• Minnesota will play its first home Big Ten matches this week when it faces No. 24 Michigan in its Big Ten home opener on Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. and Michigan State on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. The Golden Gophers have gone 33-7 at home in Big Ten play since 2002. Minnesota enters the week with a 2-0 Big Ten record this year, and is 8-4 overall. Michigan is 13-2 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play, while Michigan State is 10-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Golden Gophers enter the week tied for first place at 2-0 with Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin, while Michigan is tied for eighth at 0-2. The Spartans are tied for fifth with a 1-1 record after the first weekend of play.
• The Golden Gophers are off to a 2-0 start in Big Ten play for the sixth time in 11 tries under current head coach Mike Hebert. The last time the Golden Gophers started 2-0 was in 2004 when they advanced to the national championship match. It is also the first time since 2001 that Minnesota has won its first two matches on the road in Big Ten play. Under Hebert, the Golden Gophers started 2-0 in 1999 (7-0), 2000 (4-0), 2001 (2-0), 2002 (5-0) and in 2004 (2-0), along with this year.
• With a pair of wins to start this Big Ten season, and three straight wins to end the 2005 conference campaign, the Golden Gophers are on a five-match winning streak in Big Ten play. It marks the 12th time under Hebert, and the seventh time since 2002 that Minnesota has won five or more straight games in Big Ten play. The Golden Gophers set the school record for consecutive wins in Big Ten play with 11 from Oct. 16 to Nov. 22 in 2002, which was the year they won their only Big Ten title. Five of Minnesota’s six longest winning streaks have come under Hebert. The only streak that did not come under Hebert, was a seven-match winning streak from Oct. 12 to Nov. 8 in 1985 under Stephanie Schleuder. The following is a list of the six longest Big Ten winning streaks by Minnesota:
11 - 10/16/02 to 11/27/02
10 - 10/3/03 to 10/31/02
8 - 10/2/04 to 10/29/04
7 - 11/3/00 to 11/22/00
7 - 9/24/99 to 10/16/99
7 - 10/12/85 to 11/8/85
• Minnesota enters this week with a six-match winning streak. The Golden Gophers had not won six straight matches since they won seven in a row to close out non-conference play last year from Sept. 9 to Sept. 17, 2005. During the current winning streak, Minnesota has 15.38 kpg, while opponents have 12.24 kpg. The Golden Gophers are also hitting .231 and holding opponents to a .098 hitting percentage, while outblocking their opposition 3.26 to .174. Minnesota also has 1.81 service aces per game to 0.76 for its opponents. Individually, Kyla Roehrig is averaging 4.05 kpg during the streak and hitting .312. Meredith Nelson has 3.26 kpg and is hitting .321 during the same span. Jessy Jones also is averaging 1.94 blpg, while Malama Peniata has 6.81 dpg. Meghan Cumpston is leading the way with 0.71 sapg. Minnesota is 6-0 since Peniata returned to the team on Sept. 13.
