AMinnesota junior outside hitter Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte) was named the National Player of the Week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) for the week of October 10. She averaged 6.67 kills and 3.67 digs in leading Minnesota to wins over Michigan and Michigan State. Branagh is the second Gopher in history to win this award, as Becky Bauer won the award October 7, 1996.

The Golden Gophers moved into the national volleyball rankings for the first time this season in the poll released by the AVCA. Minnesota is ranked No. 22 nationally and second among Big Ten teams. Penn State remains the top-ranked team in the nation for the second consecutive week. The Gophers were ranked nationally for nine consecutive weeks in 1998, moving as high as No. 22 on two occasions.

Minnesota hosts Indiana on Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 23 Illinois on Saturday at 7 p.m., with both matches taking place at the Sports Pavilion.

AVCA/USA Today Top 25 Poll October 11, 1999 Team (First-Place) Points Record Last 1. Penn State (41) 1478 16-1 1 2. Hawaii (19) 1457 15-0 2 3. Pacific 1372 15-1 3 4. Florida 1294 15-2 4 5. Long Beach State 1276 13-2 5 6. UCLA 1204 14-1 9 7. Stanford 1067 12-2 6 8. BYU 1026 12-2 10 9. UC Santa Barbara 975 13-3 7 10. Texas 914 11-3 8 11. Pepperdine 907 12-2 11 12. Nebraska 851 12-4 12 13. Kansas State 849 12-2 16 14. Colorado State 762 16-0 15 15. Clemson 596 16-1 13 16. Texas A&M 554 13-3 14 17. USC 515 9-4 17 18. Arizona 488 11-4 T18 19. Northern Iowa 324 18-0 22 20. Colorado 323 10-5 20 21. Arkansas 246 14-4 21 22. Minnesota 215 15-3 NR 23. Illinois 173 9-3 NR 24. Wisconsin 166 11-5 T18 25. San Diego 163 12-3 24 Others receiving 30 or more points: North Carolina (134), Loyola Marymount (38), San Jose State (37), Michigan (30).