The Minnesota volleyball team is starting the season ranked No. 16 according to the CSTV/AVCA Preseason Top-25 poll, which was released on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Minnesota received 446 points in the poll.

It marks the eighth time in nine years the Golden Gophers have been ranked in the preseason top 25, and the fifth time in six years that they have been in the top 16. Minnesota was ranked No. 11 in the 2000 preseason poll, No. 15 in the 2001 preseason poll, No. 6 in 2003, No. 5 in 2004, No. 6 in 2005, No. 9 in 2007 and 16th this year.

Last season, Minnesota advanced to the NCAA Tournament for a ninth straight year. The Golden Gophers finished 18-13 and tied for third in the Big Ten at 11-9.

Minnesota was among four Big Ten teams that were ranked in the preseason poll. Defending national champion Penn State was No. 1, Wisconsin was No. 13 and Purdue was No. 25. Michigan (177 pts) and Michigan State (80 pts) also collected votes in the preseason poll.

Along with playing the teams from the Big Ten that are in the poll, Minnesota will face four non-conference teams that ranked in the preseason poll. The Golden Gophers will face No. 21 LSU on Aug. 30 in Omaha, Neb. Minnesota will also face No. 12 Hawai’i on Sept. 4. The Golden Gophers will host No. 5 California (Sept. 12) and No. 10 Cal Poly (Sept. 14) in the Diet Coke Classic, which will be held Sept. 12-14.