The Daily Gopher Fix 9.12.08

This will be a rare minor sports moment on The Daily Gopher.   The women's volleyball team is very talented and is annually one of the best in the Big Ten. 

This weekend the 11th ranked volleyball team is hosting a power packed tournament.  #4 ranked Cal, #16 Cal-Poly and Notre Dame are participating in the Diet Coke Classic.

Minnesota is 5-1 losing only then ranked #11 Hawaii in five sets. Currently the Gophers are ranked 11th.  The Gophers are led by couple sophomores Brook Dieter and Lauren Gibbemeyer.  The Gophers were picked to finish 2nd in the conference behind defending national champs, Penn State. 

• Congratulations to a half dozen U of M women who were picked to be featured in Playboy's "Girls of the Big Ten."  The interesting key to this story is that the cover girl for the Girls of the Big Ten issue is actually from the SEC and she had the following to say about being on the Big Ten cover... 
  

  "There weren’t any girls from the Big Ten who were hot enough to be on the cover, so they had to pull someone from the SEC."

  Not only are SEC kids faster but they are also hotter.  I hate the SEC.
• Iowa is a 13.5 favorite over their rival Iowa State who actually beat them a year ago.  Coach Ferentz thinks those people are "delusional."
• Houston Cypress Ridge, home of Gopher verbal Hasan Lipscomb, will have this week's game "shut down" due to Hurrican Ike.  Actually all of the Houston area high school activities are being shut down this weekend.  This is the first time this has happened since Hurricane Rita in 2005.  Many of the football games will not be made up as they are not district games.
• I'm not sure if you have heard or not, but USC will be hosting Ohio State this weekend.  And it hasn't received much attention but Buckeye running back, Beanie Wells, is injured.  He practiced this week but sat out Thursday's practice and is now questionable at best for Saturday's game.
• Slam Magazine has released their Fresh 50.  Rodney Williams checks in at #30 and Slam had this to say about Williams.  A top-flight athlete who has improved his outside shooting, Williams also contributes on the boards and on defense.  Other players of Gopher interest #43-Johnny Lacy and #47-Darius Smith.  Probably what is most fascinating is that Royce White is nowhere to be found.