Ten and returning AVCA All-American, Hart was named the Big Ten Player of the Week once this season. She led the Gophers in kills five times this year. Earlier this year, Hart collected her 1,000 career kill this season and now sits at 1,062.

Morgan, a red-shirt junior middle blocker from Blaine, Minn., ranks second in the team in hitting percentage (.390) and fourth in the Big Ten. As a first-year starter for the Gophers, Morgan has 228 kills in 454 attempts. She also averages 2.45 kills per set and 1.04 blocks per set. Morgan has hit over .400 11 times this season, including nine against Big Ten opponents.

Rollins, a freshman six-rotation outside hitter from Carrollton, Texas, has played in all 97 sets as a freshman. Named a four-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Rollins ranks fourth on the team with 248 kills and kills per set (2.56). Leading the team in match kills eight times this season, she has also led the Gophers in points seven times and has five double-doubles.

McGraw, a freshman libero from Prior Lake, Minn., has also played in 97 sets as the Gophers' starting libero. Named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice this season, McGraw averaged 4.10 digs per set in conference action and 3.97 in all matches. She led the Gophers in digs 19 times this season, including 13 in conference action.

Leading this deep Gopher squad is McCutcheon, who is in his seventh season as the Minnesota head coach. McCutcheon guided the Gophers to a 19-1 conference record and an 18-0 conference unbeaten streak. Minnesota ranked third for the majority of the regular season as the Gophers defeated eight ranked Big Ten teams.

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First Team
Ali Bastianelli, Illinois*
Jordyn Poulter, Illinois*
Jacqueline Quade, Illinois*
Erika Pritchard, Maryland
Carly Skjodt, Michigan*
Regan Pittman, Minnesota
Stephanie Samedy, Minnesota*
Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Minnesota*
Mikaela Foecke, Nebraska*
Kenzie Maloney, Nebraska
Lauren Stivrins, Nebraska
Jonni Parker, Penn State
Kendall White, Penn State*
Sherridan Atkinson, Purdue*
Blake Mohler, Purdue
Madison Duello, Wisconsin
Sydney Hilley, Wisconsin
Dana Rettke, Wisconsin*

Second Team
Ashlyn Fleming, Illinois
Deyshia Lofton, Indiana
Taylor Louis, Iowa
Jenna Lerg, Michigan
Alexis Hart, Minnesota
Taylor Morgan, Minnesota
Adanna Rollins, Minnesota
Kaitlyn Hord, Penn State
Bryanna Weiskircher, Penn State

All-Freshman Team
Paige Jones, Michigan
CC McGraw, Minnesota
Adanna Rollins, Minnesota
Nicklin Hames, Nebraska
Callie Schwarzenbach, Nebraska
Kaitlyn Hord, Penn State
Jonni Parker, Penn State

Player of the Year:Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Minnesota
Defensive Player of the Year: Kendall White, Penn State
Co-Setter of the Year: Jordyn Poulter, Illinois
Co-Setter of the Year:Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Minnesota
Freshman of the Year: Jonni Parker, Penn State
Coach of the Year (Coaches):Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota
Coach of the Year (Media):Hugh McCutcheon, Minnesota

Sportsmanship Honorees
Beth Prince, Jr., Illinois
Kamryn Malloy, So., Indiana
Molly Kelly, Sr., Iowa
Abigail Bentz, Sr., Maryland
Maddy Abbott, Sr., Michigan
Sam McLean, Jr., Michigan State
Lauren Barnes, So., Minnesota
Brooke Smith, Sr., Nebraska
Allie Lindroth, Jr., Northwestern
Camry Halm, Jr., Ohio State
Kristin Krause, So., Penn State
Erin Williams, Sr., Purdue
Beka Kojadinovic, So., Rutgers
Tionna Williams, Sr., Wisconsin

*denotes UNANIMOUS SELECTION

https://gophersports.com/news/2018/...wenson-named-big-tens-player-of-the-year.aspx

2018 Team Rankings Offense and Defense

Scoring offense
2018 - 61 (28.5)
2017 - 106 (22.1)
2016 - 73 (26.9)

Scoring defense
2018 - 63 (27.9) last 3 games (16.3) which ranks 18
2017 - 33 (22.8)
2016 - 18 (21.6)

Stating the obvious but hell of a recovery for the defense. Prior to those last 3 games, the defense ranked 87th at 31.8 and giving up an average of 43 points per game in B1G play.

Souhan

Souhan writes a column digging on Fleck again. All 42 reader responses 100% in agreement absolutely respond with disgust.

As one respondent put it “there is something weirdly personal . . . “ about where this stupidity and lack of integrity is coming from.

This is not coy, titilating, “big city tough reporting” or clever trolling. It’s plain and simple childish.

Lessons from the Brohm saga

For me there’s one key takeaway from this whole Jeff Brohm drama.

Louisville is Brohm’s alma mater. Brohm played and coached there. It seemed like an absolute done deal just like Scott Frost to Nebraska.

So what happened?

From what I’ve gleaned reading up on the subject, Brohm basically said that the Louisville program is a mess, and he wanted a big salary and long contract to give himself security. Brohm wanted to make sure Louisville was on the hook to pay him big if the cardinals struggle in year 3/4/5 and end up wanting to fire him.

Louisville is committed to winning to such an extent they were willing to rehire scumbag Bobby Petrino to do so.

Brohm is staying in West Lafayette for one reason: $$$$$$

The Big 10 and SEC make so much more revenue than the other conferences now that even a school like Purdue that has not always invested big in athletics somehow has more money to throw around that Louisville.

This is something to monitor going forward. Rick Neuheisel recently aaid that an extra half million dollars a year is enough to make a difference in whether you get your top prospects on the recruiting trail.


And now the Big 10 and SEC schools make milkions more dollars each year than their competitors from the other 3 conferences.
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Vikings can make this truly a tremendous weekend for Minnesota (Vikes vs Pack Part Deux)

The last time the Vikings and Gophers both beat their red-headed step-sister counterparts in the very same weekend: 1994!

Vikings beat the Packers 13-10 on 10/20/94, and the Gophers beat the Badgers 17-14 on 10/22/94. Of special note, the Vikings played at home and the Gophers on the road, the very same as this weekend. Skol-U-Mah!
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Sideline Change (Part Time) & Photo Op With The Ax (Season Tickets)

New Info for 2019
Starting with the 2019 season, the Gopher football team may elect to utilize the north sideline for games after Oct. 15th. What this means:

  • For the 2019 season, this could impact three games as Minnesota hosts Maryland (Oct. 26), Penn State (Nov. 9) and Wisconsin (Nov. 30).
  • A potential sideline change would only occur for games scheduled to take place during the day, night games will not be affected.
  • Minnesota will announce which sideline the team will use for these games either one week prior to the game or when kickoff time is finalized (if determined later than one week prior to the game).

Exclusive Photos with the Axe!
Paul Bunyan's Axe is back in Dinkytown! As a 2018 Gopher Football season ticket holder, you will be invited to attend an exclusive event in the TCF Bank Stadium locker room to take photos with the axe. All 2018 season ticket holders will be invited to attend one of these four exclusive opportunities specifically for season ticket holders. Stay tuned for additional information as event logistics are finalized.

Remember this guy?

There is a LB from U of New Mexico that has announced he’s transferring.

Those who follow recruiting closely might remember his name.

Rhashaun Epting is from Chicago, committed to Fleck at WMU, then decommitted, visited Minnesota when Fleck came here, but ended up playing for Bob Davie and the Lobos.

I have no idea if there’s any interest from Minnesota, but it looks like he’s putting himself on the market. Thought I’d pass it along.

Bowl Projections

SB Nation: Pinstripe (New York City): Pitt vs. Minnesota

https://www.sbnation.com/platform/a...ons-2018-college-football-playoff-predictions

Sports Illustrated: Quick Lane Bowl, Detroit (5:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Big Ten vs. ACC
Minnesota vs. Virginia

https://www.google.com/amp/amp.si.c...jections-week-13-playoff-rankings-predictions

CFN: Redbox Bowl: Minnesota vs. Arizona State

https://www.google.com/amp/s/colleg...tball-playoff-picks-after-rivalry-week-13/amp

CBS Sports: Pinstripe Bowl Dec. 27 Prediction Virginia vs. Minnesota

https://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/bowls/predictions

ESPN: Quick Lane Bowl vs Duke or Redbox Bowl vs Oregon

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25375570/college-football-bowl-projections-week-13

Sporting News:
Quick Lane Bowl Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech

http://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa...clemson-notre-dame/1sfdxdvmal8sb161r2gcbom6ky

Bleacher Report: Dec. 28 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Minnesota vs. Missouri

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...campaign=editorial&utm_medium=referral#slide3

Volleyball: Gophers Ready to Start Postseason Play

Gophers Ready to Start Postseason Play

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Eric Miller

VOLLEYBALL | 11/28/2018 11:25:00 AM

MINNESOTA BEGINS SECOND SEASON
The University of Minnesota begins its second season Friday night when it hosts a pair of NCAA First Round matches. Colorado and South Carolina will compete in the first match of the evening, set for 4:30 p.m., followed by the Gophers facing Bryant at 7 p.m. The winner of each match will advance to the Second Round, in a tentative 7 p.m., start on Saturday.

FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Friday's match against the Bryant Bulldogs will be available, free of charge, through BTN Plus. Should the Gophers advance to the NCAA Second Round, Minnesota and the winner of the Colorado/South Carolina match will be televised live on Big Ten Network. Gophersports.com will also feature a game day live page.

GOPHERS IN THE NCAA TOURNEY
The 2018 season marks the 23rd year the Golden Gophers have advanced to the NCAA tournament and the third time since 2015 they have landed a No. 2 seed. Minnesota was also a No. 2 seed in 2015 and 2016, as that ties the program's highest seed in program history. Minnesota has had a top 10 seed the past four seasons, as it was the No. 7 overall seed in 2017. In all, Minnesota has been to five Final Fours, eight Sweet 16 berths and two Elite 8 appearances. In its 22 previous appearances, Minnesota is 21-1 in the First Round, including a 5-0 mark against head coach Hugh McCutcheon.

BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
With the five-set win over Ohio State (Nov. 17), Minnesota clinched the 2018 Big Ten championship, in Columbus, Ohio. It marked the third conference championship for the Gophers in program history and the second since 2015. Minnesota clinched the title outright on the last game of the season in 2015, while the Gophers won it this year with two matches remaining in the 2018 regular season schedule.
With the win, the Gophers also punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament. With no conference tournament in volleyball, the Big Ten regular season champion solidified the league's automatic bid.

BEST BIG TEN SEASON
The 2018 Gophers went 19-1 in Big Ten action this season. That record marked the best conference record in school history. Minnesota went 18-0 before it lost a conference match in five sets to Penn State. In that span, Minnesota defeated four top five opponents five times in Penn State (once), Wisconsin and Nebraska (twice). The Gophers also swept 13 of its 18 opponents. The 2018 Gophers improved their previous Big Ten best when Minnesota won 15-straight in 2015. In that season the Gophers finished with an 18-2 league record.

ABOUT BRYANT
Bryant University claimed their first Northeast Conference title after it swept Sacred Heart in the conference championship. The Bulldogs ended the regular season 22-12 overall and 10-4 in conference play. Freshman Caroline Kennedy leads the team with 404 kills (2.99/set) and is followed by Kristin Kingi with 356 and Julia Flynn with 341. Kirstyn Sperry has recorded 998 assists (7.50/set) and Erika Ward has a team-high 543 digs (4.31/set). Middle blocker Grace Richmeyer leads the Bulldogs with 100 total blocks and averages .77 per set. Flynn was tabbed as the Northeast Conference MVP and was named to the all-conference team alongside Ward and Richmeyer. As a team, Bryant University averages 13.60 kills per set, 16.44 digs per set, 12.24 assists per set, 1.56 blocks per set and are hitting .192.

ABOUT COLORADO
The Buffs received an at-large bid after posting an 18-13 overall record and 10-10 in the PAC-12. Alexa Smith has a team-high 449 kills (3.74/set) and Justine Spann follows with 353 kills (2.94/set). In the middle, Naghede Abu (128) and Danielle Price (124) leads the team in blocks, averaging 1.41 and 1.14 blocks per set respectively. Jenna Ewert has recorded 809 assists (6.74/set) and Rachel Whipple leads the team with 397 digs (3.31). As a team, Colorado averages 14.31 digs per set, 13.33 kills per set while hitting .238, 12.49 assists per set and 2.66 blocks per set.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and went 19-9 overall and 10-8 in the SEC. The Gamecocks average 13.00 digs per set, 12.64 kills per set, 11.49 assists per set, 1.84 blocks per set and are hitting .237. Mikayla Shields has a team-high 335 kills (3.22/set) and has recorded 247 digs (2.38/set). Brittany MCLean is second on the team in kills with 286 (2.80/set). Mikayla Robinson has a team-best 96 blocks, including 22 solo, and averages .92 per set. Junior setter Courtney Koehler has tallied 1035 assists and averages 9.95 per set. Aubrey leads the defense with 376 digs.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Friday's match will mark the second time the Gophers and Bryant Bulldogs will face each other in program history. Minnesota defeated Bryant in 2015, 3-0, at the College of Charleston tournament. If Minnesota advances, they would face either Colorado or South Carolina. The Gophers have not faced the Gamecocks since 1984 and has gone 1-2 all-time. Minnesota's last bout with Colorado came in the Second Round of the 2013 NCAA tournament when the Gophers defeated the Buffs, 3-2, also at the Pav.

https://gophersports.com/news/2018/11/28/volleyball-gophers-ready-to-start-postseason-play.aspx

Souhan and Fat Pat

Guys, Ladies and Friends !! The only column I read at this point is Sid. Don't waste your time with the guys listed above. They will die out in time if you don't open their site. I haven't read their columns in years. My only wish is that Coach Fleck and Coach Pitino would refuse to do interviews with those jerks. Recruits can read believe it or not, and I don't see how their opinions help sell the programs. I am a homer and love my Gophers. I live in Sunny Arizona and will always be a Gopher fan, PERIOD! I grew up in Minnesota and lived there my entire life, until 6 months ago. Gopherland is a tough area to recruit, so, those 2 jerks listed above only sabotage the efforts by our coaches.
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