UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Two unbeaten and top-10 ranked teams square off when No. 8 Penn State (2-0, 2-0 Big Ten) travels to play No. 5 Minnesota (6-0, 6-0 Big Ten) on Saturday and Sunday at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis. Saturday's match at 8 p.m. and Sunday's match at 7:30 p.m. will both air on Big Ten Network.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Saturday, Feb. 13 | 8 p.m.
Big Ten Network | Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 14 | 7:30 p.m.
Big Ten Network | Live Stats
OPENING NOTES
• Two teams ranked in the top-10 nationally square off at Minnesota's Maturi Pavilion when No. 8 Penn State travels to take on No. 5 Minnesota on Saturday and Sunday.
• Both matches will be featured live on Big Ten Network.
• The teams have a combined 8-0 record — all against conference opponents — with the Nittany Lions at 2-0 and the Gophers at 6-0.
SCOUTING THE GOPHERS
• No. 5 Minnesota is unbeaten at 6-0 with two-match weekend sweeps over Michigan State, Maryland and then-No. 13 Purdue.
• The Gophers didn't drop a set in their four matches against the Spartans and Terrapins before going five sets in both matches against the Boilermakers.
• Minnesota ranks first in the Big Ten in digs/set (17.00). CC McGraw, an honorable-mention All-American last season, ranks first individually at 4.33/set.
• Stephanie Samedy, a second-team All-American last season, is averaging 4.14 kills/set, 2.86 digs/set and 0.77 blocks/set. She had 28 kills and 26 digs in the first win over Purdue.
SERIES HISTORY
• Penn State leads 48-12 in the all-time series with Minnesota.
• The teams first played in 1983.
• It has been a back-and-forth series as of late with the teams alternating results in eight matches since 2015.
• Minnesota beat Penn State 3-1 last year at Rec Hall. It was the final match of the regular season and put the two teams in a tie for second place in the Big Ten.
• The Lions are 20-8 against the Gophers in matches played in Minneapolis.
2-0 START NOTHING NEW
• Starting 2-0 is a common occurrence for Penn State, which has won its opening two matches 33 times in 45 seasons.
• What is different this season is that the Lions opened the season with two Big Ten games for the first time.
• Penn State won its two games to open the season despite missing six scholarship players.
• The Lions have started 2-0 in Big Ten play 21 times in the league's 30 seasons.
FRESH FACES STEP UP EARLY
• In its season-opening two-match sweep of Illinois, Penn State had four players make their first career start and five players make their collegiate debut.
• The group that made their collegiate debut accounted for 61 percent of the team's digs and 48 percent of the team's kills in the two matches against the Illini.
BIG TEN LEADS WAY IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
• Five Big Ten teams appeared in the top 15 of the most recent AVCA national rankings — No. 1 Wisconsin, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Minnesota, No. 8 Penn State and No. 11 Purdue.
FITZPATRICK'S STRONG DEBUT
• Freshman Annie Cate Fitzpatrick was one of the top freshmen in the conference last weekend, posting two strong performances in her collegiate debut weekend.
• Fitzpatrick is averaging a double-double after the first weekend of play, averaging 15.0 kills and 13.0 digs.
UP NEXT
• Penn State heads to Columbus to take on Ohio State on Wednesday at 5 p.m. The Buckeyes are 4-0 with two wins over Maryland and two wins over Michigan State.
