Gophers volleyball earns No. 12 seed, home regional for NCAA Tournament
The University of Minnesota volleyball team is the No. 12 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament and will host Stanford, Iowa State and South Dakota in a regional this weekend at Maturi Pavilion. ((credit: University of Minnesota Athletics))
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota volleyball team will host a first and second round regional after receiving the No. 12 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament Sunday night.
The Gophers will host a regional that includes Stanford, Iowa State and South Dakota. Stanford and Iowa State will play at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Maturi Pavilion, with the Gophers and South Dakota to follow. The two winners will play at 7 p.m. Saturday.
If Minnesota advances, it would travel to the Wisconsin regional Dec. 9-11.
This year marks the Gophers’ 26th appearance in the NCA Tournament, including seven straight and nine of the last 10 seasons under Hugh McCutcheon. The Gophers have also had a top-16 seed in each of the last six seasons.
The Gophers are one of eight Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament, along with No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 6 Purdue, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 10 Nebraska, Michigan, Penn State and Illinois. Minnesota’s regular season schedule included 13 teams that ended up in the 64-team field.
The Gophers enter the NCAA tournament with a 20-8 record, including a 15-5 mark in Big Ten play, tying for third in the conference with Ohio State and Purdue. Wisconsin (17-3) finished first, followed by Nebraska (16-4) in second place.
The Gophers have won two straight and nine of their last 11 entering the postseason.