The Minnesota volleyball team will host Kansas State in a spring match at the Sports Pavilion on Saturday, Apr. 29. Minnesota will play the Wildcats in a five-game match at 10 a.m. and then in a three-game match at 2:30 p.m.

Admission will be free to the spring match, which will be the final one of the Golden Gophers four-week spring schedule.

Minnesota started the spring season by finishing first in the Palos Courts Tournament in Chicago, by winning 11 of 12 games on Apr. 1.

The Golden Gophers went 2-2 in a tournament at Gainesville winning 2-0 and 2-1 over Virginia, but falling 2-0 and 2-1 to host Florida.

Last week, the Golden Gophers finished third out of 24 teams at the Great Lakes Invitational in Chicago. Minnesota won matches against UW-Milwaukee and Dayton in the prelims, and then claimed a win over Ohio University to advance to the semifinals. The Golden Gophers only loss of the tournament came to Texas in the semifinals.

Minnesota returns 12 letterwinners from its 2005 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Gophers return 2005 First-Team All-Big Ten middle blocker Meredith Nelson (St. Croix Falls, Wis.), 2004 First- Team All-American Kelly Bowman and the 2005 Team MVP Malama Peniata (Plymouth, Minn.) to the 2006 squad.

Stay tuned to gophersports.com for more information or directions to the spring match at the Sports Pavilion.